Chapter 4: Heart in a flutter
838 Words
“Ope, it’s 4 pm already — what are we eating for dinner? Abi we no go chop?” I called.
“I don’t know. Make we go buy food for Eby’s place now,” Opeyemi answered lazily.
“Wura, please let’s cook oo. I don’t have money to buy food. Or have you forgotten the assignment they gave us? You sabi money like say your father be rich man,” she teased, stretching on the bed.
“Okay, let’s cook then,” I sighed, “but Ope, the stress will be too much o. I can’t deal.” I frowned, already dragging a bucket outside.
As I bent to fetch water, my phone started ringing. I thought it was my father because I had called him earlier to ask for pocket money, so without checking the screen properly I picked up. “Hi daddy, good evening sir…”
The voice on the other end made me freeze. “Hey, good evening Wura, it’s me — Doyin.”
My heart skipped. “Ohhh Doyin! Sorry, I didn’t know it was you.” I smiled so hard I had to turn my face away.
“I just called to say hi and to thank you for helping me the other day. I really appreciate it. If you don’t mind, I’d like to take you out — maybe lunch, if you’ll let me?”
I stammered, “Er—uh—hm… yes, yes. Hmm, sure, it’s fine. I mean, yea.”
“Alright. Just let me know when you’ll be free.”
“No problem, Doyin. Thanks for calling.” I was about to hang up when he added gently,
“Hmm, sorry, but can I text you on w******p? So I can check on you from time to time?”
“It’s fine. I’ll text you when I’m less busy.” My voice tried to stay calm but inside I was already flying. The hottest, most handsome guy in my department had asked me out on a lunch date.
When the call ended, I pressed the phone to my chest like it was treasure. For a moment I just sat there on the edge of the bed, smiling like a fool, whispering to myself, this can’t be real.
Before I could drift further, Ope’s voice came crashing from outside. “Wura!!! Come out now and let’s cook. You suppose don bring water since. I don’t even know what you’ve been doing inside that made you stay so long.” She hissed.
“Ope, calm down na. At least hear me out.” I walked out with a grin plastered on my face.
“What?” she asked suspiciously, squinting.
I couldn’t hold it in. “Guess what? Doyin called me! And he said he wants to take me out for lunch.”
I squealed, clapped my hands together, and spun around like a child. My cheeks hurt from smiling.
Opeyemi stared for a second, her brows arched. “Ehn ehn. So na that one keep you inside?”
“Yes oo!” I laughed. “Ope, can you imagine? This fine boy actually called me, me of all people! He even asked for my WhatsApp.”
“Hmm,” Ope muttered, shaking her head, though she managed a small smile. “Sha no go burn the rice when we start cooking.”
We carried our buckets together, heading to the hostel tap. On the way, my body felt light, like I was floating. Every gist from the other girls around us turned into background noise. I was already daydreaming about the date — what I would wear, how I would talk, how I wouldn’t let him see how crazy I was about him.
Later, while we cooked in the small hostel kitchen, I kept zoning out, humming to myself, stirring the pot too slowly.
“Wura, abeg focus oo,” Ope nudged me with her elbow. “Before this stew go burn.”
I laughed nervously and stirred faster, but in my heart, nothing else mattered. For the first time in a long while, I felt like something special was happening — like love had chosen me.
............
Sometime later that night, right as I was drifting off, my phone buzzed once more. Definitely feeling my heart jump — a w******p message from Doyin appeared on the screen.
“Hey Wura… Just wanted to mention that I was thinking about you and our lunch tomorrow. I can’t wait to hang out on our date 😊”
It made me smile so wide, it felt like I was forgetting to breathe. But that tiny little voice deep down said, what if it’s not that simple? What if the complications of first love, that I haven’t even dreamed up yet, show up and ruin everything?
I shook my head as if to shake away that thought. Right now, all I could focus on, was the excitement, the butterflies, and the unfamiliar thrill that came with someone noticing me…really noticing me.
- Writer
