Vagrants

Chapter 10

My whole family were busy preparing for my arrival. Finally, I finished service and I was bringing home not only my certificate but also a man. For the first time, I was bringing a guy to my home that my mother almost cried over the phone.

"O ti n gboko wale!" She's bringing home a man! My mother yelled so much that even the neighbors knew about it.

"Clear the guest room!" She ordered.

Everybody worked hard in preparing for my arrival. Everywhere was sparkling just because I was coming home. I was surprised to see how elated they were to have me back home.

"Good evening maami." Mother.

I knelt down to greet her as Damba prostrated. We greeted Uncle Jide and Aunty Kemi too.

"Awon omo mi, Ekaabo." My children, Welcome.

The neighbors stood around with their mouths agape. They were staring at Damba. They probably thought I was lucky to bring home a man like him. He was tall and handsome, well built, had muscles and also had manners.

"Come, let's go inside." Uncle Jide smiled as Abisola and Bayo collected our bags and took it to our rooms.

"You have a lovely house and a beautiful family." Damba commented.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"Go and freshen up, then come out to eat." Aunty Kemi suggested.

"I...Where is my room please?" Damba asked.

"Let me take you there." Bayo smiled and led Damba to his room.

I went to my room and Bisola followed me.

"Adeola! I missed you oh." Abisola hugged me tightly.

"I missed you more."

"So tell me," Abisola poked me. "Who is that guy?"

"Damba now." I smiled. "My friend."

"I see." Abisola smiled. "The way he looks at you..."

"What happened to the way he looks at me?"

"It appears to me that he likes you very much and maybe there's more than friendship between you two."

I coughed. I remembered that night again. "I...Um...I'll go into the bathroom now."

"Hahaha." Abisola laughed. "You're trying to avoid it. You this shy girl."

"Bye, bye." I hurriedly walked out of the room and into the bathroom.

*

We were all at the dining table eating quietly until I observed her watching Damba who was seated next to me, and my mother, opposite us and I figured he wasn't very comfortable with it.

"How is medical school Bisola?" I asked and that made mother shift her gaze.

"This one? She's always busy at school and doesn't even come here to check on me, and when she does, she will still be engrossed in her books." Mother shook her head.

"That's not true oh! I always gist with you now. I even plait your hair and tell you plenty things about school." Abisola replied.

"Maami, I know you miss having us around all the time but you don't have to be sad." I smiled.

"Okay oh." Mother sighed.

"So, young man what's your name?" Uncle Jide asked and I slammed my hand on my forehead.

What I was trying to stop mother from doing is what Uncle Jide ended up doing.

"Damba." I replied.

"See this love oh. They asked boyfriend question, girlfriend is answering." Abisola teased.

Damba and I exchanged glances.

"Er...Erm." Uncle Jide cleared his throat.

We both turned to look at him.

"What course did you study?" Mother asked.

"Business administration." Damba replied.

"Wow! Not bad." Abisola grinned. "You guys are almost in the same field. You know Adeola studied Economics?"

"Yes." Damba nodded.

I stared at him. How did he know?

Damba whispered. "You're wondering how I knew right?"

I swallowed hard.

"What degree?" Aunty Kemi asked.

Myself and Damba spoke at the same time.

"Aunty Kemi?!" "First class."

"What?!" I stared at him in awe.

He shrugged.

"That's fantastic!" Uncle Jide exclaimed.

"Deola, Didn't you know?" Abisola asked.

I shook my head.

"I'm impressed. You caught an intelligent guy." Aunty Kemi winked at me.

"You're just like my Deola." Mother grinned. "She too graduated with a first class."

Now, Damba stared at me the same way I did.

"You also didn't know?" Abisola asked.

Damba shook his head.

"Wow! I want to be like you people." Bayo exclaimed. "How did you people do it?"

We both shrugged.

"What do you people talk about if you don't know the basic things about eachother?" Aunty Kemi asked.

Mine and Damba's faces held blank expressions.

"Wait," Abisola looked from me to Damba. "You people don't talk?"

"No, no, no." Damba chuckled. "We do."

"I doubt it." Aunty Kemi shook her head.

"Maybe you actually need to go to Abuja with him after all." Mother sighed.

"Sister Deola, Will you take me with you?" Bayo asked.

"My friend, eat your food!" Uncle Jide snapped. "Adults are talking you also want to talk."

"But Daddy," Bayo sighed. "I'll soon be an adult next year."

"So what?" Aunty Kemi asked.

"I want to tap sense from Sister Adeola because she won't be here to teach me all that when I'm an adult." Bayo replied.

"Teach you what?" Abisola laughed. "How to have a boyfriend?"

"How to be smart and catch the right lady."

Damba chuckled. "Am I not supposed to be the one teaching you that?"

"Ehn. Aunty Deola will tell me your tactics now."

"You'd learn it better from me." Damba smiled.

"So do you want to teach me?"

"Why not?" Damba smiled. "We'll talk in my room tonight."

We finished eating. Damba thanked everyone for dinner and left for his room with Bayo after washing his plates while myself and the ladies cleared the table.

My mother smiled while I washed the dishes. "I'm proud of you. First, you brought home a first class degree, then NYSC certificate along with someone that had the same degree as you."

I smiled.

"He even has manners. Well-trained." Aunty Kemi added.

"Even some guys can't do what he did." Abisola said.

"He prostrated to greet and he was polite at the dining. He was nice to all of us including Bayo and he washed his plates too." Mother spoke and I realized why she was watching him at the dining.