At The Dinner Party

The Invitation

Fascinated by the view before her, Tiwa was lost in thought;
She thought of the changes her neighborhood had undergone while she was at school, away from home; The new house just built right beside hers. She thought of the different house structures that graced her neighborhood; The big and the small houses. The proletariats and bourgeoisies' houses. Mere looking at the houses, one will know who is who, for the buildings are a clear pointer to the owners' financial status.
"Wow! So beautiful. The owner must be rich" She thought.

She thought of the home food she missed, the laughter that do erupt when her family gathers in the evening to gist. She thought of the lonely but interesting lifestyle she spent in school, the constant calls from home filled with 'Have you eaten? What do you cook? Hope there's no problem' and all of that.

All this while, Tiwa has been standing by the living room window, staring lovingly at the new building, trying to feed her eyes which hungered for these home sceneries for the past few months now.

She pried the faces of every single person that walks by - her building was not fenced and she tried not to miss any single detail.
She saw familiar and unfamiliar faces, the familiar ones, she greeted and the unfamiliar ones, she stared.

She was engrossed in thought while doing all of these when her phone's ringtone; 'God is in the Story...' filled the living room air and a part of the outside air for the tone escaped through the opened window and one of the passers-by, who knows the song, hummed along.

This brought Tiwa from her train of thoughts,
"Oh! My phone is ringing" She said as she reached out for the center table where she placed her phone.

Tiwa was surprised when she saw the caller: "See who's calling, Banky? Wow! What a great day! She thought to herself as she swiped the answer button.

"Hello Tiwa, how have you been?" The voice at the other end sounded.

"Wow! It is really him!" Tiwa couldn't speak for a while as words seems to have gotten stuck in her throat from the shock of finally hearing the voice she had missed for how many years now? Two, three years? She could not even tell anymore, she has lost count of the years apart.

Though, occasionally, they do chat but sometimes, she longed to hear this voice. She could have called at those times she wished to hear from him but she couldn't bring herself to it.
She wants him to take the initiative first. And now, he called? This day couldn't be any better. Tiwa thought.

"Hello, Tiwa, are you there?" Banky asked after the moment of silence at Tiwa's end.

"Yes! Yes! I'm here. It's been a while." She replied trying so hard to hide her excitement.

"Yes, it is. So, how have you been all this while?"
"I've been good. You?" She asked to keep the conversation going.

"I've not been doing bad either. So, how's studies? I know you can't have any problem for you're a scholar, my boss." Banky hailed.

"Studies has been fine and stop whining me boss" She hailed back.

"You know I just stated the fact, I no dey whine. How's everybody at home now?"

"Ok I've heard. Everyone is doing fine. I hope everyone is doing great at your end too."  Tiwa said.

"Yeah! They're doing great. I just got back from school two days ago. What about you? Are you still at school or you're also back at home for Christmas and New year holidays?

"It gladens my heart to hear that. I just got back yesterday too" Said Tiwa.

"Wow! Just the perfect time. Tiwa..." Banky hesitated for a while before continuing what he's about to say, he feared Tiwa would not want it.

"Yes?" Asked Tiwa after sensing the brief paused from Banky.

"I want to invite you to a dinner party. Will you be available? I know you don't like parties and all that. You know I don't like it too but this is my church dinner awards' night and I would love you to accompany me. What do you say?" The nervous Banky asked, oblivious to the smile dancing on Tiwa's face.