Facade (Romola 1)

9: Chevrolet

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Big babe.”

Romola looked up from the note in her lap and stared at the fair slender girl, with natural hair twists, that had called her name. Big babe was what she was called in her department.

“Joke, what do you want?”

“This one that you're dressed like you want to go out.  Is there anything popping today?”

Romola rolled her eyes. Joke was one of the girl that often went along with she and Yetunde to the clubs and parties.

“No.” Romola flipped her note shut. “If there was something, I would tell you.”

“Sure thing. Keep me posted,” Joke said and sashayed away. Romola opened her note and pretended to read. She couldn’t focus on the line that she had stared at a thousand times.

She was reading the words but it made no sense. Her hands stretched towards her phone again. There was no call, no SMS, no Whatsapp message. Nothing.

She wanted to slap herself for being so antsy just because Olumide took her number and promised to call. She had been waiting for his call since morning and her heart was threatening to break free of her chest. She didn’t like how anxious she was to hear his melodious voice again.

Her mind flashed to their last conversation. What was so important about Yetunde that he had to see her privately to discuss it. Yetunde herself hadn’t returned to the flat in a good mood.

In a sour temper, she had a called Romola a rat but Romola knew Yetunde was just mad because Olumide took her home in a drunken state. Romola had tried to appeal to Yetunde but Yetunde stormed out of the houae in a fit last night and was yet to return to the flat or pick Romola’s calls.

After waiting till 5pm, she picked her notes in disappointment. She had better returned to the hostel and prepare dinner. Perhaps, her angry room mate would have returned to the flat in a better mood. She rose to her feet with her note in her bag, walking to the door in haste.

Outside, she basked in the heat of the sun for a few minutes, watching students walk past her department before she began to take a route that would lead her to the cab park.

She took a few steps forward then saw a dark blue Chevrolet stop in front if her. The door opened and Olumide jumped out. He was dressed in a dark purple velvet vest and a black shirt on neat shinny black shoes with grey slacks.

“Romola-“ he began.

She eyed him before walking around the car bonnet to continue her journey.

“-I'm so sorry I’m late.” He apologized, trailing after her.

“You could have called you know,” She picked her pace but he caught up to her and held fast with his hand gripping her wrist.

“I’m really sorry. I’m just coming from Ikoyi... There was traffic.” He said.

She pushed his hand off her wrist and stared him straight in the eyes. She ignored the fluttering feeling and the need to blush by focusing her anger on him. “Look, I need to get to my hostel and make dinner."

“I was going to take you out,”

She rolled her eyes. “I'm not interested. As it stands, this day is already wasted.

“Romola please,” he begged. "For Yetunde's sake. It is very important that we talk about it.”
He let go if her hands and she kept staring at. Him. Concerned took residence on his slender face and she feared whatever he wanted to talk about.

“How long would it take?”

“It might be a while. Besides,” he stared at the surrounding before his eyes fell on her. “This isn’t the best place. Too many ears. Let me take you out to dinner.”

Romola wanted to say no but she thought about the fact that he had driven all the way from Ikoyi to Yaba just to talk to her. “Fine but only because it concerns Yetunde and nothing else.”

She had to make it clear to this Adonis that she wouldn’t be a party to breaking Yetunde’s heart. It wasn’t that he had directly asked her out but she feared that her growing infautuation was  mutual. She kept thinking about the stares he sent her way and about the way he squeezed her hand after calling her your majesty. Boys-men were strange beings but she didn’t understand Olumide. Maybe he just took interest in her for Yetunde’s sake. That was it.

“Yes,” He punched the air then took her free hand leading her to his car. "Don’t worry, this will be a memorable dinner.”

He opened the door of the Chevrolet and got into the car after she did, locking the car door and beginning the journey.

“Where is your Range Rover? I thought you said it was your favorite?” she asked.

“It is,” His face broke into a smile as he glanced at her. “but I only take this car where I don’t know where I’m going.”

“You don’t know where we are going?” Alarmed, she reached for the door handle.

“No. That’s not what I mean. I know where we are going buy I've never driven there by myself.” He said. “if I’m driving to somewhere for the first time, I usually take this car. I can’t put my Range in danger especially on these pot hole ridden Nigerian roads."

Romola chuckled at the expression he made when he said these Nigerian roads. The pot holes on the road were like moon craters causing problems for pedestrians and motorists alike including Romola while she did her job.

“So,” She drawled. “Where are you taking me to?”

“Don't worry. I'm not going to use you for sacrifice,” he smirked.

“I just want to know where we are going.”

“It’s a surprise.”

“But I need to know.”

“Okay.... I'll give you a clue. It has glasses.”

“Red Glasses?” She asked, finally relaxing into the seat.

Olumide let out a rich loud laugh. The one that had her heart racing as she watched him. “Not even close. So, since you failed. You’re going to have to wait.”

“That’s not fair,” Romola folded her hands and Olumide only grinned at the road before him.

“You’ll love this, Romola. I promise.”

Author's Note:
So,  What could Olumide possibly tell Yetunde about her best friend that she doesn't already know?  Let me know your thoughts.