INTEGRITY

Phone rings, It was kikelomo!
Funmilayo: Hello Sis!
Kikelomo: Bidemi how are you?
Bidemi: I’m fine. i called you last night but you didn’t pick up, why?
Kikelomo: I’m sorry! i was at a fellowship
Bidemi: (laughs) Fellow…what??
Kikelomo: Fellowship, a bible study group
Bidemi: (laughs again) so now you are in a bible study group, really? is there no rule in church about chasing out girls who slept with their sister’s boyfriend??
Kikelomo: (Sighs ) Bidemi…..
Bidemi: What? now you are the Christian sister, I’m sure all the brothers in your so called fellowship sees you as one responsible girl who is probably still a virgin ehn….
Kikelomo: look sis, we all make mistakes and since I’ve returned to school I’ve had tine to think about my life and decided to change for the better. i don’t even know why you blame only me for what happened when deep inside you, you probably still have feelings for that bastard..
Bidemi: i blame both of you…
Kikelomo: I’m sorry! please forgive me
Bidemi: you’re my sister, i can’t hate you forever and by the way, Femi played us both. you were just more dumb than i was
Kikelomo: i know i was and i regret it
Bidemi: it’s fine! atleast we still have eachother. how is school?
Kikelomo: Fine thank you, i miss everyone at home
Bidemi: we miss you too
Kikelomo: I have to go now, got lectures to attend
Bidemi: Okay. bye sis
Kikelomo: but Bidemi… you have to get Femi out of your mind, that boy is no good for you or for any girl for that matter
Bidemi: Femi is not on my mind (she lied) but Thank you sha
Kikelomo: ok oo. bye
She drops the sighed. As hurt as she was, Kikelomo is still her sister and nothing can be done about it, she’ll always love and forgive her. But is she crazy for still thinking about Femi? Maybe he deserves a second chance or maybe he deserves to be thrown inside the ocean for the sharks to feed on. Funmilayo thinks he deserves a second chance but She’s only caring about her brother, after all she knew he was cheating but never said anything to her. She had chased that guy away yesterday…. That guy looked familiar, She’s seen him before but She’s not sure where, what does he want to talk about? She has no time for boys, only her admission is on her mind right now and nothing can distract her, absolutely nothing!
*****************
Wale has been gisting me all morning, i don’t know who talks more between him and Ada. I was listening but he wouldn’t stop talking. I’ve been home just a week but i know the names of all his classmates already, especially the girls. if i didn’t know better i would say Wale was adopted, he never gets scared of talking to girls unlike me and from the stories mom told me, Dad was a shy guy when it came to women too, they were neighbors for five years before he eventually wrote a love letter to her, he didn’t put his name, he addressed himself as a
“secret admirer”
Wale cuts in..
Wale: shey you are listening sha…
Me: Ofcourse….so what did the girl now say
Wale: which girl??
Me: that fine one
Wale: ehn ehn…. so the girl now told me i should try and understand she has a boyfriend but i didn’t…….
I drifted away in my thoughts again. Its been a week now that i almost spoke with Bidemi, i had walked the street 3 times daily for the past 5 days but didn’t see her. it’s 5pm now, i have walked the street twice today already maybe i should give it another try.
but i know Wale wont stop talking anytime soon… so i got a brilliant idea…
Me: emmm…Wale, would you like to talk to a friend of mine?
Wale: Boy or Girl??
Me: Girl, Her name is Ada
Wale: She fine??
Me: She fine die
Wale: Oya now
I smiled to myself, a record is about to be broken . Two talkative going head to head. Luckily for me, MTN is doing one yeye free call thing now, they can talk all day. I dialled Ada’s number, she picked on the first ring
Ada: Hello! i was about calling you sef. Wanted to ask if you’ve done that assignment, the assignment the lecturer that chased class captain out of the class because he was talking to that girl i told i think is pregnant for that guy that always sag his trouser, shey you remember the lecturer??
Me: Uhnnnnmm….Okay! good evening to you too Ada!
Ada: good evening jare, sorry!
Me: My brother wants to talk to you
Ada: Ehn! shey that your brother that passed his Waec in one sitting and had A1 in mathematics even though he was playing all through the period of the exam, shey that brother??
Me: Ada! i have only one brother so yes its that one!
Ada: oh! i’m i talking too much again ni?
Me: haha, rara o! you havent even say anything at all. Just shut up and talk to him
i handed Wale the fone, stood up but then turn around to hear their conversation
Wale: Hello Ada
(phone was on speaker)
Ada: Mehn…. you talk like Dolapo, though your voice is a little thicker sha. Like my brothers too, their voice sounds the.same even though there is a five years gap between them because our parents didn’t want to give birth to a fourth child, it was now when my grandma advised them that they now decided to give birth to him
Wale: Ehn ehn, me too i know two brothers in my school that their voice sounds the same and they are not even from the same mother o, their.father married a second wife when he lost his job, can you imagine that?
