We were both surprised to see Bethany at my place….and she wasn’t expecting to see Anthony either.
Bethany: Anthony?
Anthony: Bethany! What-what are you doing here?
Bethany: I…. I…. what are you doing here?
Anthony: I came to warn him to stay away from you?
I was still there, purposely kept quiet and allowing them to settle their matter.
Bethany: you did what?
Anthony: I noticed, since he showed up at the park, you’ve not been yourself.
Bethany: I didn’t ask you to warn him nau
Anthony: why are you talking like this? I thought he was bothering you.
Bethany: he wasn’t bothering me o….
Me: (cleared throat)
Anthony got upset for not getting Bethany’s support, so he left. Bethany didn’t bother going after him to make things right or apologize for not supporting him. She stood with me and watched as he went out of the gate…
Me: hey B, what’s up?
Bethany: (frowning) fine.
Me: are you still angry with me?
Bethany: very angry….don’t even think because I didn’t support Anthony, I’m now vibing with you.
Me: ah ah. Baby, stop acting like you don’t miss me.
Bethany: me, miss you? Are you sugar cane or are you Onion?
Me: haah…. So you are choosing Sugar cane and Onions over me, abi?
Bethany: abeg leave me jare.
Me: if you do not miss me, why are you here?
Bethany: I came to see Regina.
Me: (smiled) common, admit it. You missed me. I miss you too
Bethany: mtcheewww. Abeg comot for road.
She entered the house to go meet Regina. I thought she was joking at first…..but she did actually came to see Regina and not me. I was thinking she said what she said in front of Anthony to make me happy but
She came to meet Regina so they can discuss business. One of her Aunts wants to celebrate her son’s birthday…..so she told her Aunt, she knows someone who would bake the cake for her at a good price.
Regina was in the room reading one of my novel “Playboy” I wrote some years back.
“Regina….Regina” Bethany called out her name.
“Yesssss, I’m coming” she said, leaving the novel behind on the bed.
Regina: Bethany? Hey
Bethany: Hi. Good morning.
They hugged….
Regina: morning…. How are you dear?
Bethany: I’m fine and you?
Regina: I’m excited to see you. Please sit.
Bethany: thank you…
Regina: should I call Derra?
Bethany: phew…. I didn’t come here to see him. I came to meet you.
Regina: wow. Me? I’m honored.
Bethany: I should be thanking you sef.
Regina: nooo…. I should. So to what do I own this visit?
Then, I walked in from outside singing one of Joeboy’s songs “just let me know, if you no wan do again, I no go disturb you, I no go stress you but don’t call me back….”
Regina: Oga, we are talking here.
Me: oh, sorry ma.
So I sat on one of the seat, facing Bethany and was listening to them.
Bethany: one of my nephew will be celebrating his birthday by weekend. So I will need you to bake a cake for me.
Regina: wow. Thank you.
Me: you can rely on us to deliver correct cake for you.
Regina: *to me* Derra, when girls are talking, you don’t interrupt.
Me: sorry Ma.
Bethany: so like how much will it cost me?
Regina: it depends on the size and the kind of design you want on it.
Bethany: no too much design o. just his name and age. And for the size, maybe middle size.
Regina: just hold on. Let me get some of my designs.
Regina went to the room to get her phone so she could show her some of the designs she had made before.
It was just the two of us in the sitting room. She was just pressing her phone and I was sitting, playing with the remote control. She wasn’t talking to me… I began creating scenes, so she would look at me.
“Uhhmm na wa for this remote o. ahn ”
“Why is this chair biting me sef”
“Why is my shirt blue today?”
She knew I was trying to get her attention, so she used her earpiece to block her ears.
I then went to remove those ear piece......
Me: how long are we going to be fighting eh?
Bethany: until I’m ready for you. As for now, leave me.
Me: I said, I’m sorry nau. What else?
Bethany: the next thing is for you to let me be for now.
Even though I was shy at talking to girls… I still know some facts about them and some of which is; when girls say “Leave me alone” they don’t actually want you to go. They can be very dramatic.
Some of them will be playing hard to get….they only want to know if you are serious about dating them.
Me: you know I can’t leave you alone.
Bethany: story…. You already left me for more than 2 months. Why not just let me be.
Me: common, you are making it sound like I did something terrible.
Bethany: ohhh, so you didn’t see anything wrong in what you did.
Me: that’s not what I said. I only wanted the best for you.
Regina finally came out…..
“Sorry for the delay, I couldn’t find my memory card”, she said, handing the phone to Bethany.
She swiped through her gallery to select her choice. They both discussed on the price and every other thing.
Bethany: I’ll get back to you.
Regina: alright dear. I’ll be expecting.
After everything, she left.
Regina: you really like that girl o
Me: I’m only trying to make peace with her. That’s all.
Regina: I heard what you two were saying.
Me: (smiled) you know, I don’t have strength to beg someone for too long. Her shakara is getting big o.
Regina: you better continue until she’s no longer angry.
Me: can’t you see, she has moved on.
Regina: move to where? Don’t even tell me, you are giving up on her.
Me: what do you want me to do now?
