+ one!
Yep, ma 11th post this month. Myne what say you now???
Nways, the Naima story continues from last week......
Remember, Myne's giving away a copy of her book to ma first commenter!
Enjoy!
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*honk and lights*
That made her look closely at the car coming towards her on the opposite lane. "Oh, not today" Naughty Naima wailed.
This tym Sweet Naima was silent. on days like this she always was. she found it hard to believe how the week was turning out. First it was Fairy's sister's fiance, then the rumours peaches was spreading and now her mum. she just wasnt up for this silly guy's small talk.
Peaches was not his name,it was the name he coined for her immediately they became an item. Nai thot the world of him, until she got closer, started to know him, the real him, and then she realised that he was a lot like the others. Even thou she realised early, Nai blamed herself, like most girls in abusive relationships, she thot the problem was her. she was the one asking for too much, the nagging one, the one seeking too much for right. the lies came, the imperfection showed up, the demand for energy drained her, but she still loved. she fought hard and fast. the world was against them, so they had to put up a face all the time. Nai was left to form the "sweet couple" role even to Fairy and Fatty.
But,she got tired. "I'm tired of being the only 1 fightn for this relationship to survive" she had announced on the day she made up her mind. like the man she had come to know him to be, he denied all. he swore and then finally confessed, siting being panicked as an excuse. Naima just couldnt believe he had the guts to say that, panicked that what? he couldnt at least give her time to think about it all, he had already started running his mouth around that he was dumping her.....what nonsense!
Now, every1 was stepping up to say what he knew, the stories were just becoming too much for her fragile and already sick heart. her family were finally getting to like him, Fatty and Fairy were stunned when she told them all about it and how she had been drowning all this while without them noticing anything.
"Mehn, your strong" was all Fairy could say, Fatty watched her more closely ever since. asking questions, wanting to know, talking about it with her, really helped Nai put it on the table and actually laugh at the situation.
Naima watched as BB slowed down when their cars got close and shouted, "mu hadu mana" through his half winded glass.
He parked the grey cerato just off the tarred ever busy hostel road, and stepped out with a smile as always. for sum1 that didnt know BB, he was the perfect description of a hunk with loads of cash, but Naima knew him too well. he was such a rough player that Nai sometyms said, it would be a miracle if he ever changed. his tall,slender frame intimidated a lot of girls. he had a simple, yet interesting kinda lifestyle. always dressed up in logo labels with a hat to match. today was no different,he was wearing a red TH shirt and plain blue jeans.he was known more for his personalized LV p-cap. it was his thing, and he always wud say, "all for the ladies". his smile was so intoxicating even to Naima, it was all innocent and boyish. but that was all an act for BB was no inncent dude.
Naima had come to love his soft side. A side of him he rarely potraited. the kind,funny and compassionate side. Even thou she had known him since kindergarten, Nai was still suprised when he donated 50,000 naira thru her for the KIND reachout program last semester.they became closer ever since.
She parked on the opposite side, and reduced the volume of her stereo to its lowest. she decided swiftly to leave the red 206 on so he wouldnt keep her for long.
"whats up?" she asked, leaning towards the door frame to give her a better posture,just as he stepped beside her.
"ma admission is out, and SK is organising a party for me on Saturday, and you have to come" he replied, all at a go.
"BB, I cant........
"no excuses,your not seeing me again till next year cos I know your not coming over to London till after your grad" he cut in.
"Okay,I'll think about it but seriously,I might just come over earlier to help with the decorations and thats all" she said,getting strait to the reason why they both knew he needed her there.
Naima found it hard socializing with his up-class group of friends. even thou, BB was so much like them in so many ways,he did have a thot once in a while to do the right thing.
BB had come to love her passion for interior decor, since she helped with his sister,Jamy's room.
he had once told her she would make a fab interior designer but Naima just took it as something every girl should be able to wrap her fingers around. she never took BB's flattery seriously, even thou it meant a lot that he thot of her as a "breath of fresh air"......Ha! she almost laughed her head off the first day he said it. "you make a guy's yarns look so old skool" he had explained further,feigning disdain. they both laughed at his silly joke.
