Collection of the matriculation gowns was in progress at the school hall. It was at exactly ten O'clock in the morning. The matriculating students who had worn their gowns took a trip to the place – which was built on elongated steps and which had a podium and accommodated 2,000 plus students. A set of decorations had been put in place, the beautiful centre, not surprisingly, showcasing electronic gadgets. One could see the projector, showing the order of the event, the speaker, thumping out the latest R & B music, as the disk jockey plied his trade to keep the students on their feet.
Not quite long, all the celebrants were in, well-endowed as a blaze of beautiful gowns flitted in with those caps which projected the academic glory of the institution in grand style in a crush of beautiful ladies and handsome guys. The stalites-old students were nowhere to be recognized – it was either that some had jumped over the gate or stayed within the school or were at home as the matriculation was in progress.
Distinguished guests had been formally introduced as their welcoming was formally done by the Master of Ceremony, the Registrar, the Bursar, the Deans, the HODs, and the Vice-Chancellor, who was preceded in the academic procession by the officials of the Students Union Government (SUG). The President led his men and women as the Senate President having the mace-bearer followed, while each of them had distinctive gowns differentiating their personalities and offices. Naturally all stood up – staff and students alike until the Senate President had taken his seat. The mace was set down before him, and the moment was celebrated by the audience as they sat.
One could feel the over-excitement of the celebrants by the strength they put into the clapping and the time it took the sound to die away. Seeing students having bodyguards, some people interrogated, "Are those ones soldiers? See Police! Even that beautiful girl." Many gave affirming answers, but other surprised few who were educated about the school paramilitary came to let the others know what exactly they were.
Things were just new to this bunch of learners, it was obvious. No wonder they were called 'freshers' – fresh to the system. In strict accordance with the order of events, a prayer was said, followed by the National Anthem, the School Anthem and many related songs that were sung until the last words of the Vice Chancellor's speech died away, followed by the oath taking.
Some brief instructions were passed on to the students through their Class Governors. This wasn't a presumption to Folakemi Ejimayo as the votes to raise her department a representative were being counted. The Sports Complex hosted the next round of activities, where some gathered in clusters of friends, villas, and their departments to take photos, dance and enjoy themselves – music throbbing out of a closeby bar, with shops mostly full of non-alcoholic drinks. "I think that is the rule – no alcohol," one of the celebrants and his girlfriend remarked.
As the time was running towards noon and hellos filled the air, Kemi paused mid stride as she heard her name called, sighting a young familiar guy running towards her. "Please, Dayo, I will catch up with you later." Kemi told her friend, giving her a friendly squeeze in her bum. "Stopping because of a guy. Perhaps you don't even know him before," Dayo presumed while she murmured, then half–stammered, "Just meet me at home."
"Hi!" Femi extended his hand for a shake on getting to her.
"Hi!" How may I be of help?" Kemi managed to ask to stop the ogling. "Oh!
Pardon. I'm Oluwafemi Adewowa, Governor of Business Administration – new student."
"Hmm." Kemi rolled her eyeballs. "Folakemi Ejimayo,'' she replied casually,not wanting to sound overawed,"but why Femi Adewowa? Is it really true that people are created in pairs?" She soliloquized aloud as she studied the strange yet familiar face. "Don't you remember this face?" "Actually, it's somehow familiar, but I can't just place it." Kemi replied.
Femi stared into her eyes, trying to recall the first time he had met her, and looked into those enchanting eyes at the screening centre, especially the proud security man who was talking down to them.
[Femi brought in past event.]
"We are going to start this morning with the last number yesterday. It will be good if you behave yourself to avoid embarrassment," the overzealous security man disclosed to calm the agitated freshers for the day's health screening exercise.
While some students were at the central café to print their invoice payments, some were forwarding their receipts to be signed at the Registrar/Bursary block. Then it happened!
