Psyche

Lessons

Search every corner of your mind. The things you will find might intrigue you.

People watching.

The day didn't seem as bright it would have been. The sun peeped through the clouds waiting for the right moment to graze the presence. It was finally time for them to experience the next phase in becoming who they were. It was time to choose the path they so longed desired.

"Irene!" The voice was familiar to her ears. She had heard this voice every morning when she came to drop her bag in her class. The voice was always there to jump start her already weakened heart.

Irene turned sharply and a smile followed stretching and showing her beautiful white set of teeth which some people found intimidating. "Dimeji! You look so different, it's just valedictory service not your wedding.

Dimeji laughs quickening his steps and taking her hands and twirls her. Irene squeaks and looking down at her silver red bottoms and glares at dimeji.

Dimeji's tsks, "Your humor never ceases. You don't look so bad yourself and you're not even wearing make up. Where's the Ire I know?"

Irene rolls her eyes and replies him in a voice laced with sarcasm, "You know the sun can melt it."

"Isn't that's why you girls apply primer on it to hold it steady. What's my concern anyway."

"Where's our other side of our triangle?"

"That one, you know about his tardiness claiming to be fashionably late. He said his dad travelled so his mum and Tola are coming. Wait! Aren't you the one in a relationship why you asking me about him.

Irene pretended like she didn't hear him but the words pierced through her like a butcher's knife. She remembered how tola and her chemistry was like no other. Not even her boyfriend got close to having what they had.

Unfortunately, theirs was an oxymoron. It was bittersweet. The use of past tense in this case meant it no longer existed. She cringed at the flashes of nights she would cry herself to sleep and what followed were the walls that were carefully built with bricks made of gravel mixed with iron.

"Earth to Irene! You still do this." Dimeji said with so much disgust in his voice. He folded his hands and waited for her to either lie through her teeth or have a good comeback.

Irene raised her eyebrows in confusion and with a heaved sigh, "still do what".

"Zone out". Dimeji deadpanned. He was disappointed. No witty comeback and of course he forgot how she played dumb in situations like this.

"And the hypotenuse is here". Dimeji said and Irene turned to see Tola who never failed to not disappoint. He looked confused as his eyes searched the compound and finally meeting hers. Irene's heart skipped and her knees weakened but she graced herself for the impact.

Tola looked like he came from heaven with his ever glowing dark skin that shone when the sun kissed it. His height made matters worse and every time he entered a room, a standing ovation of eyes led him to wherever he sat till he left the room.

It was magical and Irene was always there to witness it. A pair of dark wire rimmed glasses rested on his sharp accentuated nose. It completed his look. He approached them and Irene felt sick in her stomach. Not today

"Adjacent! Opposite! Why are you guys not in the hall?" That voice gave Irene shivers that ran down her spine but today she wouldn't give in.

"Hey hypotenuse, we were waiting for you to grace us with your presence. You are our King and we the servants wait for you".  Dimeji said with a mock bow and the three of them laughed.

"Opposite, you look so dashing. Why aren't you chocolate?" Tola said taking his glasses and wiping them with his napkin.

"Is that the best you can come up with, you can do better."

"Is it just me or is it hot in here?" Dimeji asked using his hands to fan himself.

Irene rolled her eyes and gestured for them to go inside the hall. The event they were about to enter was the end of a roller coaster journey but the start of another.
***

The hall was decorated in the colours of sky blue and white background. There was also a carnation at the entrance to welcome the guests. It still looked like their school hall which was poorly decorated and it didn't surprise anyone. The school loved cheap things forgetting that cheap things turn out to be expensive in the end.

Everybody seemed to be talking at the same time. The hall turned to a market.

Teachers were seen dressed in wine suits even the females wore trousers apart from the beret woman whose head never saw the light with her series of beret that matched every cloth she wore. It wasn't surprising that she chose a skirt. On inter house sport day, she wore a skirt. So why should there be any surprise.

"Baner's foundation college would never shock me with anything they do. This is our last day here for Christ sake but still". The voice came from a boarder girl. It wasn't a guess but the fact - only a boarder girl was bold to say her mind not even minding the situation.

Irene nodded her head in agreement. Some days, she wondered why her parents decided to bring her here but when she looked at Dimeji and Tola, the thoughts vanished.

The tables were arranged in circles and each table housed ten people. Irene searched for a suitable seat but to no avail. The only seat she would have loved to sit on was beside the standing air conditioner. Irene and cold were like ice and fire - literally. They should never be seen together.

Dimeji tugged at her arm and motioned for her to look at his direction. He had found a suitable seat. It was at the back away from prying eyes of nosey teachers. It was perfect. Irene and her crew walked towards the seat.

Tola spoke up after cleaning his seat and just realising that Irene had no makeup on, "Who are you and what have you done to Irene? Where's the makeup you told me that was on your face before you slept."

Dimeji hissed and reached for his phone in his pocket. He double tapped on the screen and the light came on greeting him. Irene scrunched her face in disgust and replied dryly, "You said I looked like chocolate, you didn't mean it. You didn't even look at my face. She completed with her palm in her face.

Tola tensed up and felt sorry. He didn't want to look at the face that reminded him of what he had lost. "I am sorry. Please let's not fight. It's our last day together".

Dimeji looked up from his phone, "Way to go. Typical Tola to run away instead of facing the dance. You rolled the drums, you dance".

Tola wasn't surprised to see how he defended Irene. He was the hypotenuse after all. The irony was the hypotenuse joined to meet the opposite and adjacent in a triangle but here we are. He didn't want to incite any drama so he went back to his mode.

"You and your parables". He waved his hands and faced Irene. "Are we good?"

"Were we bad?"

"And the queen is back".

I hope I met your expectations. I would be glad if there are votes and comments not that it's necessary but it's mandatory.

Thank you. Let's meet in the next chapter 💜.