His mum still called her "my in-law" hoping that it would actually come true someday. she always told Naima that she was the only one that made BB think of doing good and actually believing in himself. but Naima made it clear then that BB was more of a brother to her. thou she had once had a crush on him way back in high school, she kept it all to herself cos she knew BB would just laugh it off....
"Toh, sai na gan ki" he said, with a rueful smile,
"Sure" she glanced across her dashboard and immediately added, "I have to go, I have a lecture in 20 minutes"
"Ok, Ms serious" , he said mockingly,he reached out to touch her cheeks then, and Naima almost swore she saw something shift in his eyes.
"Bye-bye" she hastily concluded, shaking herself out of her naughty thots and putting her gear-shift back on D.....
He smiled again and waved as she zoomed off in her usual rough driving roar. that was one thing about her that excited him, she had a thing for speed and was never scared whenever she was riding with him, unlike most of his other numerous girlfriends that thot he was too rough.
He also loved her dress sense, whatever Naima wore brought out her fine figure. she poured grace into an outfit and made it her own. Today, she was wearing Trads being a Friday, and the purple outfit lit up her cloudy face.
BB knew of the trouble she was going thru accepting her break-up with peaches, three years was no joke, but he had come to respect her strength in trying so hard to hide her pain in the years he knew her. she was a private person, and being with her meant accepting the little bits she shared with you and trusting her with all of your baggage. he understood that about her, even thou he was her complete opposite, and he couldnt understand why it was so hard for the guys she fell for to get that.
He crossed over to the side where he had parked and drove off too,still thinking of Naima.
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"yan'mata ina waje" Naima spoke into the speaker of her N95 as she put the car on park. she used her earpiece most tyms while driving but she had misplaced it last week and had not found time to search for it since Faisal's death, bcos she had to be with Fairy most of the time, which was the source of the new name, "fifth occupant" that Aisha-Fairy and Fatty's neighbour-now called her.
Faisal's death was indeed a shocker not only to Fairy but to the other girls bcos he had called the day he died. he had asked to speak with all three and made them promise they'll come over for the wedding the following weekend.
Fairy's sister was of cos heartbroken,how does a girl recieve the news of her fiance's death just a week to their wedding, especially in his own case being that he made the journey that cost him his life just to make things perfect as she wanted it for the D-day.
Naima's face grew darker as she remembered her mum's weak voice when she spoke with her that morning. it almost didnt sound like her. her mum like Naima was never sick. she would do all the work, and travel on biznes almost every weekend and never complain.
Mayb it was fatigue,Naima thot to herself. but the line of diagnosis Dr Jennifer was taking was making her doubt that thot.
"Hmmmmmmmm" she breathed out. this life is just zig-zag.
she shifted her attention to her surroundings while she waited for Fairy and Fatty to come down from their 3rd floor room. it took them at least 7 minutes to reach the gate most tyms, which was why she had decided to just call while she waited outside since they were running late.
The BBall court was situated just opposite the Murtala Hall. Which Naima thot was odd considering that fewer girls played BBall in the school, hence having the court close to the female hostels just made for unnecessary noise in the evening. she was a fan of BBall but it was the associated shout and choas from their fans that put her off. most guys just got to the court all dressd up in BBall kits, blasting loud music, and making advances at the next thing in skirt. the proximty gave for a lot of advantage.
It made her remember one tym she was there cheering peaches's team and some nasty fellow had thot it convenient to put his hands around her waist.
But Nai always said she couldnt imagine any female hostel in the school better than the murtala hall. it was far more tidy than the other hostels and its occupants seem more friendly in her mind.she usually moved in during exams, and having done that for the last four years since she got to the school made her opinion had to ignore.
*Whoo-haa,text message*
She picked up the phone from the side compartment. The message was from Ami.
Nai,whats up? just spoke with peaches and I didnt quite get what he was saying,holla when you get this please.Oh no,he didnt! Naima cursed.....Ami was one of her good friends and had come to like peaches a lot. he had virtually gone round telling their friends to please help him convince her as to why she should give him one more chance to try harder. but Nai had already made up her mind. as much as it hurt, she knew she was done, she just couldnt take it anymore..
