Revolt

10. Soul Astronomy

“Compatibility is an achievement of love. It shouldn’t be it’s precondition.” Alain De Botton.

•••

Lekan pulled over by the curb, and switched off the ignition of the car. The moment had come. If it was a football fixture, it’d be the kick-off of the final of the most prestigious, revered trophy in the world. It was Saturday evening, and as agreed with Anjola—he was to show up at her house at 8:00P.M., to pick her up for date night, in order to implement the first phase of their great experiment.

To say he was nervous, was an enormous understatement. This undertaking was capable of making or breaking his relationship with Anjola, and although currently it was in no monumental stage—it was still something he hated to part with. It was the core reason, he stayed out of relationships, to avoid inflicting emotional injuries on the nearest individual, and therefore become loathed. Of all people, he couldn’t bear Anjola hating him.

Anjola lived alone in a two-bedroom apartment, in Magodo G.R.A housing estate—Ikeja. She previously shared the apartment with Tiolu, but now that his sister had graduated to marital status—the apartment was hers alone. Most spinsters in the country, who didn’t come from affluent homes couldn’t afford such brazenly lush, deluxe house but not Anjola.

She worked in a reputable, oil conglomerate that of course paid her ample amount of salary. She didn’t know this, but it was one of the many things he found attractive in her and that distinguished her from other women. She had worked her way up to a luminary position in her office without being elevated by connections with higher powers, or nepotism of any form. It was nothing, but sheer grit and gumption that made her who she was. And that was only a small indication, of the essence she was laden with.

The street and atmosphere was tranquil, and void of activity. Select, luxurious lofts lined the streets—ranging from duplexes, apartment buildings and skyscrapers—and gleamed with their respective lights of differing colors, illuminating the night like a rainbow and animating the atmosphere, in such a pixilated way that Lekan felt, he was in an immersive, virtual reality game of a futuristic, utopian environment simulation.

He glanced at his sleek, silver Swatch partially buried under his long sleeved, burgundy cypress—pressed plaid shirt, that he had thrown on over tight checkered blue khaki pants and black supple, leather high top laced up boots. He had gone for something simple and succinct, so as not to come off as overzealous about the day’s activity or droopy either. What he needed was equilibrium—the right balance.

Just as he was about to reach out for his Samsung S10, to call Anjola and inform her of his arrival—a distant noise, of the placid, clanking of heels on the asphalt from his right, pulled his attention and when he looked up to his right, he did see her—through the window, waving a hand, apparently implying that she be let into the car. His anxiety escalated, but he managed to disengage the car’s lock before his willpower failed him. Anjola let herself in, adjusted into her seat and slammed the door behind her and Lekan made sure, he took his time, taking her in.

She was wearing a red, cutout back, turtle neck midi dress that fitted her body so tightly, that it spelled out her luscious shape. Women with voluptuous bodies were his kryptonite—he had no aversion for slender ones, as they could be stunning also, but his preference was fully tilted in the slim-thick direction.

His gawking spawned the time in which she used to grab her seatbelt and click it into place, and so when she was fully settled into her seat—the intensity in his eyes depleted, and he flashed her a warm smile.

Unlike him, Anjola hadn’t mastered the arts of concealing her anxiety and although it wasn’t as obvious, as her pear shaped figure—it was detectable nonetheless. He understood, since he wasn’t the most glorified saint around, after all. It was still difficult for even him, to wrap his head around the fact that he was about to go on a date with her.