I couldn't tell if it was the extreme cold weather that kept giving me goosebumps that was the cause of my lack of sleep that night or the buzzing sound of mosquitos in my ears or the anxiety of finally starting a new Job after 14 months in this city Lagos, as much as I know my answer is still needed to blame it on something else, I kept on rolling from one side of my student's mattress to other end as I kept on changing positions as I quiver, I can't tell if I slept for a while and opened my eyes at intervals or I didn't sleep at all I just wanted it to be 5:00 am at least.
I opened my eyes from the imaginary world of me at work already and it was black and I said to myself
"Ahhh!!! These NEPA people have taken their nonsense light again" as I sighed and tried to find my phone. I kept on stretching my hands to the other edge of my student-size mattress, moving my hands from under the pillow to on the pillow to bedside the pillow, I don't know what gave me the feeling that my phone was somewhere by the pillow, after seconds of stretching and moving my hand like someone playing the piano I decided to extend my search to another side of the bed, not quite long after I touched something but that wasn't my phone, it was my torchlight but that wasn't what I was searching for, foolishly kept on searching when my brain said
" you fool! pick up the torchlight and use it to search for your phone" As it spoke to me I could imagine my Brain's facial expression.
I foolishly looked for the torchlight again as I continued my "playing paino style" of search until I found the torchlight, I turned it on and first and foremost I directed the torchlight to my neatly ironed cream shirt and deep brown palazzo trouser laid over my standing fan across my empty room that has just my bed , fan and my box of cloth and my Ghana must go bags , I smiled and took a deep breath and reminded my self I haven't seen my phone yet, I checked the bed rigourously and I could find my phone, I relaxed my self because I don't want my heart to skip yet, I took off the wrapper I used to cover myself through the night , still couldn't find it , I removed the pillow and subsequently the bed cover and then my heart started beating fast, my blood started getting hot and they were so rushing fast, I immediately started feeling hot, I know it is just a phone with an extreme broken screen with a body well packaged like it was about to be gifted to someone but that phone is my life, it can't be stolen.
I sat on my bed as I mumbled to myself "Lagos boys have gotten me" I tried not to cry
"My phone is stolen, my phone is stolen, my phone is stolen " I kept on repeating it until I decided not to give up on my search.
I stood from the bed, took my tourchlight and pointed it to the bottoms edge of the bed and started moving from one side of the to the other and finally I saw it lying right on the floor like something tired of working for me and being mine, I pitied it as I walked fast to pick it up and immediately tapped on the screen twice and it came on , my screen was extremely damaged that the wallpaper was like a puzzle that hasn't been put together, the time read 4:43am , I felt relived to have woken up just at the right time , I tried unlocking my phone as I kept on swiping it on but it wouldn't respond , after trying about 10 times I decided to rebooth off the phone, knowing fully well that rebooting the phone won't guarantee my battery percentage being intact but the ability to unlock my phone was guaranteed, looked at my battery percentage and it was 75%, rebooting will probably give me about a 50-45-% , I pressed my power button for a while and watched my baby goes off when I heard a knock on my door.
" Oh! You are ready?" I responded immediately without doubt as I knew it would just be one person knocking at my door, my very pretty friend who is also my housemate.
"Yes! You know it is a journey to work for me" she laughed as she responded from the other side of the door
"I know that for sure "I walked to the door and opened it.
She saw me in my long purple silky night robe that I love so much as it had always highlighted my not-to-curvy waist and flat stomach and showed my cleavage, this nightwear makes me feel super sexy and comfortable
"You are not ready?" In Ifeoma's silenced scream
I became confused and perturbed immediately "Ah.. I don't understand o…" I stammered
" This is just about a few minutes to 5" was all I could say without a pause
Ifeoma gave me that scary look and she kept mute and shook her head
"Is it that you are not ready to work or just you don't know this city well, explain to me like a 5-year-old what you have been doing and don't, I mean, don't tell me sleeping, please " she said as she started raising her voice and brows, she folds her hands with her bag hung in her left arm.
" I was looking for my phone, I almost thought it was stolen" I replied in defense
" Gini, who on earth is going to steal that ghost phone that already returned to the manufacturer"
I decided to keep mute as Ifeoma had always been a rude and sassy friend of mine, as much as I felt hurt by that statement I am used to her style of speech.
"I am not sure we can get to work together, go have your bath and get going, I am sure you would know your way around Iyana-ipaja to ikorodu," she said in her lowest calm voice as she brought out her phone from her handbag, I am really not good with phones but she is using an iPhone with 3 cameras that her new rich boyfriend just bought her last week.
" Yes I can find my way," I said
"Not like I did a virtual interview" I murmured
"This is 6 minutes after 5, you should be able to get there early even with your little makeup time," she said as she turned her back to leave
My eyes widened at the makeup time," who is doing makeup, definitely not me" I said to myself.
"Alright bye, don't forget to take the spare key, I might not be home tonight," she said and left.
After a while I was ready, I took my documents and my packed handbags as I scanned inside to see if I was not forgetting anything then I scanned through my room to make sure everything was in place, my bed laid with my wrapper neatly folded under the pillow, my box and bags neatly zipped and my fan…
. " Oh God, what type of problem is this na ?" I asked myself as I hated going close to that fan but I needed to unplug it from the socket.
I kept on hissing and frowning my face as I walked across the room to unplug the fan, walked back to the door switched off the light, and banged my door so loud that my ears pinched me but I didn't look back.
Got outside of the apartment and used the glass window as my mirror, I saw my beautiful face in the mirror, my hairy carved brows, my medium-sized noose, my flawless gold face with my almond-shaped eyes, long natural lashes with my cupid bow lips.
I always say God took his time in creating me.
"Oh! What is the time?" I quickly snapped, brought out my phone from my bag, and turned it on but it wouldn't turn on, I hissed as I remembered " I haven't turned on the phone since, God" As I turned it on anger almost feeling discouraged
" This is 8 minutes to 7, Oh Father Lord in heaven " was what came out of my mouth after realizing I had spent two hours getting ready, I Locked the entrance door as I kept the keys in my bag and left for work.
"What do you mean you can't find my name on the list of those to be onboarded today?!" I dropped my bag and shouted at the female receptionist in front of me as I was about to cry and I was filled with confusion.