Vagrants

Chapter 4

We were busy with our morning exercise five days after my family came to visit me. Remi and Tola didn't say anything to me and I was wondering why. The exercise was beginning to bore me and I needed to talk to someone. Just immediately, I wanted to take back my wish because Shade arrived.

"I see you've been avoiding Damba." Shade noted.

"More like Damba's been avoiding her." One of her friends hissed.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Look over there." Shade gestured.

I looked but didn't know what she was pointing at. "What should I look at? The people exercising?"

Shade hissed. "Damba chose a naïve girl, such a pity."

One of the girls turned my head and I saw him. Damba. My heart did what it knows how to, it started racing. He was exercising in a corner where I could almost not see him.

Tola paused his exercise. "Why are you tilting her head like that?"

They completely ignored him and I gestured for him to let them be.

"Shey you've seen him?" Shade asked.

"Ehn. So what?"

"I want you to stay away from him."

"Why did you have to let me see him?"

"So you'd see that he is better off without you."

"I thought you knew I was avoiding him." I hissed.

"I'm telling you to get out of his head." Shade snapped.

I clapped my hands mockingly. "Egbami. Why don't you go and wipe off his memory?" Come to my aid.

"I'm serious oh. Damba is mine."

"Do I look like I'm joking?" I laughed. "It is like I'm a joke to you people abi?"

"What do you mean?" One of Shade's girls asked.

"How will you come to me early in the morning and tell me rubbish?" I hissed.

"I'm saying rubbish?" Shade raised her voice.

Remi got up from her crouching position and faced Shade. "Why are you shouting?"

"Mind your business." Shade snapped.

"Remi, don't mind her. I can deal with her." I smiled and Remi returned to her exercise.

"Who can you deal with? Me?" Shade turned around. "Sho mo mi sha? Eyin girls..." Do you know me at all? You girls...

"Even Secondary school students won't behave like this." I hissed and said in yoruba. "Be carrying servants up and down and claim they're your friends."

"Hey!" One of the girls yelled.

"Kilo fariwo?" What's the cause of your noise? Remi asked without getting up.

We ignored her.

"Let her fool you. You came here to serve the country and not her." I hissed.

"Ad.." Shade wanted to say something.

"Please don't disturb me. I've given you a lot of my time now, I'm busy." I bent down to exercise.

"You..." Shade made to drag me back up but was stopped by a masculine figure.

I stopped my exercise and looked up to see Damba and my heart started racing.

I got up and made to leave.

"Adeola." Damba stopped me.

"I...I'm coming." I scurried away.

I think he was coming after me but Shade stopped him and I heard her say. "We need to talk." before they were no longer audible.

*

I was in my room perspiring and thinking. Why does Damba have that much effect on me? Why can't I control myself? Why do I run away every time I see him?

I didn't know what was going on but I really didn't like it. Damba, from what I could tell, is everybody's guy and for me to start being affected by him or having feelings for him is something out of my control and needs to be corrected soon enough. He said he likes me, but I feel those words are empty. Seeing the way girls and boys hurl over him, he is definitely bound to like everyone and is probably very easy to like too.

Mother said I should get myself a boy but I can't bring home an 'Everybody's man' it would just not be right with my family and I can bet that my twin sister would be the first to disapprove of him. My mother might not, all she wants is for me to bring a man home, irrespective of who he is and where he is from.

Then, my mind drifted off to Shade. Why was she angry that Damba likes me? Is there more to this? Or am I just overthinking it? Maybe she goes to everyone that Damba likes and taunts them? But how many would they be? Does she really have that much time? Why does she spend so much time with me when she still has to taunt other people?

I got up with my bucket in a bid to get some water and on getting outside I met him again.

"What do you want now?" I asked.

"What do I want? I want you, my friend. Aren't you meant to know?"

"How will I know?"

"You are an adult, you are supposed to know what happens when a guy is always disturbing you." He smiled.

"I didn't say you were disturbing me." I looked into his eyes. "I just don't want any..."

"Adeola! Who are you talking to?"

I turned around to see Remi and Tola. Seems the morning exercise is over with.

"I...Dam.." I looked back but Damba had disappeared.

Damba doesn't usually disappear when someone walks in on our conversation. Or was he not really there?

"Ahh! She was talking to herself." Tola laughed. "Girl yi ti yawere." This girl has run mad.

"Forget it! Where are you going with that bucket?" Remi asked.

"I want to fetch water." I sighed.

"Wait for me. Let's go together." Remi said and rushed in to get her bucket and dashed back out. The three of us then walked away.