Abandoned Love

Chapter 2

Now I wasn't sure how I was going to get them down, let alone how I was going to carry them all the way to the North Village, where my new apartment was located. When I first got on the train, a kind passenger assisted me in placing them in the overhead compartment; however, he is no longer there. I toughened my face into a grimace of resolve and grabbed a handle to pull them down. The new Janet Mike was self-reliant and ambitious. She was a go-getter. She could handle anything, but two suitcases were beyond her capabilities.

The thought passed quickly as the first suitcase fell to the ground with a loud crash. I was unable to support the weight of it, and it crashed into the aisle with a resounding bang when it fell there. To put it another way, that was one approach to take. I brought the second suitcase down using the same technique, and as I did so, I reassured myself that neither of my suitcases contained anything that could easily break.

After what seemed like an eternity, I was finally able to lug the suitcases off the train, and I made my way through the station while dragging them behind me on their worn-out wheels. I caught glimpses of expensive designer luggage and thought about how ridiculous I must have appeared with my enormous, worn-out suitcases and uncombed hair. Even in the train station, there were a lot of stunning people walking around Lagos, which proved that the city lived up to its reputation.

I brushed those thoughts aside and, while juggling my two suitcases and making my way up the escalator, I caught my first glimpse of the city in my new role as a Lagosian. I went to Lagos with my parents when I was in middle school, but I don't remember much about the trip because it was so long ago. I was now one of them; I was one of those people who were rushing around because they had important things to do. Even if I was aware that standing on the sidewalk and staring at the view made me stand out like a sore thumb, I chose not to let it bother me. Everyone was welcome in Lagos. And I was each and every person.

It turned out to be much simpler than I had anticipated to get a cab because they were all lined up outside the station. I had trained myself to walk out into the street with confidence and flag down a taxi with a nonchalant wave of the hand, just like I had seen Mercy Uche do a great number of times. But my s*x in the City moment would have to be put on hold for the time being.

After hurriedly placing my bags inside the trunk of the cab and resuming his position behind the wheel, the cab driver abruptly inquired, "Where are we going?"

The second avenue between the fifth and seventh streets. I had rehearsed that line in advance because I didn't want to come off as inexperienced. I had the cab driver take me over the Flyover bridge so that I could take advantage of a tourist who wasn't paying attention.

As he quickly pulled away from the curb, the taxi driver gave a cursory nod before continuing on his way. I couldn't help but feel excited as I stood and watched the busy sidewalks below me. Everyone appeared to be moving forward with intent, their coffee cups in hand and an air of resoluteness about them. I, Janet Mike, could now call myself a native of Lagos.

My very first time in Lagos, I was in a cab and the driver was driving like we were in a video game. He would make sudden stops and weave in and out of traffic like it was nothing. I was trying not to throw up. I was about to be thrown against the plastic partition if I didn't grab hold of the door handle in time. When the cab finally came to a stop on my street, I was already taking several deep breaths and trying to will myself not to throw up the bagel I had eaten earlier that morning.

After I had paid the cab driver and gotten out of the car, he threw my bags out onto the sidewalk. When I looked up at my apartment building, I was overcome with apprehension due to the run-down appearance that greeted my eyes. The structure gave off an appearance of being worn out and out of date, indicating that it had not been well maintained. The interior of the apartment, which Comfort had photographed and forwarded to me in a series of emails, appeared to be adorable and welcoming. I was unaware that the bricks on the exterior were falling apart or that the steps required immediate maintenance until it was too late.

I reminded myself that the new Janet Mike was able to take all of these things in stride, and I took a deep breath. After having that thought, I pressed the buzzer to get someone's attention in apartment 5C.

"Hello?" said a female voice.

"Comfort? The name is Janet. I made it!"

"Great! I'll buzz you up! Do you need assistance with your bags in any way?"

I halted my journey and looked down at my enormous suitcases. I was in desperate need of assistance, but the last thing I wanted was for my new roommate to have to carry them up the stairs.

"No, I'm fine. See you in a little while!"

I pulled my suitcases behind me as I opened the front door after the buzzer alerted me to its presence. After surveying the staircase in front of me, I concluded that climbing them would require more time than a single second. I was not looking forward to having to lug the suitcases up three flights of stairs because the apartment was located in a walk-up building.

I felt like I had just finished a marathon by the time I reached the fifth floor; the amount of sweat that was coming off of me was incredible. Due to the fact that it was a warm afternoon in May, the passageways of the apartment building were both hot and humid.

The door to room 5C was slightly ajar, and a stunning young woman with long blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes was staring at me with her mouth slightly open.

"Oh my God! How on earth did you manage to haul all of those things up there by yourself?! You should have informed me that you required assistance!"

She emerged from the doorway and reached into the stack of luggage, grabbing the handle of one of the bags. Her feeble effort to lift it made us all laugh. Her exertion caused the cheap plastic sides of the suitcase to strain, but they did not budge in response to the force.

"Pull," I wheezed as I attempted to catch my breath as the effort of dragging my luggage up the stairs took its toll on me. "Pull," I said. I pointed toward the bottom of the suitcase and managed to mumble the word "wheels" before falling over.

Comfort followed my instructions and began dragging the suitcase in the direction of our hostess and inside the apartment. The moment that we were successful in dragging the suitcases inside, we sat down on the couch together.

After taking a moment to compose myself, I exclaimed, "Well." "That was not a very good way to start things off. I suppose I should start by saying it's nice to finally meet you."

As she sat up on the couch and laughed, Comfort observed something. "If I could give you a welcome hug, I would, but I have to be honest and say that I'd rather just shake your hand," she said.

When I looked down, I saw that my t-shirt was drenched in sweat, and my jeans were clinging to my legs like they were made of wet cement. "I don't blame you, I'm a mess."

Comfort flashed a grin as she made a sweeping motion with her hand to indicate the apartment. "Welcome to your new residence," the host said.

Despite the fact that our only interaction had been over the phone, Comfort and I got along famously right away. She was a year younger than me, but she seemed to have the same laid-back attitude that I had when I was buttoned up. I came to the conclusion that I would, indeed, allow her influence to spread to me.

I took a tour of the apartment and was relieved to see that it was identical to the pictures that she had sent me. The living room was on the smaller side, but it was comfortably decorated with a few pictures and various trinkets. Instead of being its own room, the kitchen was essentially just a wall against which a counter and a row of appliances were arranged. The kitchen and the living room were separated by a cute little table perfect for breakfast. I was aware that the bedrooms were also on the small side, but given that my room came fully furnished, I had one less thing to be concerned about.

The cozy balcony off the living room was my favorite part of the apartment. It was the perfect place to sit and enjoy the fresh air. I got to my feet and walked over to the sliding glass doors to take a look outside. It had a view of the first avenue, and I could see people lounging on their front porches.

"That's fantastic!" I said while turning my head to look at Comfort with a buoyant expression on my face. "I still can't believe I made it here in the end. For as long as I can remember, I've had a fantasy about settling down in Lagos, but now it's actually happening."

"I'm glad you could make it today. The previous roommate I had was a loud snorer; I could hear her through the wall that separated our bedrooms. The only thing that kept me alive was the earplugs I had stashed away."