An averagely tall svelte rarity, that could make any full bodied male stop dead in his tracks and drool over his clothes, came on the scene, cat walking her way daintily towards the queue, holding everybody in her thrall. Endowed with shinning bright light chocolate complexion, she was a short distance away from me, 500cm, to be precise, when I seemed to see into her soul. She was blessed with the dream-engendering hourglass figure which complimented her long embrowned Brazilian weave-on, reaching her 10 size hips. How her soft lips shone with the ebony brownish wet lips! Her sexy body draped in a tucked-in black-collared white T-Shirt, she toted a navy-blue eighteen inches' skirt, her feet buried into the black Italian heel shoes.
I sighed, my heart wreaking unwonted violence against my ribcage with the force of an anvil, running riot in the cadence of its regular rhythm. As she removed her eye glasses, exposing her stunning eyelids and eyebrow to the beautiful African sky, I saw her extend greetings to friends. I said to myself, another Agbani Darego is here in Nigeria to win the world beauty pageant. I continued to think, that black is beautiful, despite how much admiration people have for the light complexion.
As she walked to exchange pleasantries with friends, I wanted to extend my greeting. When the rain is about to fall, the cloud dims with telltale signs for women to take in their kids, set their drums and buckets to store water and call family men to remember their homes, precisely, for them to make hay while the sun shines. It was this preparation I felt I sorely needed now in her majestic presence.
I dragged up my sagging jeans – of course, got my buckle damaged while struggling to get a place on the queue. I adjusted my V-neck Polo T-shirt which was a bit stylishly roughened owing to the struggle. FWIW, my phone came to my mind. The one in town IPhone 4s. I brought it outside, pressing in other to show off my big-boy, you know. I wasn't young any more. I would be 27 in a few months' time. She didn't notice my display but approached the queue casually all the same.
After she greeted her friend, another lady in front of me after a guy before me called, 'Kemi!' 'Hi Dayo! bawoni?' she replied as she walked closer, 'I have been looking forward to seeing you, Mo tipe e, nomba e ko lo."
The lady in question further lamented as she moved forward to hold hands.
I couldn't utter a word. I felt close to being embarrassed publicly in a new institution, I got lost in her magic, staring at her as she was speaking to her friend.
Something happened as she was speaking concerning some files submission and got set to go. 'Prepare something for dinner.' The friend said. They greeted each other as she was about to leave. She turned on sighting me. For a while she gazed and was cool and soft, looking at me. I didn't waste time to gather myself but turned away. My pulse was racing surprisingly; she still kept wondering. Was it my IPhone, my dressing, or am I handsome? I couldn't have guessed right, though. Something was fishy somewhere. I figured it out later, amused, and I instantly began to show off my high class Apple phone as I pretended to ring a friend.
Her friend called, ''Kemi, take my key. I got some eggs in my safe.'' She threw the bunch of keys a short distance to her, which dropped beside her, making me think that being at a loss could be the reason for her not catching it. She squatted to pick them up, and wow! Then this beautiful song blazed through my mind as all the ladies and the guys were gazing at her.
So she said what's the problem baby
What's the problem, I don't know
Well, maybe I'm in love (love)
Think about it every time
I think about it
Can't stop thinking 'bout it
How much longer will it take to cure this Just to cure it cos I can't ignore it if It's love (love)
Makes me want to turn around and face me but I don't know anything 'bout love…
[As the beautiful song arrested my mind, as I kept on looking forward to seeing her thigh and willing to see me through, the beautiful song never stopped teasing me, as the beat kept booming.]
Come on, come on
Turn a little faster
Come on, come on
The world will follow after
Come on, come on
'Cause everybody's after love
So I said I'm a snowball turning
Running down into the spring that's
coming all this love Melting under the blue skies
Belting out sunlight Shimmering love
Well baby, I surrender
To the strawberry ice cream
Never ever end of all this love
Well I didn't mean to do it
But there's no escaping your love
These lines of lightening
Mean we're never alone, Never alone no, no
Come on, come on
Move a little closer
Come on, come on
I want to hear you whisper
Come on, come on
Settle down inside my love….
