MAMLEY

8 O'CLOCK

Her alarm went off and she hit the snooze button on her phone. Lectures suck and she wasn't in the mood to go for class today but unfortunately, she had no choice. She just couldn't miss her abstract algebra class because it was a course she struggled with. She lay in bed for a few more minutes and finally got out of it. She looked over to her room mate's bed and realized Sally didn't come to the room last night. She shuffled her way to the bathroom and begun brushing her teeth when the door flung open with Sally in the doorway holding her *aworshia* (staying out overnight) bag.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm home now" Sally said as she threw herself on her bed.
"But I didn't even utter a word" Mamley replied.
" What time is your lectures starting today?" Sally asked as she unpacked.
"First class starts at 9am and I'll finish for the day by 11am" she replied.
Mamley finished brushing her teeth and jumped into the shower. She had started scrubbing her face when her phone rung. Initially, she decided to ignore and call whoever it was back but Sally announced that it was her dad calling. She quickly run to her bed naked and excited answered it. Her dad always made it a point to call her at least once a day and they usually spoke at length about any and every topic they could both come up with. Today's conversation lasted for close to 35 minutes and full of funny stories that daddy always told her. She had to cut it short because she needed to get ready for class so they said their good byes.

She was soon on her way to the car park to drive to lectures when Nene, who was now in Senior High School, and was 16 years called her. They spoke briefly while she drove towards the lecture theatre where her class was to be held. She got to class some minutes before it started. Class soon ended as the lecturer had to leave to deal with an emergency and left the class to his TA. After the class, Mamley got to her car and saw Damien standing  there waiting for her. She rolled her eyes and sighed.
Mamley: Hi. What do you want?
Damien: Oh relax. I just came to see you.
Mamley: Ok. You've seen me now so can I go?
Damien: when would you stop being difficult?
Mamley: And when would you stop being annoying?
Damien: Mami, relax give me oo. You dey rush too much.
Mamley:( chuckles) So what can I do for you? I need to know so that I can go and sleep.
Damien: Why do you never give me a chance?
Mamley: A chance to do what?
Damien: Don't pretend that you dont know I'm catching feelings for you.
Mamley: (laughs out loudly) Ei, I didn't know feeling could easily be caught like flu.
Damien: Come on, you know what I mean. Ok. Let's just hang out at my place today.
Mamley: No. I don't feel comfortable with that.
Damien: Alright, let's do lunch then.
Mamley:Sounds like a plan.

They rode in his car to Labadi beach and got a sea food platter for lunch while watching the boisterous sea display with pride. Deep down, Mamley, loved the scenery but she would be damned to let this gentleman know that she is enjoying something that he came up with. Damien had shown interest in her ever since he saw her in the resident hall in her first year. She was playing hard to get but eventually she decided they were better off as friends for now because she wasn't ready to commit fully till she felt she was ready to settle down. She had seen what heartbreaks had done to her friends and she wasn't ready to be its next victim. Damien had proven to be resilient in his quest to have her in his life and she always admired his wit and how he could match her intellectually and that was a big turn on for her.
She took a piece of the octopus and savored the taste while Damien received a call. She watched lovers stroll on the shores of the beach while others rode horses past. Other people were shaking their bodies to the music being played by the resort and the boys boys were displaying their gymnastics skills to the admiration of many. The whole picture was calming for Mamley and a sense of happiness washed over her. The rest of the day was passed at the beach walking on the shores and occasionally having their feet washed by the sea water. She didn't know what life had in store for her, for him or for them, but she knew she could bask in this moment forever.