They arrived at Kafanchan four hours after silence ate them and Yasmin resorted to sleeping. She awakened a few times when the car jerked to the dangerous potholes on some roads, her eyes red, to glare at Edegbe as though he could have driven more carefully and not disrupt her sleep. But when they arrived at Kagoro town, her eyes flew open.
"We're here," she announced.
"I thought you were asleep."
"I'm awake now, and it's time for us to switch seats. Pull over."
"No."
"I'm not even going to have this argument with you. I told you, our destination is a surprise, it won't be a surprise if I tell you before hand, so park and let's switch seats."
Grumbling, he obliged. "On our next date, I'm the one with the surprise destination," the words flew out from his mouth.
"On our next date?"
Well, em, I mean, you know we could decide to, you know? Things like that."
"I did not see that coming but I like it." She got out of the car and they changed places.
"How far is this surprise place?" He was looking out through the window, staring at the passers by, mostly women.
"Not too far, but we'll go there in the evening, that's when you will see the beauty of what I want to show you."
He groaned. "What are we going to do till then?"
She shrugged. "I could acquaint you to the environment, the people, what do you say?"
"It's not like I have a choice."
He took interest in the places she pointed out to him, smiled at the people she introduced to him until four in the evening when they took a twenty minutes drive to the surprise location. Edegbe, eager to unravel this surprise, got down first and took in his surrounding. In front of him was a road narrowed between tall grasses. "Is this the place?"
Yasmin took out the poly bag she brought and locked the car, tossing the key to Edegbe who secured it in his pocket. "We walk."
"Don't you think this place is a little too lonely?"
"Lonely is good."
The narrow path was sandy, and it opened into stones and rocks, as if the debris of a fallen house. Edegbe treaded carefully not to trip, wondering what laid ahead. What laid away gave away the small stones and rock. It was huge at the base, sturdy and firmed, and as it peaked to reach the summit, Edegbe could see the possible paths to climb. "This is a mountain."
"Indeed."
"Wait, don't tell me this is the surprise?"
"Very correct." The wind blew into her face, pushing her hijab backwards.
"Okay," he exhaled, trying to understand what she was thinking. "What do you expect to do with a mountain?"
"We climb it." She stretched the poly bag to him. "Change into that."
He took the bag but waited for her to say it was a joke. "I've never climbed a mountain before."
"There's a first time for everything."
He looked at the big mass of rock. "Do you climb? Have you ever climbed?"
"Yes."
"Here?"
"And some other places, but this is my favourite, I'll show you why."
"So you drive all the way here to climb? Alone?" When she nodded, she added. "Don't you have anybody to come with?"
"Like a man?"
"No," he rebuffed immediately. "I meant like em—" he racked his head for a meaningful term. "—sibling? Yes, sibling."
"I have a brother, we're twins, but no, he doesn't come with me."
"Twins?" he asked, surprise.
"Yes, but we're not identical."
"Is he nice to you?"
"You're asking too many questions to stall time, there's something I want to show you from up there now the sun is setting." She pointed to the summit.
"So I should change into these?" He raised the bag up. "Whose clothes are these?"
"My brother's."
"He lives near?"
She rolled her eyes from exasperation. "Change into the clothes."
He looked around to make sure no one was in sight before turning back to her. "Turn around."
"What?!"
"I have to change."
Yasmin burst into laughter. "Wait, are you being serious?" Embarrassed, he looked elsewhere. "Allah, I did not see that coming. Edegbe, I can literally strip in front of you."
"Yasmin," he drawled, his voice carrying a hint of warning.
"Alright." She raised her both hands in surrender and turned her back to him.
"Are you sure you're not peeking?"
"Wallahi, I'm not."
Edegbe started to take off his clothes when he was sure she was not looking. "You should have told me before hand so I can dress for the occasion."
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, I've said that a million times already."
He took off his trouser and hurriedly wore the loose one she brought. "So does your brother lives near?"
"He—"
"Don't turn yet!"
"I'm not turning!"
"You sure?" Then he murmured, "I thought I saw your head move."
