chapter 6

Chapter thirteen: Getting stood up.  

Omotayo 👆

"Tayo I swear, you're a lost cause." Ini hisses in frustration, quickly dumping the rest of my clothes with her on my bed. 

"I know and agree that I'm a lost cause but Ini please, I beg you please help me out. I really don't know what to wear. You know I've not invited a guy over in more than two years, so I'm a little rusty on things to do and my nerves are not helping me at all." I explain to her and she smiles, not the normal type of smile though. It's that smile you see on someone's face before they say nonsense.  

"Tayo be honest with me, do you like this guy?" She asks and I frown. 

"Like him bawo? I barely know the guy and we just became friends." I reply defensively and she laughs,  making me wonder when I made a joke or what part of what I said sounded funny. 

  "So he's just your friend and you woke up six in the morning to start cleaning the house. He's your friend o and yet you cooked four different meals for only him this morning, something you have never done for me your best friend and you're still telling me you don't like him. You're here now, pulling out every outfit in your closet and going crazy over what to wear but you still insist that he's just your friend o, just an ordinary friend. You can fool yourself but you will never fool me." She says confidently and I hiss. 

  "Ini, you know I'm a perfectionist. I cleaned the house because I'm having a guest and I can't afford to have a spec of dust lying around. I cooked different meals because I don't know what he likes and I don't want a situation whereby I'd have to order simply because he doesn't like what I made. If it turns out that he likes all, I'll let him chose and the rest, we'll eat ourselves. As for me freaking out over what to wear... Well, I just want to look good okay. It's not a crime to want to look good." I explain myself quickly, drawling the last part. 

"You know what's funny about this your speech?" She asks and I furrow my brows confused. 

"I doubt anything I just said has an element of humor in it. So tell me why you find it funny?" I harshly reply her, she rolls her eyes. 

"The fact that you believe the nonsense you said is what's funny but anyways, what's my business. My job is to doll you up, package that thing in front of you and give you away to your future boyfriend and if you like be living in denial, that doesn't mean I won't tell you things as they are." She says with a light shrug and continues looking through my clothes. 

"You spout too much nonsense." I scoff at her but she ignores me and continues picking out different outfits. 

"I feel like we're wasting our time going through all your clothes. Why don't you wear simple jeans and a free blouse or better still, wear this grey joggers and pair it with that white crop top that has an opening in front." She tells me and the joggers, I agree with but the crop top, I'm doubting. 

"What? You don't like the top? Is the mission not to get a boyfriend? Since your backside isn't exactly something to write home about, it's better you show off the one God gave you and hypnotize him with it." She hisses and I shudder in absolute disgust. 

"I'll never stoop that low Ini, I'm not desperate." I tell her sharply and she laughs, again.

"What's so desperate about wearing crop top? You dis girl sef ehn, you too funny." She chuckled quietly and places her hand on her head. 

"I'm sha not wearing it, I'll wear an oversized T-shirt instead." I tell her and she rolled her eyes before throwing the crop top at me. 

"Do as you wish oh but can I at least eat out of the fried rice?" She asks but I quickly turndown her request. 

  "Absolutely not my dear. You know how fried rice is. Once you take some now, the rice will slowly start to sour and I don't want to microwave the fried rice so he doesn't think I'm feeding him leftovers." I explain and she stares back at me in shock. 

"You've never made fried rice for me but you can make, fried rice, jollof rice, moi- moi, fried meat and plantain porridge for that guy that hasn't even known you for three months. Issokay o, just remember the day this day as the day you starved your best friend and overfed a man instead." She sulks with a sad smile. 

"Okay fine, you can take out of the plantain porridge or the bean cake but don't finish it or else I'll bite you." I warn and she smiles sheepishly before bouncing out of the room. 

