Paint Me (GXG) ✒️

32

It felt like a breath of fresh air when Inoma and myself finally returned to school. We had rented an apartment at Pako, close to school. After staying up to ballot, we still couldn't get a space in the school hostel. We tried to look for other ways, but it was almost impossible and one thing we were certain about was that, we weren't going to squat. It was our final year, and we had to live in comfort. When our parents saw we weren't relenting, they decided it was best we rented an apartment close to school, to get over the entire issue. Inoma and I were elated, it felt like things were working in our good. We moved in as soon as possible, and as at the first week of resumption we had begun to actively go to classes. We had the same courses, including our electives but we had different project supervisors.

"Omo, I do not know what to get for her," I voiced out my concern to Inoma as we sat in our one-bedroom flat, with kitchen and bathroom. We were in the bedroom, Inoma sat on our bed on the floor, while I sat on the plastic chair. "I've been thinking and thinking, but I don't even know what she loves the most, apart from painting."

"Then get her something art related," Inoma said casually and unbothered, not looking away from her phone.

"Oh well, no freaking shit Sherlock!"

She began laughing, looking up at me. "I didn't mean it that way," she said, chuckling. "I mean that you can get her maybe a paint brush, acrylic paint, canvas? Something you think she would appreciate"

"Hmm" I replied, thinking about her response because it made perfect sense. "Maybe I could get her a set of brushes, or water colors, since she uses that a lot."

Inoma nodded. "You know her best."

I smiled. "Can we all go now? Please?" I asked, making Inoma frown.

"Who is all? Isn't it just me and you?"

I shook my head. "We'd invite Topher. Or, didn't he get space in hostel?"

"He got oh. That his uncle assisted as per norm."

"Oya now, let's all go before it gets too late."

Inoma nodded in approval as she began to text someone on her phone, someone I assumed was Christopher.

"We can go to that new mall at Herbert Macaulay way, I've seen some reviews online and people are swearing by it," I told Inoma.

She looked at me confused, as she said, "New mall?"

I nodded. "Opened last month or so, and it's been gaining a lot of recognition."

She nodded, then shrugged as she said, "That's fine by me." She got up from the bed, moving to change from her house wear as she said, "Chris agreed, he said we should meet him at gate."

"Oya naw."

We both go dressed and went to meet Christopher at the school gate, from there we got a bus that would take us straight to where we were going, by the time we got there, the sky had begun to darken in preparation for the night. But, when we got in, the mall was so bright it didn't feel like it was darkening outside. "How are we going to find the art shop?" Inoma asked, clinging unto Christopher's arm, as we walked side by side.

"We'd keep window shopping and walking around, till we see what looks like an art shop," I said with a shrug. "I guess."

Christopher nodded, as we began window shopping.

The mall had really high ceilings, with about three floors, and had both escalators and lifts. "It is really big," I pointed out, earning a nod from both of them as we began to catch up on random moments of our lives.