She rolled her eyes. "I don't know how I came to like a timid man."
"I'm not timid, I can put people in their places."
"But not change clothes in front of the woman you like."
"I don't know about that." But he smiled. "All done, you can turn around now. I should have done this before leaving, now I don't know if I'm still attractive."
"I did not know attractiveness changed with clothes. Your —"
"Don't even think about it." He warned, warned by her playfulness.
"Alright. If you're ready, you can start jogging."
"Start jogging?"
"You're mountain hiking for the first time, you'll need it."
He thought of jogging, and then thought of her watching. He had asked her to turn around the first time, he wouldn't do it again. But the image of him jogging in her presence made him conscious, he shook his head.
She didn't push it. "Just remember I warned you." Then she turned around."
"You're wearing that?"
She raised her gown, knee level, to show him a pair black trouser.
"Are—"
"If you don't stop asking questions, I'm going to kiss you."
He clamped his mouth shut and nodded for her to go ahead. He walked behind her, trailing carefully, not understanding why anybody would do something, anything, like hiking on a mountain.
"What do you do for leisure?" Her voice almost jerked him.
"Now you're the one asking questions."
"Are you going to kiss me?"
"I might." But it was an inaudible whisper.
"So what so you do?"
"Efe is usually the one with the idea of fun for leisure, I could work all the time. He thinks it's too much and so he comes up with nonsense all the time."
"Like?" She inquired.
"Clubbing? Video games, mindless gusting and hilarious jokes. And women. Efe likes working out too, but I don't go with him, I make money."
"And he spends it?"
"No," he corrected, "He helps me. He's well to do without me, we just have this sense of brothership." He stopped, placing his hand on his knee.
"Ahn-ahn, just now? We're not even halfway through."
"I'm okay," he raised his hand to say. "Just had a moment. Since when do you do this?"
"Since I started making money, it is a reward." She continued the journey.
"You reward yourself by doing this?"
"There's something about the mountain top that is very rewarding."
"And you do this?" He was starting to pant. "Jesus!"
"You're going to have muscular cramps before we get up there."
"This is not my idea of an ideal date. Did you have this in mind saying you wanted to spend time with me?"
"Not really, it occurred to me by night time and I decided that it was best since you wouldn't be coming up with anything good, or anything at all."
"We would have done the old regular thing." He groaned.
"I don't like the old regular thing," she said, then warned. "Be careful here, it's tricky."
"At least, the old regular thing does not have any warning." He stepped passed the place she pointed and nearly lost his balance.
"Don't look back, we've gone too high up and if you look back, you may get scared."
"This is not the most nicest thing I've done," he complained grumpily. "You are not a nice person."
"Never claimed to be." She raised her gown and climbed higher, effortlessly, holding into the rough edges for support, urging Edegbe to do same. As they climbed, the wind welcomed them, the atmosphere wider, the air fresher. From behind, Edegbe admired her as much as he admired the changes, the way her derrière curved with each step she took, and as she bent to support herself, her behind stuck out.
"Argh!" Distracted from ogling, he lost his footing and stumbling, bumpily, to the flat ground. He head bumped on one of the pieces of broken rock and he rubbed it gently, sitting up and wearing an ugly scowl on his face.
Yasmin looked back at him, trying to stifle a laughter. "How did you fall?"
"This is not funny," he said through gritted teeth, still rubbing his head.
"But how did you even fall, this is not a bad spot?"
"When we're climbing a mountain, fall is inevitable." He groaned in displeasure. "This is supposed to be a date, but I'm being ridiculed."
"Do you intend to sleep there all day, we still have to get to the top?"
"Yasmin, please."
"You should be more careful and not admire my back." She pointed at the summit. "Meet me up there." And continued climbing.
Grumbling, Edegbe started again. "I can't believe I'm doing this for a woman," he said to himself, picking up stones and throwing them as he trudged higher. "How did she even know I was watching her?" He looked up to where Yasmin was getting farther from him, her movement with ease in contrast to his struggling one. "It would take me forever to get up there. What kind of wahala is this?"