"Over grown baby." I mutter to myself before heading to the bathroom. 

~~~~~ 

  "Has he called you?" Ini asks and I quickly nod negative. 

"Maybe something came up and he can't make it." I mutter inaudibly but fortunately she heard me. 

  "Then if that's the case, he would have called to inform you that he can't make it. Let's not jump into any conclusions and wait for him. Besides it's just 12pm, we still have time." She encourages with a wide smile and I smile back at her. 

"I'm not worried." I assure her but honestly I was. I can't imagine stressing myself all morning, cooking,  cleaning and getting all dolled up only to end up disappointed. We sat together for a while, talking about random issues with work and also about Damola who she was to meet soon but was running late because she wanted to meet Bayo. 

  "Have you tried calling him?" She asks impatiently. 

"Yes, but he's not picking up." I tell her and she sighs. 

  "I guess I won't get to meet him today but I'm sure he will show up. I'm only disappointed that I'm not gonna meet him but when he gets here, tell him I said hi and that when we finally meet, he'll have to apologise for coming late, okay?" She says with a frown and I chuckle. 

"If he does come, I'll relay your message." I tell her with a smile and she pulls me in for a quick hug before running off to meet with Damola. 

5pm... 

I'm sorry but I don't think I can make it. I'm sorry. 

I paced around the house for the hundredth time, fuming angrily at myself and at Bayo. I can't believe I spent so much time trying to impress a guy only to find out he can't make it. "I'm never gonna talk to him ever again!" I yell angrily, picking a throw pillow and stomping on it. It's been more than two hours since I got his message but rereading it several times made me even angrier. 

  My phone rings a few minutes later and when I check the caller, my face turns lour. How dare he call me!

"Why are you calling?" I ask harshly, immediately regretting how harsh I sounded. What if he picks up on the fact that I'm hurt he couldn't make it? That would definitely kill my pride and I can't afford to have him think I care that much.  

  "Are you mad at me?" He asks and I huff. 

"Why should I be mad at you? Did you do something wrong?" I retort, mentally slapping myself for sounding like an angry girlfriend. 

"I know you're mad at me." He replies and I could hear him sigh over the phone. "I'm sorry Tayo. I actually came over as promised but I arrived too early and I didn't want to creep you out or make you uncomfortable so I decided against coming to your place immediately. I went over to my friend's first to kill time but about an hour later, something came up and I had to leave." He explains a little and I sigh. 

  "Okay, whatever. I don't care." I blurt out quickly and he sighs again. 

"I'll make it up to you, I promise." He adds quickly and I hang up. One more one from him and I might have said things I'll regret later so to avoid any awkward situations, It's better not to hear him make false promises.  

After a while of sulking over a bad day, I decide to take a walk outside to clear my head and maybe get myself a drink at any corner store. 

  "Good evening ma." Torinto my gateman greets with his usual smile. 

"Good evening Tori, how everything?" I ask him nicely. 

"Oga I dey o but it get something wey I wan tell you." He says and I urge him to go ahead. 

  "Ehn ehn... It get one brother wey dey outside before, he stand beside him motor but him no bother knock gate. I first dey suspect but when I go ask am who him dey find, he talk say na you he find come but it be like say he dey call you but you know answer so he con comot but him talk say make I tell you say make you no vex for am, say him dey very sorry. I even dey pity am sef because him no resemble pesin wey dey okay at all. Him eye sef be like pesin wey dey push barrow since morning." Torinto explains quickly, almost confusing me with the excessive use of pidgin. 

(For pips who don't understand pidgin : A man was outside earlier, standing beside his car but he didn't bother to knock. I was suspicious at first but when I asked who he wanted to see, he told me he's here to see you but when you didn't pick his calls, he left but he told me to tell you not to be mad at him and that he's very sorry. I even pitied him because he didn't look very well. He looked like someone who pushed a wheel barrow all day.) 

"Okay, I don't hear. Thank you." I reply boredly and walked away. 

  "One more thing madam, it be like the man na nice pesin o and he con go fine like all this ogbodo oyinbo boys dem. You get luck o." He compliments and I immediately glare at him to shut him up. 

"If you don't shut your mouth ehn, you'll see my other side." I hiss angrily at him and walk out of the gate, with a lot going through my mind. 

***** 

Adebayo

 "Are you okay bro?" Arin asks again for the umpteenth time today. I ignore him again and quickly bury my face in my palms. 