One evening, it was around 7pm. I went to see her at her place. I just needed to show her how sorry I was for what I did to her. I knew her parents would be around that night but I still had to take the risk…. At least, that would make her believe I was truly sorry.
When I got to the gate, I called her phone…but she kept busying my calls because she was with her mum.
I continued calling until she texted “please stop calling”.
I texted her back saying “I’ll keep calling until you answer my calls”
Bethany: (text) I’m with mum.
Me: (text) go to your room and answer my call
Bethany: I can’t. We are having dinner.
Me: excuse yourself. Else I’ll keep calling.
I waited for 5 minutes before calling her again…
Her mum must have noticed her movement so she asked her “Bethany are you okay?”
Bethany: (startled) yes….yes mum.
“Why are you acting weird?”
Bethany: nothing. My food is too spicy.
“I didn’t even put too much pepper”
Bethany: ehmm….. Maybe it’s my mouth that is doing somehow.
She then decided to leave the dining table to her room….
Her Dad: where are you going?
Bethany: to my room.
Her Dad: won’t you finish your food?
Bethany: of course, I will. I want drop my phone inside.
Her Dad: okay. Hurry up and come and finish your food.
She rushed back to her room and quickly called my phone….
Me: ehheehe, now you are talking.
Bethany: what do you want?
Me: I want to see you
Bethany: what? Why?
Me: we need to talk.
Bethany: not now. Not today.
Me: why not?
Bethany: see….my Dad is around.
Me: really?
Bethany: yes, stop calling.
Me: I’m coming to see him o
Bethany: what? Are you okay?
I know I couldn’t enter her compound …so I went round the compound. The window of her room was on the left side of the house, so I could see her from outside where I was standing.
Me: come to your window and look down.
She thought I was joking when I told her I was outside her house. When she saw me waving, she was surprised.
Bethany: what are you doing here?
Me: I’ve come to show you I care.
“Sirrrrr…..Daddy, I’m coming” she shouted over the phone.
Me: tell your dad, I’m coming to see him right now.
Bethany: please stop joking. I’ll call you tomorrow/
Me: I’m not leaving until you forgive me and be my friend again.
Bethany: no way. I’m still mad at you.
Me: fine. I came with my guitar and a mat. I’ll sleep outside here and be singing love songs for you.
Her dad called her again….she hung up and left the room, back to the dining table.
Her dad: what were you doing since?
Bethany: I-I- was looking for my earpiece.
Her mum: what Earpiece? The one you left under your seat?
She sat down and continued eating her food. After another 5 minutes, I texted her “what are you saying? Have you forgiven me?”
She didn’t reply this time.
I texted again “if you don’t say anything, I’ll call you now”
She probably got scared when she read that message…. She ate her food hurriedly…. So I don’t call when she’s still eating.
When I later called……
Bethany: if my mum seize my phone, I will vex for you o. won’t you go home?
Me: you are the one keeping me here. Just tell me we are friends again.
Bethany: we are not friends.
I took the Guitar I came with. It belongs to Wisdom. I began playing some strings and was singing, still standing where she will see me; I began singing Fireboy’s song “God only knows” “For a while I’ve been thinking, why I ever pushed you away. My eyes still deceiving, praying to God to bring you my way. What the hell was I thinking……..”
She was still in her room listening. Then she called… “Ohhh you want to put me in trouble o”
Me: just tell me we are friends again.
Bethany: after what you did?
Me: I’m sorry kwanu.
Bethany: leave me.
She hung the call and closed her window.
I texted her immediately “I’m coming in to see you”
Bethany: my dad will kill you o
Me: for your sake, I’m ready to die. See you in a minute.
I quickly hid behind a parked vehicle and was peeping to see if she would open her window to check and she did.
When she saw that I was there ….she called me immediately
“Derra, please….I’ve heard o. I’ve forgiven you. In fact I love you. Please don’t come inside”
Me: hello, sorry I can’t hear you. I’m at your door.
Bethany: (shouting) hello-hello- can you hear me.
Me: yes. What did you say?
Bethany: ….I’ve heard o. I’ve forgiven you. In fact I love you. Please don’t come inside
Me: network is bad. I didn’t hear you, come again.
Bethany: ohhhhhhh. Derra nau. I’ll deny knowing you o.
Me: did you say, you’ve forgiven me?
Bethany: yes.
Me: are we friends now?
Bethany: yes.
Me: oya call me sweet names.
Bethany: what?
Me: I’ll enter o
Bethany: leave the door first.
She began calling me some sweet names; hunny, sweetie, loml, sugarplum, candy gum.
Me: it aff do. Now say after me. “Derra I love you. If I lie, let me break my neck”.
Bethany: aaahhhhh
I stayed there for over 2 hours. From 7pm to about 9pm. The street had become so dark and quiet. The security men and vigilante boys were out already. The rule and regulation of the street was that the entrance gate is locked immediately it’s 9. Any vehicle coming in after that time will be searched thoroughly and will have to settle the security men.
I totally forgot about that and stayed till past 9.
I started walking home, looking all directions to see if I was being followed.
I was almost getting close to the entrance gate…..suddenly, there was a shout from one the compound “thief…….thief…..thief o…..”