(The verses chip slow! Slow!! When the arresting voice of Counting Crows hit my mind. I know it wasn't movie, it's life happening, as you look into my eyes)
…Come on, Come on
Spin a little tighter
Come on, come on
And the World's a little brighter
Come on, Come on
Just get yourself inside her
I'm in love
The song froze my heart to the spot. I wanted to help her with the keys like in a Hollywood movie. We looked into each other's eyes and felt the power of love. I couldn't pick the keys for her because I was suddenly in her arms to give her the first feel of my body, what with my hands already beneath her waist. I could feel the pressure of her charming thighs rubbing against mine most sensuously.
''Come in, come in, it's yours to go in,'' the voice cut into my realm in the spirit.
'What are you holding and gazing
at?''
The security man spoke as I felt his
hand tap my shoulder. That was when I realized I was dead in spirit for the while. "Oh! I'm sorry, sir. I lost myself." I quickly tendered an apology as I moved on.
"You are in university to stare at girls! I pity you, if HIV catch you!" I could overhear the security men's comments on my way out.
That very day I could still recall that the lady walked away impulsively and was worried when I viewed her through the blood test laboratory window.
'Please, your thumb,' a nurse demanded to draw my attention." So much for that day, Femi thought.
…
"I said to myself that this Darego must be my friend, but most preferably my darling wife. So I picked my way towards her and started to chat her up."
"So, who is the Agbani Darego of your story, Mr. Femi Adewowa?" She asked, as Femi finalised his reminiscences.
"I think the angel before me can guess the answer. Well, it's you Folakemi Ejimayo." She bursts into laughter.
"Are you kidding me? As in all these flattering metaphors all about me?"
"I daren't flatter you, since you totally deserve even more than that say, a wonderful documentary, to start with."
"You are such a cunning sweet talker, but you don't con me for a moment." "Love is real, of course" Femi chuckled."I'm sure you are from India?"
"Not at all. Be my friend." Femi requested. "Wait! Let me ask you. Did you attend Igbokoda Grammar School in Ondo State, precisely?"
"No, no… I'm from Delta State, but I've always dreamt about visiting the oil producing state too. You are an Ondonian?" "Yes." Kemi answered.
"Why did you ask where I am from? My speech?" Femi quizzed, somehow curious. "Nothing really. I swear before God (She smiled, shedding her hair). The very day I saw you, I mistook you for an old college friend –actually a darling to me. Femi Williams is his name. You two look perfectly alike. He is such a sweet talker and as intelligent as you are. I have been dying to see him, but haven't seen him all these years. No calls. No texts. I have equally made efforts to see you after that day, but all my efforts were to no avail in the big campus of thousands of students."
"I'm glad to tell you the same here, but finally you've found your new 'Femi'. Hands of friendship, Miss Kemi?" He stretched out his hand demonstratively.
"I know you guys well, but no loving here," she declared flatly although smiling engagingly to take the edge off the gravity of the declaration. "I'm engaged." She splayed her fingers, showing her engagement ring, fanning herself like Lagos girls do.
"Never mind, you are most welcome." She spoke calmly as she shook hands.
Femi held her hand back against her inclination to leave for home.
"I l...o....ve you. Just a chance to tell that ring how much I do." Femi spoke humorously in his usual way, going by the fact that Kemi was speechless like a kindergarten pupil who can't differentiate 'A' from 'a'. Not surprisingly all was a picture of distress and disbelief showing in her face.
"Hmmm...…. em!" She stammered. "I'm sorry, Mr. Femi, I can't do this anymore. I have a fiancé."
She felt empathetic on turning to go, seeing sincere feelings on Femi's face. One could tell that she too was in love at first sight.
