ANIKE
By: Toyin Taiwo
Episode 7
Things were going smooth between Olamilekan and I until one fateful day, he was in 500l then, while I was in 200l.
My phone rang I checked the caller ID it was an unknown number.
“Hello, please who am I speaking with?” I asked.
“This is Jane on the line, now listen and listen good. I don’t want to ever see you with my boyfriend again….”
“Sorry I think there’s a mix up here, I can’t date your boyfriend because I have mine, I think you called the wrong person….”
“Wrong person? She laughed, are you not Anike,200l microbiology student, you stay in providence hostel”
I was shocked this person really knew me.
“This is the last time I will call to warn you, the next time, I will send touts to spoil that your beautiful face for you, you this little boyfriend snatcher”
I tried to calm myself down before speaking.
“Please can I know the name of this boyfriend of yours” I asked”
“You want to tell me you don’t know Olamilekan right”
“Ola what?” i exclaimed and the line went off
If there’s anything I hated most, this is one of them, to be caught up in a drama like this. I picked my phone and dialed Tinuke’s number.
“Hello where are you?” I asked
“I’m on my way to the hostel, hope all is well, why are you sounding like this….
“I will tell you everything later, you won’t meet me in the hostel, I’m going to Olamilekan’s place.
“What’s going on Tinuke, you sound tensed”
“Yes I am, an insane girl just called me now threatening me. She told me to stay away from his boyfriend and guess who her boyfriend is? Olamilekan, so apparently my boo has a boo”
“What kind of a joke is that”
“Trust me she did not sound like someone joking”
“Please, don’t jump into conclusions, just hear his side of the story”
“OK, I’ll see you later”
I did not even bother to knock, I forced the door open.
“Anike you scared me, what’s the matter” He asked
“Who is Jane” and how did she get my number?”
“Jane!”
“And don’t pretend as if you don’t know who I’m talking about”
“You know what Anike, just calm down and sit”
“Oh! You think I came all the way here to sit, boyfriend you better start talking”
“The only Jane I know is just a friend, my course mate”
“Your friend my foot. She threatened to beat me up, if I don’t leave you and you stand here telling me she’s just a friend!”
“I’m confused, how did she even get your number in the first place?”
“Are you seriously asking me that dumb question, it’s obvious she got the number from you”
“Just take it easy baby, we’ll sort this out”
“You and who? Who is she to you”
“I already told you”
“Friends with benefits right”
“I beg your pardon!”
He was upset too, but he had to calm down. “Anike trust me there’s nothing between that girl and I” He moved towards me to touch me.
“Please don’t, in fact stay away from me” I picked my purse and dashed out of his room.
????
I knew Olamilekan would come to the hostel, so I went straight to a restaurant when I left his place.
I checked the time it was 8pm already, visiting time is over, so definitely Olamilekan would have left the hostel by now.
I took a cab to the hostel, I checked for his car at the parking space and it was not there. I was about entering into the gate of my hostel when I heard my name and I froze because I recognized the voice.
“Anike!” I turned and it was Olamilekan standing in front of me.
“So you stayed out till this time just to avoid me right? I purposely stayed here by the gate to confirm this, you thought I would have left since it’s past visiting time, right? Good night” he said and left.
Two weeks gone and we weren’t still talking. Olamilekan did not call, I too refused to call him, though I missed him. Tinuke was pissed at the way I was handling the issue. She gave me the piece of her mind.
“Anike, I don’t know if you know how much I love you, I love you like my own blood sister. I’ve learnt so many good things from you. You are smart, intelligent, beautiful inside and out, caring, humble, honest, straight forward. You are a friend anyone would wished for and I’m grateful to God for giving me the privilege of having someone like you. Despite all these qualities you have a ‘But’ and a big one at that. Do you know what that “but” is? You get angry at the slightest provocation and you are stubborn.
Anike, You and I know that this Jane or whatsoever she called herself is not dating your boyfriend, it’s just a false accusations, you know that deep down in your heart, but instead of you to give him the chance to explain himself, you shut him out completely. You decided to punish him, for what? You are really lucky to have that guy, I know you two deserve each other but good guys are few out there and you are lucky to have one of them.
We ran into your boyfriend in school area and you pretended not to see him. You better fix your relationship problem before it’s too late” she adviced
By the time Tinuke was done talking, her words hit me like a blow.
I thanked her and promised to make amends.
I went to Olamilekan’s apartment. I met Jude his friend
“Hi” I said
“Hi” Jude replied. I’ll be on my way Olamilekan I’ll see you later” he said and left. We were both alone in the room.
“I’m not going out with Jane, there’s nothing between us”
“I know”
“So why did you make us go through all these, when you know her accusations was false”
“I was upset and angry”
“That girl wanted to date me and I said no, so she decided to get back at me. You did not even allow me to explain myself, You walked out of my room and told me to stay away from you, that’s bad Anike, I can never do that to you”
“I’m sorry for everything, I was just angry. I hate dramas like this, I can’t start fighting a girl because of a guy”
“So you can’t fight for us” Then you are the dumbest girl on planet earth”
“Really! Did you just call me dumb?”
“Bitter truth, but that’s the fact”
I remained quiet.
“Anike I’m sorry about what Jane said to you, I’ve put her in her place, trust me”
“I’m sorry too”
He hugged me. He later took me out, that was how the fight ended.
Ever since that day we’ve been good. I had a swelled time with him in school till he graduated. He was a perfect boyfriend but sadly we had to end things between us.
Olamilekan graduated and after NYSC he travelled out of the country. One problem he had is that he never had a say of his life. His parents were the controlling type. They planned everything for him without consulting him first.
He travelled abroad to further his education. We had to break up on the basis of distance, we both know ourselves and we know we can’t handle a long distance relationship. Also his parent’s plans for him was to stay abroad permanently, since the whole family has relocated abroad.
The break up was not easy for me but with Tinuke by my side, I moved on with my life. He called once in a while and we chatted online as well. We ended up as friends nothing more.
Fortunately for Tinuke, she got an admission into a university in US to study medicine that was 300 level second semester, I was happy for her but at the same time I know I was not going to get over her leaving me easily. It was a tough time for me, I wondered why everyone I cared about left me.
Olamilekan left, now Tinuke, I wept uncontrollably. I tried to concentrate on my exams.
I was glad we were going to the end of the session break at least going home to my family members would help me forget my runaway friends. Little did I know that missing Tinuke was the least of my problems.
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