Scars (Romola 2)

101: Departure

They would board the plane in fifteen minutes and with each announcement, Ajoke's smile grew. Her excitement was almost contagious. Almost was the word, if he didn't have a 100 pound weight on his chest.

His phone vibrated. Olumide's heart jumped at the sound. He flipped it over but then frowned when he saw Dami's name on the notification bar. He and Dami's friendship had hit a rocky spot because of Yetunde.

Olumide picked Dami's call. It wasn't their first fight and he was sure it wouldn't be their last.

"Mide, so that's how you'll disappear?"

"It was urgent oh. How you take know? How did you know?" Precision marked his pidgin intonation.

"E no matter. Even though we dey fight, I be your guy. Hope you know? It doesn't matter. We're friends even if we fight. Hope you are aware?"

"We no dey fight again? Are we not fighting anymore?"

"E. Get one punch I been dey pack. Make I punch you first. Then everything go settle. I have a punch that once I deliver to you, everything will be fine between us."

The sides of Olumide's lips lifted a little, even though his heart tore with each second that passed.

"If you punch me, I go punch back.If you hit me, I'll hit you back. One punch for one punch."

"And one slap for one slap." Dami completed one of their funny catch phrases from secondary school.

Ease filled Olumide's heart. He would have told Dami about all of his plans from day one but he knew that somehow word would get to Yetunde's parents and then to his mother. His parents would try to stop his sister's flight. If he had not been staying at Romola's house and returning there after work with an uber they would probably have kidnapped him and forced him to reveal Ajoke's location for their beloved Tomiwa.

"E get as things be. The way things are is not ideal. Look, I'll explain when my flight lands." Olumide switched to proper English

"No problem but you forgot something."

"What?"

"I'm bringing it to you."

The only time he could've forgotten something with Dami was during the planning of his best friend's wedding. Whatever he had left behind wasn't important if he hadn't thought of it all this time.

"Don't worry. I'm boarding soon."

"We're already here. What gate are you?"

"10C. What did I forget."

"You'll see us now."

We? Vicky was coming too.

Olumide sighed. He also owed her an apology. Wrapped up in the drama of Ajoke's separation from Tomiwa and Sunbo's burial, he hadn't seen the couple since they returned from their honeymoon. It was nice that he would get a chance to say a proper goodbye.

But he would rather have had Romola coming off to drop off whatever he had forgotten and waiting with him, savouring every millisecond they had together until he had to get on the plane but that would not happen. It was just a fantasy— that she would accept him.

The only reason he still had hope was that she was yet to confirm or deny anything. In the car today, there had been more to what she wanted to say. It wasn't a rejection. But if she rejected him, he would not return to this country because it would hurt too much to have the wall of rejection between them.

"Mide, look." Ajoke squeezed his laps.

He swung his head in the direction she smiled at.

Dami swaggered towards him with a silly smile. Behind him was a dark skinned beauty in Dunlop slippers, with Lolade's favourite bag slung across her chest.