ALMOST A CONVERSATION
1067 Words
CHAPTER TWO
I turned to go back inside.
“Hey.”
I turned slowly, almost cautiously.
“Hi,” I said, my voice coming out softer than I intended.
He smiled.
“I am Tellar Scofield. You’re new here, right?”
“Yes,” I nodded.
“I thought so. I saw you when you came in earlier.”
He paused.
“What’s your name?”
I told him.
He repeated it softly.
“Petra Daniels… you have a beautiful name.”
He asked about my department next, and I told him, it's mass communication, settling into the rhythm of the conversation now that it had begun. It was easy. Casual.
“That young guy I saw you with earlier,” he said, gesturing vaguely, “is that your brother?”
“Yes. My junior brother, David. He’s just staying with me for a while.”
“Oh, okay.” He nodded.
“That makes sense.”
Then he added, almost as an afterthought,
“This is actually my friend’s hostel. I just came to see him. I stay around here, but not in this hostel.”
He turned slightly.
“That’s him, there,” he called.
“Nathan.”
Nathan looked up and smiled.
“Hi. Welcome to the neighbourhood. Welcome to the hostel. Hope you enjoy your stay.”
“Thank you,” I replied.
We exchanged a few more polite words, nothing heavy, nothing memorable.
And yet, as I turned back toward my room, one thought followed me quietly.
The voice I had heard earlier had been real.
Had it belonged to him?
But why had it sounded feminine at the time?
I shrugged everything off and went back to my room.
***
The day had stretched longer than I expected.
Unpacking.
Meeting strangers.
Learning the shape of a new place.
It all sat heavily in my body.
A few hours later, noise woke me.
Laughter spilt into the night first, followed by music—loud, careless, and unapologetic. The kind of music that announced its presence and refused to be ignored.
Voices overlapped, rising and falling, filled with ease and familiarity.
I sat up. Then stood, drawn more by curiosity than irritation.
From my window, the compound had changed.
Small clusters of people gathered, some leaning against walls, others perched on railings, drinks in hand.
Nearby, lovers played and argued lightly, their voices low, their gestures intimate and unfiltered.
I watched quietly, unseen.
This was not my world.
At least, not yet.
Everyone outside seemed settled, confident already woven into something shared.
Then I noticed him.
He wasn’t loud.
He wasn’t dancing.
He stood slightly apart, talking with someone, He looked really tall and strikingly built, his handsome face set in an audacious calm as he listened more than he spoke.
I couldn’t explain why my eyes found him so handsome and stayed there.
After a moment, I stepped back and closed the curtain.
The music continued, and the voices carried on.
But when I lay down again, sleep took longer to return.
—
Morning stripped the compound of whatever mystery the night had given it.
The music was gone.
Almost disappointing.
I stood outside, adjusting my bag, when two figures crossed the compound together.
I recognized them immediately.
He was with the same friend I had seen the night before.
Nathan.
Nathan walked with an easy looseness, a cigarette balanced carelessly between his fingers.
Before either of them acknowledged me properly, his voice cut through the space.
“Fine girl, what’s up?” Nathan called, grinning.
The words landed awkwardly.
Not threatening, just too familiar for someone I didn’t know.
Before I could decide how to react, Tellar slowed and glanced at Nathan, then back at me.
“Good morning,” he said calmly, smoothing over the moment.
“How was your night?”,
“You look really good in this outfit."
Thanks,” I said, adjusting the sleeve. “My night was quiet. Yours?”
“Eventful,” Tellar replied easily. “But seeing you now improves it.”
Nathan snorted, unable to hold it in. “Wow. Breakfast flirting already?”
Tellar shot him a look.
I laughed.
Nathan shook his head, still smiling, and walked off like he’d just witnessed free entertainment.
“Since you’re a new student,” Tellar said, falling briefly into step beside me, “when’s your matriculation?”
I told him the date.
Three weeks.
“Wow.” His eyebrows lifted.
“That’s soon. It really comes fast. Just pray it’s not postponed.”
He smiled.
“Are you going to celebrate it? Because if you are, I hope I’m invited. You’ll cook, right?”
“We’ll see,” I said, half-smiling.
His smile lingered. “I want to tell you something, but that would be later”
I tilted my head, curious.
“Later when?”
“When things are quieter,” he said, lowering his voice. “I don’t want distractions.”
“That sounds serious,” I replied, trying to read his expression.
He chuckled lightly, but his eyes stayed intent. “Not serious. Just… "important. You’ll understand.”
I opened my mouth to press him for more—
Before the exchange could stretch any further, my brother’s voice came from behind me.
“Come inside. You’ve got a message from Mommy.”
I checked my phone.
Just as expected.
It read - be careful. Focus on your studies. Stay away from trouble and bad friends.
For my parents, things called
School, faith, and good behaviour were non-negotiable.
When I looked up again, both of them were already walking away.
Nathan talked animatedly, smoke trailing behind him.
Tellar listened, unhurried.
The compound felt quieter.
***
I turned to my brother, Dave, who was already giggling.
“Take care of yourself, okay?” I said softly.
“Stay indoors and read your book. I won’t be long, I’m heading out for lectures. I’ll be back soon.”
A small thought surfaced.
Since I arrived, Tellar had been the only one who had checked up on me.
I really wanted to tell him I overheard his call and ask him why his voice sounded different.
I didn’t dwell on it.
I left for school, determined to focus on my studies and nothing else.
I didn’t know then that whatever I was walking away from would be the first thing to find me again.
- Writer
