Óloturè

When we first met

CHAPTER TWO

Nancy (óloturè) pov:

“Junction, junction, hold your change oo me i no go answer anybody oo” the bus driver screamed.

“You get change #500” a tall, dark skinned bearded guy asked the driver.

“Enter” the driver said grumpily. The pretty guy entered and sat beside me. I kept staring outside the window, watching people go about their various ways.

I watched a lady laughed shyly to whatever a guy who I supposed was trying to win her over was saying, I wondered what he said to warrant such laughter tho.

“Gala, gala, aunty how many make i bring?” Snapping out of my thoughts i said “don’t bother, am not actually a fan of gala”. The little boy stood staring at me, it dawned on me that he probably understood English. “No worry, i no buy” i switched to pidgin and he walked away.

“Oya your money for back” the driver requested. “Here, for two” ‘hot chocolate guy’ said handing over a naira note to the driver. I was still rummaging through my bag looking for my purse

“Oh dont worry, I already paid for you “, i heard him saying, I simply murmured a “thank you” and resumed staring outside the window. The bus came to life and skidded along the tarred road.

“Hi, my name’s santos” i heard hot chocolate guy said beside me, I turned, obviously he was talking to me but it was that moment my brain decided to focus on his features. He’s dark skinned and has transparent brown eyes with thick lashes, his beard neatly trimmed and he looks like he just recently got a haircut. He had on a white polo top which complimented his complexion and a blue jean, on his feets wear white snickers, simple but elegant.

“Hello...” he started, snapping me out of my reverie. “Err, sorry but you seemed lost, is everything okay?”

“Am okay, sure, my name’s nancy” I replied him

“Nancy” he repeated “err.. its nice meeting you, you really are very pretty”

I blushed “thank you”

“Anyways, I’ll be getting to my stop soon, I’ll really love to keep in touch, do you mind if i get your contact?” Santos asked.

“Actually i got a new sim card yesterday, and I havnt memorized my number yet, and my Phone’s battery is down”

“Oh no” he said looking dejected. “But...you could give me yours, I’ll definitely give you a call when i charge” i said to him

“Thats better, thank you”. I handed him a pen and a piece of paper, he scribbled his number on it and handed it back to me, I collected it and he smiled.

“Driver pls stop here, bye beautiful” he said, and mouthed “call me”, He alighted from the bus as soon as it came to a halt.

I could still perceive his soft cologne, he smelled nice, i thought, playing with the piece of paper with my fingers. I should have kept it inside my bag if i had been warned of the incident that was going to happen next.

The bus suddenly stopped and the driver alighted, cries of agony rented the air, a small crowd has already gathered and more were joining “wetin happen na” a woman in the bus asked, we were now remaining five, we began to come down from the bus. “Jesus!... jesus!... eweee!” Could be heard as the road was stained with blood. Apparently there had been an accident between two motorcyclists and one was carrying a pregnant woman who layer helplessly on the floor with the shabby-looking bike man who seemed to have injured his leg as blood kept seeping from it staining the floor. The other bike man wasn’t seriously injured, he only sustained some scratches.

Typical Nigerians started bringing out their phones taking pictures and making videos. I noticed a young girl rushed to the nearest gutter retching out her stomach, she must have been queasy at the sight of blood. Luckily a good samaritan drove into the scene, got down from his car and witg he help of some onlookers carried the pregnant woman and the injured men into his vehicle and rushed them to the hospital.

“I hope they are able to save her pregnancy oo” someone said “all these bike men only God know where them they always speed go” another one said

“Oya make una enter bus make we comot for here” our driver shouted, jumping unto his vehicle, we all got in and the driver drove off.

The crowd slowly dispersed and someone was pouring water on the blood stained road. I sat back and relaxed on ny seat, and it was then I noticed i had misplaced the piece of paper with santo’s number. I searched around my seat , rhw floor of the bus, but couldn’t find it, then it dawned on me that it must have fallen from my hand when i came out of the bus. I facepalmed, there goes my chance of contacting ‘hot chocolate guy’ again.

Getting to my destination i came down from the bus and walked slowly to my faculty. I met my friend Chiomq standing outside. “This one wey you do face like beans wey don spoil, wetin happen?” She queried walking towards me

“Abeg no be that one dey do me jare, the man don come?”

“E don come and i dey stand outside”. She answered sarcastically. We walked to the class and sat down together, the class was almost filled and really noisy yet the lecturer hasn’t even arrived, it’s already past 8am.

“If this man isn’t coming he better tell the course rep oo, i cant waste my transport fare for nothing” a girl, Amanda said settling down on thw seat in front of us. She just arrived and is already complaining, thats how lousy she is.

Just then Mr fina walked in and the noise died down. Chioma giggled

“why this man dey dress like this, upon all the salary them dey pay am” she asked rhetorically. I stiffled a laugh

“go ask am na, una two dey fight”

Somehow this man brings a smile to my face and i soon forgot the incident that happened earlier.

“Lock the doors, no one is allowed to come in after me” Mr fina thundered

The course rep stood up and did the needful.

“See this man oo, person wey even come late” a boy said in a whisper behind us, his name is Nicholas and Chioma wouldn’t stop filling my ears with gists that concerns him. I turned to her, and she was already looking back smiling at Nicholas. I know she likes him.

“What was our last topic, you all better pay attention to todays lectures, ‘cause it might show up in your exams...” Mr Fina proceeded to teach.