The One And Only

Lanre had to apologise since she was the one who had rushed into someone. “I’m sorry! Sorry!” Lanre said and tried to move further but stopped. The person had grabbed her arms retraining her from moving farther. It was a young man, she knew. But who it was, she had no clue. She was not looking at his face. She was in a hurry and the least thing she cares about in her life is looking at a person’s face, especially not a guy’s.

“Are you rushing off to somewhere?” The young man asked. She tried pulling her hands away from his tight hold, but she could not. He told her to at least look up at his face. She finally did, the first word that came out of her mouth was, “pest”.

“The one and only!” He said. It was Christian. He gave her a cute smile and pulled her along with him to a table. She didn’t want to fight anymore, since she knows him. She asked him if he came to get food or snacks and probably ice-cream.

“I came to get you!” He said to her. She scoffed. Then she stood up from the seat he had made her sit on. “I’m off! There’s an Uber waiting outside for me”. Lanre said carrying her bags.

“I will pay for everything if you will listen to what I have to say”. Christian said to her. She shook her head. Then she told him that aside from her, there are so many ears in the world, why should she be the one he tells whatever he has to say. Christian answered her by telling her that not every word is meant for the public ears. Some words are meant for just one ear to hear. Lanre told him she was not going to hear him whatever he has to say. She was leaving.

“Will you let him go without a fight?” Christian asked. Lanre played deaf to his words and walked out of the eatery. This time Christian did not stop her. He already sowed a seed in her heart. His question will be the first torture to her indifference.

Lanre got into the Uber. She asked the driver to forgive her for wasting much of his time. Then she asked him to drop her where he picked her up from. She was going back to the beauty parlour. Once they arrived, she paid for the Uber. She also compensated the driver for wasting his time. Then she walked into the shop, “LAN’s Beauty Parlour”.

Just as she entered in, she decided to wear a smile to make it convincing that she was celebrating her academic success. “Taadaa!” She exclaimed as she raised the bags up. She noticed everyone wore a serious face. She asked what was going on.

“Madam, one lady de here. She say she wan do makeover but say na you go do am for her. We tell her say you no go quick come but she just de para since. Say you don too waste time and…….”

“English please!” Lanre said to Sharon who was busy telling about a lady who was using the Nigerian pidgin to explain how a woman was causing ruckus because she wanted only Lanre to attend to her, but felt Lanre was taking too long in coming back.