"I admire your handsomeness, your soft talk and depth of feeling. Fill in the space of Femi William's image in my life, but I can't replace, share or trade the love of my heart with anyone else. I'm sorry, I can't date you." She spoke sincerely and turned to leave as she removed her hands from his.
"I see something roaming around your face. I see something debating in your heart. I could sense the emotion of love if I see one. Just tell me if it isn't love I see dancing on your face. Just look into my eyes. I saw my love in your heart. Just tell me if you are going to kill it? Just tell me. Isn't there any in your heart?"
Femi moved closer to the speechless jewel who had the truest question before her, "Femi, e…mm…Femi! I love you, but not…" "But! say nothing." She had hardly completed her stammered response when Femi made the friendly move, holding her tight, and staring into her eyes to take an appropriate action, as a song filtered into his mind.
Looking into each other eyes
Holding hands like true lover
Transfusion of feelings is inevitable
Come lovers, hold yourself tight
I know you aren't going to stop loving
The breezes ruffled the leaves on the trees to dance to their tune, hovering around the lovers. The expression on Kemi's gaze showed a semblance of an agreement as Femi thought of the next move. "I'm sorry! You are not Femi Williams, and I can't do this," she spoke, sobbing to Femi to let go of her.
You know, the trees all over the place were in favour of Femi as the palm branches' turned the table, and poured out the merry voice of Chesney.
Girl don't you know it's all I can do
To keep my hands off of you
Anytime you're around
And when the stars come out at night
I dream of holdin' you tight"
(Chesney voice went low…. Continues)
The spirit never left Femi, but took him far beyond himself as the music inspired him beyond bounds. A new excitement blazed into vivid green, red, yellow and blue in his heart which was love for Kemi. He found a poem written on a sheet of paper at the beachside and memorized it.
He held her back
At the beautiful beach at Las Vega Where water and the land met to;
Practice and play true love.
He drew her closer
Hold her tight cause the night is
drawing near, at the closing hour of the sun. The rain is sets to falling, cause the sun temperature has;
melt her ice state, the heat has stop it from being meek and gentle.
So it wanna cry; it wanna drops;
It wanna be a cool liquid,
That's only fall from heaven's foot.
To make the soil meek and refreshed Make human happy and lovers happier
we will never get scared of: her coldness; we gonna get ourselves warmer and felt calm in each hands; because love is…,
the rain volume matters not, Love don't need the language.
Cause;
The sea, ocean will never get filled,
Waa oh! Beach is beautiful to keep on loving you,
the end is superstition; nor why it's never full.
You can't stop us loving You quite know.
The beauty of the angels;
Aren't some perseverance,
You can stop us loving.
Keep on falling,
I will hold on to someone here,
We will warm cold away
It gonna makes me happier; a home in love is found."
The poem had just concluded its last stanza in the mind when the charming voice of the lovers echoed around the beach.
''Folakemisola! The jewel daughter of Ejimayo.'' Femi emphasized. ''Oluwafemi, the salt of Adewowa family.'' Kemi made reciprocal emphasis, "I have ever been praying to meet someone who will make me lose my sense, someone who will make things happen in my heart. That dream would have died if not that you are here with me as we sit here by the beach to drink in the beauty of nature." Her love declaration inspired a poem in Femi's heart.
As the waves run after each;
The blue colour waves, pour out whitish smile
As it approaches the seashore,
you are exactly like the seain chocolate colour,
Pouring out whitish love into my lifeA
s you smile with such endowed teeth.
You owe God a lot
never forget to thank him,
When he set us apart.
See how beautiful and happy we are; See how great love has produced another:Romeo and Juliet.
Let keep on loving
Cause love is;
Beautiful, happiness, health and root of nature itself.
The rain falls,
I felt warm with you. And very though, if London winter Decreases to -4000C,
I will be 3600C by having you.
See how beautiful the seashore: has brought to humanity, tourism, happiness to folks that live it; music plays us inspirational.
The sea breezes are irreplaceable with A.C.