Ada: Ehn ehn…. that’s how one man in our village married three wives too, what happened was that the first wife…..
I decided i have heard enough… These two can kill anyone with their talk. I stepped outside, glad that my eyes would rest for some time. I had just taken a few steps when i heard someone got of Bidemi’s house gate. i looked up and it was her, my heart skipped a bit. she was alone, this is my lucky day, i thought to myself.
Me: Hello Bidemi
Bidemi: Hello….emmm sorry i forgot your name
Me: Dolapo, Dolapo Martins
Bidemi: Well….i didn’t need the surname but it’s all good sha
Me?smiles ) So how are you?
Bidemi: I’m fine….. you seemed to be tailing me everywhere, is there a problem?
Me: Yes there is a problem.. are you feeling dizzy?
Bidemi: No…
Me: Are you sure? this is a very serious matter, hope you are not feeling any pains anywhere??
Bidemi: No!! what’s going on here?
Me: You just fell down
Bidemi: (confused) No i didn’t!
Me: Yea you did!
Bidemi: I said i didn’t fall down
Me: No! I’m very sure You just fell from heaven, Angel…
Bidemi:… uhmmm….(mouth opened, smiling and blushing )
I had memorized that line since i was age 15 , I’m glad that went went.
Me: so miss Angel… are you feeling dizzy??
Bidemi: (smiling ) No thanks I’m not
we both laughed it off
Me: looks like you’re going somewhere, is it okay if i walk down with you?
Bidemi: Yea it’s fine only if you can protect an angel
Me: with all my life…
Bidemi: hahahaha, funny guy. So where do you come from? Are you new in this street?
Me: No, actually I’ve been living on this street for more than a year, almost two years
Bidemi: Really? how come i don’t know you?
Me: Well.. i live down there in one of those small buildings, you hardly come around that place
Bidemi: that’s true sha. so…. you knew my name even before i told you, how come?
Me: (smiles) The fact that you didn’t know me doesn’t mean i don’t know you
Bidemi: ehn ehn… what do you know about me?
Me: you mean apart from the fact that you are gorgeous, beautiful and outstandingly amazing?
Bidemi: Wow! i know your type… boys with sweet tongues who always try to sweep the girls off their feet with the compliments
Me?speechless ) emm…
Bidemi: forget it, that doesn’t work with me, atleast not anymore
Me: I’m thinking it has worked before
Bidemi: I didn’t say that so don’t assume things
Me: Oh! Sorry. look Bidemi i come in good fate. i just hope you and i can get to be close
Bidemi: close? close as what?
Me: close as friends…… for now!
Bidemi (laughs): for now? funny guy. Anyways i have alot of friends already
Me: Try and squeeze me in
Bidemi: nah! no space
Me: i have a brilliant idea…
Bidemi: and what’s that
Me: That your friend… the one that doesn’t like, why don’t i take her place.
Bidemi: hahahaha
We got to the junction, Bidemi was going to buy a recharge card. i was dipping my hand inside my pocket to help her pay but when i heard her say “MTN #750” I quickly brought out my hand as fast as i could.
She bought it and paid. we walked in silence as we both made our way back, i decided to break it
Me: So… my friend..
Bidemi?smiling ) I’m not your friend
Me: Hahaha so what are we?
Bidemi: Wale Adenuga Productions… We are pencils in the hand of the creator
Me: (damn! that hurts but i had to force a laugh ) Hahahaha!
Me: so…. what would you say if i asked for your number
Bidemi: you haven’t asked, maybe you should ask first
Me: Okay! can i have your number
Bidemi: No
Me: (laughs) Please i need to see you again
Bidemi: you know where i live
Me: can i come to your house
Bidemi: We have dogs
Me: Dogs? Do they bite?
Bidemi: No they don’t, They kill!
Me: Haaa
Bidemi laughed as we got to her gate Me: please i really need your number
Bidemi: ok! how fast can you type
Me: the fastest typer worldwide
Bidemi: (laughs ) 0756906710
Me: Thanks but thats just 10 numbers, it should be 11
Bidemi: Yea right…. find the 11th one
She turn and left. She’s definitely an interesting girl. The fact that we spoke made today one of the best days of my life, i have her number stuck in my head, i just have to find the 11th number.
I got home, opened the door and conversation
Wale:….. so the woman that first sat on the chair now started cursing everyone, that other one now went to carry a big cane…..
I shouted…. “Wale and Ada…Give me my phone!!!