“Hello!” Biodun exclaimed, stopped the moment he walked into a very
pretty looking damsel at his departmental block on his way to class.
Biodun, a three hundred level (300 Level) student of Mass Communication
department in the Olabisi Onabanjo University (formerly addressed as Ogun State
University), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State situated in the South-West geo-political
zone of Nigeria was actually headed in opposite direction to the supposed
recipient of the unexpected greeting.
Unfortunately, the lady in question ignored him, kept on moving, which
wasn’t unusual to the public lifestyle of most Nigerian single ladies.
Persistently, Biodun hastily reversed his movement and double-crossed
her, though he wasn’t standing directly in her front but very closely by her
left side.
She stopped furiously. “What is it?” She eventually uttered though in a
low tone, frowning.
Both
parties whom had campus notebooks in their respective right hands were still
facing opposite directions based on their original destinations.
The melodrama was taking place at about 08:12am on Tuesday March 5, 2002
during the first semester in the university’s academic session.
“Honestly, I’m deeply sorry for bothering you,” Biodun apologetically
said. “I never meant to hurt a pretty damsel like you.”
He was really looking sorry; with the look on his face, only a
Jezebel-like creature wouldn’t succumb.
“I’ve heard you; it’s okay,” she responded. “Just that I detest
strangers embarrassing me this way.” She said, gesticulating with her left arm
which was her only free arm.
“I understand.” The hustler appreciated.
“So,” she chipped in. “To what do I owe this?”
“Well,” he submissively replied. “I’m Biodun.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’m Kemi.”
“That’s a lovely name,” he teased, smiling. “Belonging to a lovely
creature.”
“Thank you.” She stylishly appreciated.
Kemi who was dark, about 5.1-foot tall and slim wasn’t just beautiful
but magnificent. She was putting on a grey skirt, white top and black cum white
flat-heel sandals; her hairs were gorgeously plaited. Whilst, Biodun who was
clad in black jean trousers, multi-coloured polo, black baseball cap and ash
trainers was chocolate, plump and about 5.4-foot tall.
“As you can see,” she added. “I’m on my way to the class.”
“Sorry for going further,” Biodun pleaded. “Are you in this department?”
“Yea.”
“Interesting…”
“What’s interesting about it?” Kemi interrupted.
“This is my department too.”
“Okay,” she said. “Now I understand.”
“You must be a fresher?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Because you’re looking very fresh.” Biodun cleared the air.
She smiled. “You might be right.”
“So, you’re a first year student of Mass Communication?” He verified.
“Yea.”
“Be my guest then.” He hinted cheerfully.
“How?”
“You just came in of course,” Biodun highlighted. “So being an old
student, I’m meant to be your host.”
“You’re so funny.” Kemi applauded, displaying her white teeth.
Biodun couldn’t hold his heavy smile; he was very glad to see her
laughing.
“So, what level are you?” She enquired.
“300.”
“300 level?” she exclaimed surprisingly.
“Yea.”
Apparently, he needed not an interpreter to notify him that he had won a
bit of her seemingly invisible heart.
“Wow,” she said. “You are already through.”
“You can say that again.”
“I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you.”
“As you can see,” Kemi observed. “I’m already late to class.”
“Oh, so sorry about that,” the lover boy appreciated. “What time is your
lecture?”
“My first lecture begins by 8:30am.”
“Same here.”
“You mean, you also have a class by 8:30?”
“Yes,” he replied. “And the lecturer in question is a no nonsense
woman.”
By this time, it was about 08:25am.
“So, can I take my leave?” She requested.
“Of course,” Biodun approved. “You’re not in a prison yard.”
She smiled. She was no doubt really fascinated by his sense of humour.
“Please, before you do that,” he urged. “Can I have your number?”
“You mean my phone number?” She pretentiously enquired.
“Yes.” He responded. “So I could glance at this lovely face again.”
“Okay,” she admitted having smiled. “Let me have your phone.”
Having transferred his notebook to the left hand, Biodun quickly dished
his right hand into his right jeans’ pocket, brought out his cell phone and
handed it over to her.
She hurriedly but stylishly typed the awaited eleven-digit number on the
phone’s keyboard and returned it to the owner.
As soon as he received the handset, he hastily and gladly flashed her so
she could have his. “Please, save the number.” He enjoined.
“No problem.” The apparently 20-year-old girl pleasantly replied, left
immediately for her lecture class which was situated upstairs.
Biodun who watched her depart,
quickly took his own leave for his classroom.
Considering the warmth feeling he
was abruptly filled with, it was indeed an epoch-making day for his person.
Barely two weeks later, Biodun
and Kemi became best of friends on the campus; the unannounced intimacy was
undoubtedly to the envy of their friends and foes. The relationship continued
persistently that they could never spend a day without seeing each other.
One year after being 2003, Biodun successfully
graduated and left the university. The distance created after Biodun’s
graduation almost took Kemi’s life; everyone around her was of the view that
she wouldn’t survive the ordeal. In spite of the inevitable challenges, the
relationship, which could be best described as that of oil and salt,
metamorphosed into a more formidable entity to the utter amazement of everybody
within; apart from his unending and regular phone calls, Biodun was frequently
paying her visit on campus even during his National Youth Service programme
which took place between 2004 and 2005 notwithstanding that he was serving at a
distant destination, Kogi State precisely.
Kemi completed her four-year
degree programme in 2005 and consequently embarked on her compulsory Youth
Service programme in Niger State in 2006 which lasted till early 2007. Before
this time, Biodun had secured an employment in a broadcasting firm in Lagos
State.
In April 2007 immediately after Kemi’s youth service, the two vibrant
and brilliant youths (Biodun and Kemi) who hailed from Ogun State got engaged.
Thereafter, they were addressed by their close friends and relatives including
their parents as ‘Tom and Jerry’ owing to the manner in which they were
piloting the love affair.
Same year (2007), Kemi got a job
with a national daily newspaper in Lagos State; this development made them
became closer again just like when they were still on campus that they could
see each other even on a daily basis if they wished. At this point, Kemi who had
clocked 25 couldn’t wait to embrace her wedding day.
In January 2008, Biodun who was 28 thought it wise to quit bachelorhood,
thus he and his fiancée agreed to have their traditional marriage as well as
church wedding in March 2008, which would mark exactly six years they met each
other. Their traditional wedding was scheduled to hold on Wednesday 5th
of March 2008, which was the very date their first meeting transpired six years
back.
On Monday March 3, 2008, which was barely 48 hours to the D-day,
something very tragic and unthinkable occurred; Kemi was killed by a stray
bullet during a robbery incident that took place at one of the commercial banks
within her place of residence when she was headed for her office. It was
unarguably a horrible Monday.
On his part, the incoming groom almost committed suicide when the
terrible news got to him.
No comments:
Post a Comment