Even though;
London bridge is falling down,
Bin-laden has risen,
Hitler was resurrected,
Boko-Haram are coming.
I can't stop loving right here.
Please hold me
Draw me closer and show me how to love
Have you soft lips into mine
It makes me feels;
As if heaven has embrace me.
[Chesney Kenny's song didn't seem to keep silent, as it tuned in to stop the love-poem with a beat that was haunting, to say the least.]
Every time I lay down
It feels so good for me to have you this bad The only other thing I wish I had was
A chance
A chance
To tell you how I feel about you
How it feels to live without a chance
A chance
To tell you I'll love you forever
Knowing that I'll will never have a chance
Sometimes reality hurts
And you wonder if life's worth Living at all
Knowing no matter how much you care
You'll never have a prayer of having what you want At least I've been close enough
I could taste Beauty at its best
But never a trace of
A chance
A chance
To tell you how I feel about you
How it feels to live without a chance
A chance
To tell you I'll love you forever Knowing that I'll never have a chance
A chance
A chance
To tell you I'll love you forever
Knowing that I'll never have
The chance…
"Hey!"
The music suddenly stopped. The colourful imagination of Femi took to its heels, and the readiness to love that Kemi had chanced upon in her soul found itself suddenly spent. The unexpected visitor who wittingly or unwittingly murdered the erstwhile magic of the enchanted moment showed through the trees as Frank approached the scene.
"What is wrong with you? I have been looking for you since," Frank accused a bit uncharitably as he closed in without giving a damned recognition of Kemi.
"I think I need to go now" Kemi said clumsily to excuse the two friends.
"Please, pardon my bad manners, meet my new friend," Femi disclosed clumsily.
"Frank, meet Kemi. Kemi, meet my friend Frank." He introduced both formally. Frank reached for her hand which he shook, and held for perhaps unnecessarily longer than courtesy demanded. "My friend's babe? I guessed right?"
"No.... em. Just my…" Femi answered somewhat dubiously before Kemi could answer.
"Pay him no attention. Yes.'' She affirmed shortly. "You are beautiful. Please, tell no one," Frank added as he reached out his hand to shake her while Femi got amused at the drama Kemi was playing.
"It's my pleasure…. that my friend found you before me," he said tongue- in- cheek as he kept the handshake going still. "Thank you, sir. It's nice meeting you. I think I have to go now."
"Oh Dear! Your cyphers so I can ring you later," Femi connived at the drama.
"Just met and loving this way. I think your babe is just cool, Femi," Frank gushed, tapping him on the neck as both made their way home.
"She was fooling you." Femi mumbled as they walked away.
"How I wish this was real!" Femi introspected, walking on. "How I wish this was he! I would have loved to live forever," Kemi mock supplicated on her lonely way home.
It was 6:30pm, already dawn. One could tell the season. The trees were already preparing their bed, having their dinner. Some leaves kept dropping – these were mostly the cashew, mango trees along the path.
Kemi walked along the path calibrating how much better she felt for meeting Femi's lookalike. Femi couldn't keep the anticipation of the moment to himself. "She is very beautiful. I ought to have pecked her…" he spoke out. "What?" Frank tried to know the last word. "Never mind…" He couldn't complete the train of thought, with the background music echoing reflectively along Kemi's route.
[The beats flowed in]
Aren't you something to admire
Cause your shine is somethin' like a mirror
And I can't help but notice
You reflect in this heart of mine
If you ever feel alone and
The glare makes me hard to find Just know that I'm always parallel on the other side
[Kemi jumped for joy, easily believing her 50kg weight, as she went plucking the leaves happily in reminiscence of the unprecedented day.]
'Cause with your hand in my hand and a
pocket full of soul
I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go
Just put your hand on the past
I'm here tryna pull you through
You just gotta be strong (cont…)
It's like you are my mirror.
[Timberlake's voice began to run through as the slow breeze blew gently, as Kemi and Femi walk the lonely path].