Sing Of A Tree In The Wild

Rendezvous: Part One

Hello people!! I'm not done with the dedications. I'm dedicating this chapter to @scentedmemoirs. Y'all should check out her amazing book titled Ira. (Read this chapter first lol). Keep voting and commenting!

Elfrida

There are three things that drive Nigerian males crazy: women, money and football. I don't get how twenty-two grown men can spend hours chasing a random ball round a wide pitch. More baffling is the fact that millions of other males derive pleasure from watching such play out. Life has some really hilarious aspects. And my idiotic cousin thought I'd like a football jersey.

At least, I know another football freak like him.

I take a look at my watch. 1:04. I didn't expect that I'd spend so much time at Dennis' place. I and Matthew should have left over ten minutes earlier. Judging by the look he's giving me now, he doesn't look too happy. Right now, we're both standing face-to-face in front of the house.

What am I going to tell him?

"You told me ten minutes, Elfrida." He says blandly.

"I'm sorry. I can explain..."

"Oh yes, please do. I'd be glad to forget our outing." I haven't seen Matthew act this way before. I'm going to need more than my lady charm to placate him.

"It's not like that, Matthew."

"Then it's like how? You should have told me since, but you just keep denying the obvious."

He says as he walks past me to enter the car. Oh yes, Matthew can drive. That aside, why does Matthew chose to believe I and Dennis are dating? After buffering outside, I hop into the car. Matthew is still wordless.

"He thought his sister was pulling a practical joke about my presence."

Matthew turns to me swiftly, his eyes widened. "Today is April Fools' Day."

"No, it was yesterday."

Matthew doesn't react so well. He hits the steering wheel and mouths a cuss. Something tells me that Matthew had been planning to fool me in grand style. Thank God he forgot; I can be pretty gullible at times.

"I just hope to be in Nigeria by this time next year, for retributive justice." He says. Retributive justice indeed. He finally turns to look at me. "How did your boyfriend react to my gift?"

Silence.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. He's not your boyfriend. How did Dennis your friend react to my gift?"

Remembering how Dennis almost squashed me in his arms, I smile. "He hugged me pretty tight, as though he were going to lose me forever after that. He even said..." I cut myself short. If I tell Matthew how Dennis considered kissing me, I won't hear the last of it.

"What? He even said what? Tell me!" Matthew knows just how to extract information from me. To be honest with myself, I just can't help it. But not this time. I heave a sigh.

"He even said that was the jersey number he wanted."

"Jersey number 29?" He asks. I didn't actually look at the back of the jersey, but I'm guessing it's so.

"Yes. 29."

"The jersey isn't customised. No name, no jersey number. And no Barcelona player currently sports a jersey with that number. Now, tell me what he even said."

Touché.

Dang it, I could have been smarter about this! Now, I'll have to endure Matthew's torture forever. I can't lie to him again.