Entanglements

This is a story that you have probably heard before. Even though I wouldn’t wish it on you, it is very possible that you've featured in a story like this. For now, though, this is Bayo's story.

Bayo had just entered that period called puberty about two years ago. Looking at him though, you wouldn't have known. He did not grow facial hair neither did he grow body hair neither did his voice upgrade to a deeper version. One thing was for sure; he had definitely started seeing girls in a new light. A rosy coloured light. There was this one girl in particular...

Bayo saw her at his worship centre. She was dark skinned in colour, cut her hair low and was always dressed simply but elegantly. She and her family had started worshipping at the centre only  a few weeks ago. They always sat on the front seats, close to the podium. What especially called her to his attention was the spectacles she wore. Although he didn't know it yet, Bayo had a thing for girls wearing glasses. They always appeared smart to him. Bayo knew she was out of his league. Even from afar he could tell her family was wealthy. His was not. It was just like having a crush on the moon. You love it but you know you're never going to step a foot on it. The moon will never know of your love and that's okay, you have enough for both of you.

It just happened that a random coincidence brought him closer into her orbit.

This was the year when Bayo had to take his senior school certificate exams. He had enrolled for after-school lessons which held in the evenings.

On one such evening Bayo walked into his school with his shirt untucked and unbuttoned at the top. As he walked through the gate, he spotted her sitting on the playground. Struck speechless, he walked right past her.

Bayo saw this as a sign. Surely it was meant to be. Since the universe had brought her close to him all he had to do was summon up his courage and go talk to her. Instead, using his authority as a school prefect, he summoned another student and proceeded to appoint her as his messenger.

'Go and tell that girl sitting in the playground that Bayo said "Hi".'

The student returned and said, "she wants you to come."

Bayo's heart immediately shifted into gear 5. He proceeded to tuck in his shirt and button it up. He then proceeded to walk towards the playground on unsteady feet.

"Hi", he said in a shaky voice.

"Hi", she replied looking up at him.

My God! She's beautiful... He thought to himself. Then there followed an awkward silence which lasted for what felt like millenniums. At last, she broke the silence.

"I see why you had to send someone", it had a cynical tone attached to it.

That stirred up something in Bayo; It was as if the sleeping nutcracker soldier in him had awoken. Being defensive was his defensive mechanism.

"All I wanted to say was 'Hi'. It's you that asked me to come."

"Wait, you look really familiar," she said.

Bayo's heart skipped a beat at the thought that she might have recognized him on a Sunday.

"We attend the same worship center; you always sit in the front rows."

Noticing her raised eyebrows, he suddenly had more courage.

"I'm always watching...err... I mean watching you is so easy coz you...*Clears throat* ... You make it easy by sitting at the front, of course."

She had looked away as if losing interest.

"And by being so beautiful."

Before she looked back at the spot his face once was, he had walked away.

In time, Bayo found out that his school was her GCE exam centre. He also found out a piece of very crucial information; her name. Simi.

To secure future contact with her, Bayo asked for her question papers after each exam. He said he wanted to study them in preparation for his forthcoming exams. This wasn’t his real reason for asking for them though, he simply took then home and held on to them till the next Sunday just so he would have an excuse to talk with Simi.

By now, Joshua, one of Bayo's friends had noticed them sitting together on the days she had an exam to write. When he questioned Bayo about it, Bayo confided in him.

"Collect her number na!", he urged Bayo.

Bayo simply did not have the heart for that. At least not at that moment.

One evening while she waited for her driver to pick her up, he mustered the boldness to ask for her phone number.

'My number? But I already gave it your friend', she said.

'Which friend?', Bayo thought. He remembered his classmate and immediately felt betrayed.

'Ah, yes but he lost it, so I wanted to collect it myself', he replied.

She gave him the phone number and collected his.

Later when Bayo saw his classmate, he asked for an explanation.

"I wan help you na. You too shy".

This response helped to pacify Bayo.

Bayo was still doing victory dances in his mind on his valuable acquisition even as he ate dinner that evening.  He ate dinner with his dad and they usually spent this time updating each other on whatever went on in their day. This was a tradition they had continued even after Bayo’s mother had died seven years ago. This evening however Bayo was distracted. He kept formulating ideas in his head on how to keep her on the phone for more than five minutes.

'Should I brush my teeth before calling? Or maybe I should text her on Whatsapp instead'... He debated with himself.

"….Bayodele!”  He was jolted out of his reverie by his father calling his full name.

“….the reunion your mum’s family holds every July is coming up tomorrow.” 

Bayo groaned inwardly. He had not attended a reunion since his mother’s death but his dad kept reminding him about the event every July each year. Bayo had no intention of being told by uncles, aunts and others he barely knew about how much he looked like his mother.  Besides, by now this dance was an old one. His usual reply was that he would attend the reunion only if his dad went with him to the worship center on Sundays. Neither of them made compromises.

“Send my greetings, I’ll be using tomorrow to prepare for my forthcoming exams,” Bayo replied.

Later that night, Bayo consulted Whatsapp to view Simi’s profile picture. He saw the little dot that indicated a new status. It was her. The first page said

CANT WAIT TO GET GROOVY WITH THE FAM 2MAO!

REUNION FLASHBACK FRIDAY!!!

As Bayo continued to view the pictures that followed, his unease turned into horror as he recognized some of the people in the photos; auntie Busayo, uncle Biodun…and the unmistakable  face of his father.