The Irony of Life (21)😔😔

THE IRONY OF LIFE (21)😔😔

Duration: 5mins

By instinct, he turned and there was Cecilia noting  down a patron's order. Obviously she saw then as they clung to each other, but she looked indifferent

Oh no!

Oreoluwa wanted to go over and tell her 'it’s not what she saw'. But he wouldn’t just be embarrassing himself but her as well.

 “I’m sorry Ore,” said Fatima, letting down tears this time as though she was the chief-mourner at a funeral service. “I was beaten and robbed at gunpoint on my way here,” she managed to add in-between her sobs.

“What? I'm so sorry. Hope you’re not hurt?” said Oreoluwa keeping a distance two persons weighing 50kg each could fill the space between them.

Fatima nodded in response.

“How good would it have been if things worked as planned; you walk in while are not expecting. Anyway, as it is, we can still work a way around it. I'd go in now, pretending as though I wasn’t expecting you'd come nor call. I'd narrate your ordeal to Jamani, that should draw some sympathy you could seize to your advantage. Once I’m able to get him out here to see you, I have delivered on my end of the plan. I believe you know what to do from there.

“Thank you so much Ore. You don’t know how grateful I am you’re going through all these troubles for me. I owe you one.”

“No you don’t, you’ve done a lot for me in that regard as well. I'd be right back.”

And off Oreoluwa went, praying the two would get back together, one hug should pull down whatever misjudgement  the earlier scene may have raised on Cecilia’s mind. Hopefully she would be watching this time around.

If only he had an eye at the back of his head, he would have caught the one-moment-ago all-teary face Fatima now wearing a faint smile. 

He got to their booth but Jamani wasn’t there, looked around but he was nowhere in sight. He asked of him with a brief description from the nearest customers; a young dark couple who both said they saw exit the restaurant a while ago.

He must have seen Fatima and left.

So he concluded till he arrived home and couldn’t believe his ears.

“I didn’t know you were also interested in Fatima. When you two couldn’t go a day without phoning each other, I sensed intimacy was beginning to develop but didn’t want to believe.”

“Haa, it’s not…,"

“Oh, you got me down there so you could make a fool of me, right? Show me you are now into my Ex. You know what, I have no issue with that. Fatima is a forgotten history never to be revisited. Feel free to date her, you have my blessings.”

“Jamani, wouldn'…”

“One piece of advice, next time, you guys should get a room rather than stay glued cuddling in public view. You only ended up humiliating yourselves.

“Cuddling? That’s enough! Will you at least hear me out?”

That got to Jamani. Oreoluwa broke the few seconds silence that ensued.

“Jamani, I swear it’s not what you think. Yes, Fatima and I have been communicating frequently on phone, but it was for no reason other than her helping me get through to Cecilia, and I in turn to you.  I can’t deny I wasn’t aware she'd show up while we were still at MAC, but it was so she could see you eye-to-eye and apologize for however she might have wronged you.”

“Of course, we saw eye-to-eye and she did apologized. Tell her I got it when next you see or phone her.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Never Mind. You just tell her.”

“Jamani, I think you should learn to find out about things before jumping into conclusion. We should thank God that girl is still alive. She was beaten and robbed of her handbag at gunpoint. It was the incidence that overwhelmed her. She was shaky and fidgety when she ran over to me. What was I supposed to do, push her away?”

“Was that what she told you?”

“Yes.”

“And you believed her?”

“Why not?”

“Did you see bruises?”

“No.”

“And she was beaten? Perhaps she meant to say she was caressed at gunpoint.”

Jamani laughed out loud.

“Ore, I can see you have some lessons to learn about women. I hope you’re not broken beyond repair in the process.”

For the rest that day and the next, Oreoluwa couldn’t get Cecilia off his mind.

Did she get the letter?

Has she read it?

It had my phone number. Not even a text not to mention call.

_Perhaps what she saw has messed up my chance._

At a point, he could bear the frustration no more. 

Better to go talk to her than grow old waiting and hoping she'd contact.

By 2p.m. the following day; a Sunday, Oreoluwa was back at MAC. This time around, Mame was around. 

He greeted her as he walked past the counter where she stood administering the serving activities.

“Good afternoon my son,” replied Mame.

Ore spotted an empty booth by a corner and was headed there when he heard her call out from behind,

“Fa-ti, you have a visitor.”

Mame's voice filled the entire space as though she had made the announcement to everyone present.

Oreoluwa felt embarrassed as he took a seat, hoping Cecilia wasn’t close by.

Why would Fatima's Mother think I have come for her daughter?

He was wondering when Fatima showed up. The first thing he spotted as she approached was her handbag, dangling by her side.

“Hello Ore, you didn’t tell me you’d come,” said Fatima, taking the space across him.

“Is this not the stolen handbag?”

“Yes it is. I was at home yesterday morning when I got a call from a  nearby police station to come get it. The robber got caught and was arrested. Ain’t I lucky?”

Ore nodded in response, now pondering Jamani's words.

“What do I offer you?”

“Nothing for now. Is Cecilia on duty?”

“No she’s not.”

“When is she coming in?”

“Not today nor anytime in the future.”

“Meaning?”

“She resigned.”

“Why?” “When?”

“Yesterday. She got a better offer at another restaurant.”

“Where?”

“I don’t know.”

“Where does she live?”

“Don’t know either.”

“Please let me have her phone number."

“I don’t have it. Please forget about that ingrate and opportunist. That’s how they all do after they have gotten trained by my mother.” “Will you now eat something?” she asked, stretching and placing her hand on Oreoluwa’s lower arm which he rested on the table.

“Don’t do that again,” he cautioned, pulling his arm away. “What if Jamani walked in? That was how he saw you hugged me the other day and thought something beyond the ordinary was going on between us.”

“And so. For your information, I stopped having eyes for Jamani since the first day he brought you here. Unlike him who eats on credit, you could buy your food and even for him, you are better looking and know how to listen and take care of a woman. Ore, what’s it you want in Cecilia that I can’t give you? Am I not woman enough for you?”

Oreoluwa sat dazed. It all felt like a dream.

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To be continued same time, next week. Hope you enjoyed the read? Please leave a comment. Thank you.