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She sat on the slab just beside the lab downstairs. it was very early in the morning but she knew she had to start the second part of her work that day....
The cleaning ladies were just sweeping the whole faculty and of cos that meant dusty air. she stood up to leave the vicinity for a while, mumbling a greeting as she walked past the cleaning lady closer to her. it was appalling that these ladies left home so early to come over here for such little pay. poverty is really a terrible thing!
She walked around the faculty for a while, she stopped at the big notice board first and looked at the announcements scattered all over the place. the large blue "faculty of veterinary medicine" logo caught her eye next. she read the motto and smiled to herself....these guys were really full of themselves but hey,she was here and had to make the best out of it.
"Hello" he said.
Naima turned around to find a funny set of brown eyes starring at her. "Morning" she replied, not really placing the face but she was sure she had seen it somewhere.
"do you remember me?" he asked. "I'm Eazy, we met last week in the lab,well you might not remember cos you barely looked at me when I introduced myself."
"Oh, I think I remember,It was on Friday right?,I wasnt really in a good mood then"
"Nice meeting you"
"you too" Nai replied.
Later on, she went back to sit on the slab again and Eazy passed by almost a zillion tyms. making excuses, asking questions and sometyms just smiling as he passed by.
Nai instantly took to him. he seemed like a nice guy to her, "and you could do with some laughs y'knw" Naughty Naima supplied.
"yea,just jump at the next available guy, as if that would help" sweet Naima reiterated.
He was tall and good looking, clad in multi-color stripped shirt and dark brown trousers. she instantly noticed his courtesy, which was hard to see in guys these days. he also seemed kinda popular as every1 arnd either hailed him or greeted him.
Finally, he said what seem to have troubling him all the while,"can I have your number please?"
She hesitated a bit and then Naughty Naima took control, "sure". they exchanged numbers.
Nai was already neck-deep in the lab about 30 minutes later when in popped in to say goodbye.
"goodbye" more like hello she thot to herself but she knew by now that the bitterness wasnt going to get her anywhere.
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"Sorry,I want to leave please" she said to the total stranger leaning against the hood of her car. he looked so comfortable from afar that you would think she was the one intruding and not the other way round.
he apologised and then just as he was about to leave, he decided to say a few words.
*he chineke,I don suffer* Naughty Naima exclaimed as the guy ran his mouth about how he was a 200 level student of accounting.
*I look like jambito wey you go oppress* Naughty continued to wail like a siren in Nai's head,she cut him off with a smile and said she was in a hurry.
"Ok, see you around" he said, his voice laced with hope.
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"I can see your star is shining this week o" Fatty said, as Naima ended the call.
"Babe,ban gane ma gayen ba fa"
"like how?"
"Ah, this one that he's moving with 520nm speed mana"
"but you said you like him already now" Fairy joined in.
"yes, but he needs to be considerate, peaches is from his place as well plus peaches's dad is his godfather or somthing, so its kinda tough" Fatty said in Nai's defense.
"the real problem is that I dont think I'm ready for a relationship right now" Nai added.
"your right about that o,I was thinking of advising you about that, you need to put yourself back together, all these sweet talk will end soon and these availables that are confusing you now will vanish into thin air,and you need to be strong enough to handle the reality" Fairy said.
"kwara ya sauko 250nm fa, afteral the other availables have taken it in good faith, why not him?" Fatty said again.
Naima lay there across the bed on the brown leather carpet that covered the entire room,with her head on the pillow thinking about what her friends had said. she tilted towards the window for fresh air as the lights were out again as usual,she was beginning to like Eazy more than the other availables no doubt but she knew it would just make it worse, especially after the story he had told her about his last girlfriend.
She took another look at the ring he had given her the day before and smiled, "this cant be happening already, or is it?" she asked no1 in particular.
the other two were busy trying to fix her lunch as she had said she was their guest today, and so wasnt cooking herself.
*Whoo-haa text message*
"Eazy again" both her friends said in unison, she just smiled as she checked the SMS and said, "No,its KB"...........
....to be continued.