"Bro, I'll honestly love to say something to make you feel better but I don't even know what to say. This girl shouldn't affect you this much but here you are sulking because she's mad at you. You should be mad at her for not caring about what exactly made you stand her up. Just see this situation as an eye opener cause at the end of the day, she's not worth the stress." He says sharply, obviously still attempting to impose his opinion on me. 

  "She's not as bad as you think Arin. Stop judging her when you don't even know her." I retort tiredly, resting my back to the sofa and holding on to a throw pillow. 

"We'll see about that. Leaving her matter aside, why are your parents so hell bent on getting divorced this time? I thought things got better when they went on a trip together?" He says, changing the topic to the reason behind my bad day. 

  "Guy, I'm so fucking tired of them! The reason mom called me earlier crying and wailing was because she found out dad had gotten a younger girl pregnant and she wants a divorce and in dad's defense, he claims it's her fault for never having his time and for being supposedly too stiff." I explain to him and I could tell he was trying really hard to contain his laugh but I won't blame him if he laughed cause I laughed too. 

  "Wait, so you have a stepmom now?" He asks and I glare at him. 

"She's just twenty four years old Arin. A good ten years difference between us, I'm old enough to be her elder brother or her uncle sef." I hiss and he shakes his head whilst giggling. 

  "Omo guy, this life no balance at all o. Who would have thought getting rich would only ruin my parents marriage and I honestly can't put the blame on one person cause they're both at fault. Dad cheats and mom is a real pain in the neck. I can't even blame the man for going out because I'm sure mom doesn't even let him touch her. Ugh! I just heard myself and the imagery is disgusting!" I cringe immediately at the thoughts of my mom rejecting my dad and all the other pictures that kept forming in my mind. 

  "You just have to take it in bro and learn from them. Don't get married! Marriage is a scam and once you walk into it, you're never going to be sane again." And with that he pats my shoulders, picks up the remote and tunes in to a station he knew I disliked. What kind of man watches Telemundo? 

"I'll be in the guest room." I inform him and head to the room to go shower and maybe clear my head a little. The thoughts of my parents and an upset Tayo needs to be flushed down the drain temporarily and to do that, I need a very cold shower. 

A knock on the door distracts me and I turn to Arinola, but he was obviously too engrossed in whatever it was he was watching and didn't even hear the knock on the door. "Remember it's your house and whoever is there is your guest." I tell him but he simply shrugs and keeps staring at the TV. 

  Sighing, I manage to drag my feet to the door and the minute I open up, my jaw drops. "Who is it Bayo?" Arin yells from where he sat but I was still too surprised to reply him. 

"Ehmm... Tayo, what are you doing here?" I ask, not hiding my surprise.

"Ehm, I'm so sorry about the impromptu visit, I just came because I wanted to hear my apology in person but first, can I come in?" She asks and I quickly move aside to let her in. 

  "So you're just here for a live apology?" I ask, she chuckles. 

"Err... Not exactly. I'm actually here to apologise to you. I shouldn't have ignored your calls but I was upset you didn't show up after making me go through the stress of cooking for you and wasting my Saturday." She says with a hint of disappointment in her voice. 

  "And for that I'm really sorry. Should I kneel down for you to show how sorry I am?" I joke and she laughs a little. I take a proper look at her and unconsciously lick my lips. She looked amazing in a simple crop top and gray joggers that looked perfect on her but I must admit her breasts were the only thing clouding my entire vision. 

"You don't have to be so obvious, you know?" She voices out, snapping my thoughts away from her bosom. 

"Sorry, couldn't help it admiring how pretty you looked." I compliment honestly and she rolls her eyes. 

"Ehm, now that I've apologised and you've apologised, I think I should just get going. I'll see you around." She stutters a little and was about to leave but I stop her. 

  "It's just 7pm and I can still make it up to you, so how about I take you out to wherever you want to go?" I blurt out very quickly. 

"You want to take me out? Now?" She asks again to confirm and I repeat myself again to show I meant it. 

"I appreciate that you want to make it up to me but I'm a little tired and I still have to work. Maybe another time." She replies with a tight lipped smile and I nod in understanding. 

  "No problem then, next time." I stutter a reply awkwardly and she laughs a little before walking out. 

"Ehmm.. Have a good night." I yell after her and she simply waves to indicate that she heard me. 

  This wasn't how I planned my day.