Jaiyeola looked at her ringing phone to see the caller I.D.
It was Folusho, she sighed. She really hoped this wasn’t about what happened
two nights ago. Jaiye was too tired for any drama tonight. “Hello Folu”, she
said cautiously into her mouthpiece. The voice on the other end of the line
spoke “Babe, how are you? I’m outside your hostel, please come out”. “How did
you know I would be in the hostel tonight?” Jaiye queried, “C’mon, it’s a Wednesday
night, how often do you go sleep in town on Wednesday nights?”
Jaiye sighed again as she turned back and started heading
out of the hostel. At least one thing was comforting; he had called her babe,
which was good. It meant he wasn’t here to talk about Monday night, obviously,
he had put that behind.
Folu was Jaiye’s long term boyfriend. They had been together
for almost two years. He had also been a student of OAU before he had left for
NYSC in Delta state, but his family lived in Ife and he was back for a visit.
In the time they had been together, their relationship had been as intriguing
as a Mexican TV series.
She saw him standing in the car park outside Moremi hall as
she went down the stairs and walked towards him. “My sweet baby”, Folu said as
he hugged her, “Let’s take a walk”. “Walk ke? No o, I’m practically dead on my
feet dear, I’ve had a busy day. Let’s go and sit in the Architecture garden
instead.” The garden was just beside the hostel, off the car park. They walked
slowly to sit with Folu’s hand draped around her shoulders, and started
exchanging gist.
They had been talking for a while when Folu said “Jaiye, I
need a favour from you.” He continued, “I need a loan of N30,000 as soon as
possible”. Jaiye was alarmed, “What is wrong, what do you need so much money
for?” “Well, I found an amazing deal, someone wants to sell an iPhone 5 for
just N65,000, almost new, the owner has used it for just 1 month. I already
have N35,000 but I need to pay up before someone else buys it”. Jaiye let out a
hiss. “Is there anything wrong with the phone you have now? And where do you
expect me to get N30, 000 from to give you to buy a phone? Have you forgotten
that I am a student?”
Folusho looked at her with a twinkle in his eye, “I don’t
have to wait for my phone to go bad, you know I’ve always wanted an iPhone and
this is an excellent deal.” He pulled her closer and whispered in her ears “I
know you are a student dear, but I also know you are the Vice president of the
SUG, I just want to borrow it, and you’ll have it back in no time”
Jaiye could feel the anger seeping through her pores as she
stood to her feet; she looked down at him “Folusho, you are very wicked and
very crazy too! Your father is late, you have a mother that is struggling to
take care of you and your three siblings, your sister just got admission into
school and instead of you to think about how to help out financially at home,
you are here asking me to steal money from the SUG coffers to give to you to
buy a phone! Wait, do I even look like I am the treasurer to you? Folusho, oo
gbadun rara*!”
Jaiye spun on her heels and walked out on him. She knew she
had probably just killed their relationship, Folu wasn’t one who let go of
offenses easily and she knew he was very offended right now, but Jaiye had no
regrets. After all, she wasn't the sort of girl who was afraid to speak the
bitter truth – she never had been, and she never would be. “What a day!” Jaiye
said to herself as she entered the hostel a second time that night.
Anyway, tomorrow is another day.
*oo gbadun rara: Yoruba phrase meaning 'you are very unwell'.
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