Everyone at the table took a liking to Simdi. She seemed such an interesting person. Of particular interest to Felicity was her keen sense of fashion.
And both of them connected at that level, discussing fashion styles, body type, patterns, colours, and more.
Freke watched Simdi’s animated face as she involved everyone at their table in the discussion. She even tried to involve Freke, but she reacted completely uninterested.
Freke had always prided herself on being sanguine and not letting things get to her. But apparently, these hormones were messing with her, and she could feel herself getting sensitive over the attention her friends were paying to this… this… new girl.
She thought her name was Cindy until she pronounced the full name.
Chisimdi. God says I will live.
But the girl was the least of her problems right now. How was Uche here? It had been… how many years? About five. She found herself stealing glances at him as he joked and laughed with other persons on the table.
Everyone at their table were persons known by Ese or known by those known by Ese. They were about 10 in number, but suddenly there was no one talk to.
She slipped out of the table. No one noticed.
At the side entrance of the hall, she paused and rested against the wall, watching people go in and out of the auditorium. For some reason, the air felt suffocating, even with the AC running, and she felt she needed the cool air from outside the hall to touch her skin. So she stepped out.
She made her way to some stone benches in front of the hall and sat there, catching her breath and enjoying the cool breeze.
She sat in silence for a few minutes before she heard a voice behind her.
“Hi”
It was Uche. Apparently, he had seen her leave and followed after her.
She glanced up at him. “Hey”. He had a camera around his neck.
“Can I sit?” he asked as he moved around to her side and sat.
“Why ask, if you’re going to sit already?” she laughed.
He didn’t share in her laugh.
They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before he spoke again.
“What’s been happening, Freke?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s been almost five years. Do you still hate me?”
“I never hated you… Uche”.
He faced her. “You know the last time you said that, I was tempted to believe you. Scratch that, I actually believed you. But your actions said otherwise, Freke”.
She was silent. This was the only guy who made her a bundle of nerves whenever she was with him. She hated feeling this vulnerable with anybody. She liked to be in control, in charge.
And most of all, she hated… no… disliked. Disliked was the word. She disliked good guys, just like Uche. Because she couldn’t treat them the way she believed guys deserved to be treated. Rough.
Osemengbe had been a good guy at the beginning, too. He kind of reminded her of Uche. But where had her decision to do better and give in to a relationship with a good guy landed her? Pregnant and on her own. She sighed ruefully.
She should have maintained her tough girl stance, but probably the guilt of losing Uche, coupled with Osemengbe’s sweet tongue…
“Freke, are you seeing anyone at the moment?” he cut into her thoughts, his question catching her off guard.
“Uche…” she cleared her throat. “I think you need to know this. I mean, we meet again like this after all these years, and this is all I have to say. But actually, I’m pregnant at the moment,” she paused for effect, looking into his eyes. She was surprised that he wasn’t surprised.
“They don’t mean the same thing, Freke. Being pregnant and seeing someone”.
“But why are you not surprised? Were you expecting me to be pregnant? Or you knew already?”
“Come on, Freke! Being pregnant isn’t some kind of sentence. Why should I be surprised when someone tells me they are pregnant? I mean, you didn’t have to, but you did. Why do I have to judge you or see you differently?”
Freke was quiet.
“My question still hangs…” he said gently after a few minutes.
Freke suddenly got her defences up again. “Your girlfriend won’t be too pleased with you asking someone else that question”.
“That still doesn’t answer the question, Freke. And you know the answer is quite a simple one. Yes, I do, or no I don’t…”
“No, I don’t,” Freke said suddenly, catching him mid-sentence. He relaxed and smiled.
But before he could say a word, he caught sight of Ese on the other side, looking around. He was sure she was looking for him.
Yikes. He looked at his watch. He was supposed to be here helping Ese with photographs and short video reels, not getting distracted out here.
He laughed as he got up. “Freke, I’ve got to go, okay? I think Ese is looking for me. Let’s keep in touch,” he said and hurried towards Ese.
Freke wanted to say something about not having his phone number. But she relaxed. If he were serious about keeping in touch, he would find a way to reach her.
She smiled poignantly at the retreating figures of Ese and Uche as they went into the hall together. She had lost Uche’s phone number a year after their last meeting when she changed phones. Even before then, the number had not been connecting. He had probably blocked her. And she couldn’t blame him.
She got up and decided to go back into the hall.
At the entrance, just before she stepped in, she turned around as if on some sort of cue and saw him. She froze.
What was he doing here? Osemengbe.
_
When Tomorrow Found Us is written by Pearl Ehigimetor and published by Written Scroll Publishers.
