journal of an "Old flame VI"

''you don't like me that much...'' Temi frowned slightly and glances at me. "you think i'm a Kill Joy.''

"i never remembered saying that..." Addie pouts her lips and rolls her eyes and i wonder how much maturity the girl displays outside

"need i remind you?''

She mumbles something to herself and walks out of the kitchen. Temi doesn't stop her, rather, she ignores her and comes closer to me to embrace me briefly. before releasing me, she kisses my cheek and i remember how much i love my sister(though she's married now) and how much i had missed her

      I felt like telling her about everything that happened today but instead i pass her the brown potatoes i had fried.

she slips one into her mouth and thanks me, looking around the kitchen

"How's Fisayo?'' i ask

"traveled.'' she replied bluntly. ''you on call today?''

''yeah.''

she nods and settles on the chair. thats when she breaks the news to me. ''i have a wedding to plan next week and I'll need your assistance.''

I summarized the whole situation for Her. '' you're staying over and you need me to keep you company...no qualms.''

''even with your schedule?'' she looks at me with doubt in her eyes.

''with the both of us in the same room, i know i have to start living like a woman and rearrange stuff but it's okay...''

"a twenty eight years old lady living like a teenager...'' she shakes her head at me. ''one would think you and Addie were from the same mother.' she glances back to see if our cousin is totally out of range and whispers.."for how long has she been here?''

''a month and a half. she just returned from the States and she thought she could come by and say Hi.''

''i don't feel too comfortable when she's around...''

''well, now that you're back in OUR house...'' i emphasize. ''you'll just have to stick by the rules.''

she looks a little lean and more quiet than usual and i suspect it has something to do with Her newly wed husband Fisayo but i don't probe her. if Temi was the sister i grew up with, she'll come around. if not now, soon

That night, i could hear her giggling over the phone and for hours,(with Fisayo) she talked and talked and kept repeating the words.."oh baby'' and i couldn't feel more miserable and lonely knowing she had this perfect married life(2 years) and i just slept on my bed with my furry bear cuddled up next to me thinking of when God would finally look down on me and give me someone who could love me the way Fisayo loved my sister to the core

              It's one week Temi's been at our place now and she makes breakfast when I'm on night call(which makes me more relieved)

some days, i don't even come home at all. thats how busy my schedule is. 

The irony about my life is that it's on days like this that i find time to appreciate God's little miracles and the life he's given me. I deliver babies from their mother's womb and i see the joy on their faces when they look at the crying child covered in blood. They're not repulsed by the sight of blood, but they're relieved and happy, thanking God for sparing their lives to deliver such. i've seen some women lose their lives over delivery through caesarian section and I sigh, knowing it won't be the last i witness.

I see those sickle cell patients going through severe pain and i know i can never know how it feels when they cry out in pain because i can never be in their shoes.

I succeed in shutting out things like this from my mind and move on in life. Addie's a chatterbox and so she keeps me company and she comes over to pick me for lunch sometimes. she goes shopping without me because she thinks i have a bad taste in clothes but we do everything else together

         I see Temi on days when 'm not on call(days i go home) or off days and we do our bible study together, relishing the fact that we could still fellowship together.

Tonight was a different night though and the wedding she had been planning for was finally going to arrive and we had most of the stuffs in my room.

we were on my bed together and she had just finished talking to her hubby on the phone while i lying down to read the new articles on Health issues sent to me by a colleague on my laptop when my phone rang

I looked at the time.

11pm

I could see the digits displaying on my phone screen but no caller ID and i wondered

who would be calling me at this time of the night?

I knew it couldn't be those cheapskate callers(those ones called at midnight) and i was wondering if it was one of those random callers that called and Temi and I would waste their credit.

she looked at me puzzled...as if she was saying..."well, pick up the phone and if it's a random caller, we'll have fun as usual.''

''hello'' i reply dully. i wasn't in the mood for random callers tonight

"hey Lori..'' the voice greets

 

I gulp as my heart began racing faster than normal. omg!!This can’t be. I  sat petrified. That voice..ooohhhhhhhh that sonorous voice I’d long to hear for many years. Even if it was just to call me because he thought of me and not because he wanted something

i hated myself for remembering how good his voice sounded or how i melted just thinking of him..., that delicious feeling of......

Temi came close to me but with a worried look on her face.

"well, who is it?’ she mouthed 

''hello?' he asked after the brief silence. Words escaped out of my head and i had to stand up from the bed to move far away from my sister or any distraction that was going to make me blab rubbish. i raised a hand to tell Temi it was okay and before i knew it, i was in the bathroom sitting on the bathtub

‘‘What’s up'’ I asked due to fear. Delicious fear that after all these years, could it be that Danny Olawaye calling me even when i wasn't the first to call just to say something about class

Strictly about class

''hey, i like your voice.'' he says smoothly over the phone. If he liked my voice, then i was crazy about his baritone.

"thank you.' I squeaked

''we haven’t spoken since that day we met at the mart. I told you i was gonna call but y'know work and all.’’ he paused and when i didn't say anything he continued. 'i was doing some work at home and i thought of you. crazy right?'

'yeah..i guess so.' i laughed, my defenses already melting. i had no walls anymore. Everything came crumbling down.

He thought of me. he really did.

"i  got this CD that day we met and when i started listening to it, i remembered how we met again after so many years. I mean we didn't even have the time to talk or say much and i was thinking, why don’t we go out sometime, maybe for lunch or dinner. How busy are you?''

"very busy."

          ''so, there's no way you could squeeze some little time for me?'' this time his voice was sounding husky and i knew there was no way i could resist him anymore. Was he doing this on purpose?

           Today was Friday night 

"I'm free for Tuesday.''

"I like that.'' he replies. ''i'll call you.''

''k.'' is all i can say and i realize he's waiting for me to hang up before he does

omg!!...i hold the phone close to my chest... ''could this be real, could this be happening to me?'' i sigh

I head for the door and open it just to see Temi standing right in front of me..........