TÓDÙN

32

                      ~TÓDÙN~

If he was a white guy, I would have said I stared at his ocean blue eyes, if he was someone with a unique feature, I would have said his "beauty" or whatever he loves to be qualified with captures me but here we are and I am just staring blank into his eyes with the regular black Iris that almost everyone has, which now carries emotions that might want to get you on your knees but I will not be cajoled, I thought to myself as I walked across the room and greeted Funsho, picked my book that was on the table and tucked it into my bag.

"Todun, good evening." I heard Kunle greet in a subtle manner, the wall clock gave a strong strike as it clocked five o'clock and that was when I knew the day was fast spent but I decided to ignore him as I exchanged few words with Ahmed who wanted to know where I was going.

"I want to go and read at school." I replied him as I fixed the lose straps of my school bag.

"At this time of the day?" Funto who I was expecting to agree with me in whatever I did, questioned with her hand intertwined with that of Funsho, they gazed at each other and smiled consistently. Sometimes she makes me wonder if she really knows the guy and if she knows that he is Casanova that gets attracted to anything in skirt  because the level at which she is  attached to him makes me cringe.

"Yes, I will come back when..." I stopped and stared out at Kunle, when you are gone, I wanted to scream but thought against it, wore my slippers and strapped my bag to my back. Feeling embarrassed by their accusing faces, I jammed the door after me as I left the room and almost immediately, I heard the same door opened and Kunle was telling me to wait. I looked back at him and looked straight pretending not to be aware of his presence. He ran faster to catch up with me and held me as soon as I placed my hand on the gate to close it.

"Todun, why are you doing this?" He asked as I struggled with him while he tried to close the gate I had already opened

"Doing what?" I asked, drew in a deep breath and relented on struggling with him. It was so obvious because compared to him I seemed to be an ant struggling with a lizard.

"You left without even giving me a chance to talk yesterday, I have called you times without number but you haven't been picking up, I have even made various attempts to talk to you through your friend's phone but you didn't allow it." He explained like somebody in distress. "What did I do wrong?" He asked and pulled me away from the door as a student couple in the hands of each other tried entering the compound and glared at us because we were blocking the way.

"Nothing." I replied maintaining a straight face and tried to take away his hands from mine but he tightened his hold.

"That's not true, if I didn't do anything you wouldn't have left in a hurry like that." He said with smirk. Is he being serious about not knowing what made me angry yesterday or he is just playing dumb? I asked myself as my eyes met his. I coughed, moved my gaze away from his and tried to make him let go of me but he clutched to my hand tightly and pulled me towards his car that was parked under a mango tree.

"Leave me alone, didn't you hear me say that I want to go and read?" I said nervously.

"Yes I did but that's because you want to run away from me." He said as he opened the door and waited for me to enter but I stood my ground and stared at the hostel gate where Funsho and Funto came out from and headed to a lockup shop beside the hostel.

" You know, I can carry you into this car but people might think I am trying to kidnap you." He said with a smile plastered on his face making the distress look disappear in an instant.

"Thank God you know." I replied and entered the car reluctantly. What the hell is he going to do now, most especially when my friends have decided to sell me off to him by giving him their full support. He ran over to the drivers side and settled in as soon as he opened the door.