Friendzone HQ #21

  Hey guys, sorry for going MIA on you on Friday. Wasn’t feeling too good on Thursday so couldn’t write for Friday and i had to travel for a dear friend’s wedding on Friday morning. I apologize. Enjoy today’s episode of Friendzone HQ.

 

 

Oyin gazed adoringly at the newborn in her arms; the baby was just a few days old but she had already become so fond of it, she could not remember what it was like without her.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for Ola to wrestle the child out of her hands and the last time she’d done so because she had to be fed she had said to Oyin, “Shey you will kuku be carrying her home”

Oyin had nodded absentmindedly and then added, “Yes!”

And now, as she looked at the little human in the sky blue shawl in her hands, eyes shut tight with a gentle smile on her lips, she knew she would never feel love like the one that came with holding a new life in her hands.

Guiltily, she wished she had kept Shahid’s baby but because she did not want anything but happiness that evening, she hurriedly pushed the thought out of her mind.

She’d worry about it later. She’d deal with the pain that pushed through her mind every time she remembered the baby she had willingly lost later.

“How far with you and Segun?” Ola asked pulling out a yellow maxi dress from her large wardrobe. She was getting ready for the get together Ola and her husband Kayode were throwing for a few friends to celebrate the arrival of their baby in about an hour.

When Ola had called her two days earlier to inform her of the event, Oyin had told her that her and Kayode just always looked for reasons to have people over.

“You know Kayode is a people person now. Plus since the baby came, he’s been so excited ehn, he just keeps doing things on impulse.”

Oyin had chuckled and then told Ola she would be there. It was going to be fun anyway and she needed that fun so much she knew being without it was not even an option.

“Don’t worry, it won’t take time. And we are not having too many people over sef. Just you, Segun and like four other people.”

Worried that she could not bear to be in the room with Segun, Oyin had asked to bring a date.

“Yeah, sure. Kolapo can come” Ola had replied and Oyin had then invited her boyfriend.

“We’re cool, we are just not talking” Oyin responded to the Segun question now.

Ola cocked an eyebrow as she spread the beautiful maxi dress on the bed, next to her lingerie. “You’re cool but not talking. Please what does that one mean?” she inquired

“Well it means we are not fighting we are just not talking”

“If you ask me, you are overreacting to whatever is the reason you’re not talking to him. He is your best friend, he has been for a long time now and he has also been there for you through the hardest times, so being mad at him for whatever reason sounds overdramatic to me.” She then paused and placed her hands on her waist, “Except there is something you’re not saying”

“What would that be na?” Oyin asked and Ola shrugged

“I don’t know. You’re the one who keeps staying mad at everyone.”

Oyin rolled her eyes, “I have told you I am not mad at everyone. Whatever reason I kept to myself the last time was clear, and as for Segun, when I get past this moment we’d be back to being friends”

“What moment?” Ola was reaching for her underwear now, “Please share this moment with me”

Suddenly, Oyin became lost for words. She searched deep for the response to Ola’s question but just like a Well that ran too deep, it was hard for her to fetch what she desperately searched for.

“Oyin” there was deep concern in her voice when she called her name this time, “You like him too much” she added

The baby suddenly let out a cry, giving her an escape from her mother’s questions. Handing her over to Ola, Oyin tried to think about her feelings for Segun for the first time in a long time.

Was she running away from the only person she’d ever been hundred percent convinced about? Was running the way forward? Why was she running? Did he deserve her? Did she deserve him?

Kolapo had been an idiot to her once but he had been doing a good job of being a better boyfriend since they rekindled their romance.

But was it even worth calling romance? What they shared, was it romance or routine? Was it something she did out of habit?

Her phone vibrating in the pocket of her knee-length denim dress jarred her back to reality, reaching for it, she pulled it out and find out it was Shahid calling.

Desperate to get rid of that one and his incessant calls, she picked it, “Shahid” she called

“Oyinkan, where are you? I want to see you”

She made for the door as she quietly spoke to him on the phone, “Shahid, I don’t think that is a good idea”

He laughed, “Did I say this to you the day you forced your visit on me with your mumu boyfriend?”

“Stop calling my boyfriend that, Shahid. It’s rude, it’s wrong and it most definitely isn’t you”

There was a short pause before he apologized, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine”

“But I’d really love to see you” he said, “Tonight would not be a bad time”

She sighed, “Okay, fine. I would call you once I am done here”

“I’d love that” he said and then added, “Oyin, you deserve the best”

“I already have the best” she said and ended the call. Turning round, she stood face to face with Kolapo. He had an unreadable expression on his face and his lips slowly twitched into a smile; a smile that was neither friendly or welcoming.

“Who was that?” he asked pulling her into a forced embrace.

“A friend” because she knew telling him the truth could literally cause a world war.

The smile remained on his face when he asked, “he does not have a name?”

She tried to match his smile when she replied, “Who said it was a He?”

“Nice” he nodded, placing kisses all over her face. “Babe, you know I love you right?”

“I do” she muttered, holding him tighter as his hand gently patted her on the back as they stood outside Ola’s room.

Sometimes, she wished being aware of his love for her was enough to wash away her hurt, her pain and the empty feeling she now felt whenever she was with him.

“I cannot wait for us to have tonight to ourselves so I can make love to you, feed you and cater to you” he said softly and she let out a chuckle.

“That would be something”

“Oya o lovebirds, come out o. people are already arriving” Kayode broke into their moment and they disengaged, making for the sitting room holding each other’s hands. And as he led her to a seat, she told herself he was the right choice for her, not Segun, not Shahid.

But she soon began to wonder if she was certain about that when Segun walked into the room with Vanessa on his arm.

Whatever she felt seeing both of them together, Vanessa giggling like she was just pronounced Miss World, was not exciting.

Segun looked in her direction, the way his eyes bored into hers unsettling her and making it hard for her to stay sane when he smiled at her.

Aware of the effect he was having on her in a room half filled with people, she lowered her gaze immediately. She heard him greeting everyone in the room, including Kolapo whom he briefly greeted and then, he disappeared into the room.

Vanessa took a space near her, invading her nostrils with her mild fragrance which smelt of lavender reminding her of a fragrance she used to wear. A fragrance Segun had bought for her.

“It’s been a while, Oyin” Vanessa said cheerily, a wide smile on her face.

Oyin simply nodded, they were not besties so it was normal for it to have “been a while”, however she could not wrap her head around the next statement, “You did not even call to say hi to me. You’re kinda like my in law you know… seeing as you’re really close to the boo”

Oyin frowned, this one was definitely running high temperature. Willing to be rid of her, she grabbed her phone and began to scroll through Instagram, “I know right” she said dismissively.

She did not feel like holding a conversation with her or anyone else at that but if she thought Vanessa was going to leave her be, then she might as well be as clueless as a naïve child.

“You follow Mocheddah” she said, leaning into her phone “she is my favorite person to follow on the gram” she added and then used her lean well groomed fingers to scroll through her phone.

Oyin sent her a bewildered look, “What are you doing?”

Vanessa had an innocent look on her face, “Trying to be cool”

“Oh” was all she said before Ola and Kayode emerged with Segun following closely behind.

“Welcome guys, we are so glad you could make it” Kayode said greeting everyone all over again one after the other.

Oyin was glad for that because she had been wondering what to do with the intruder that was Vanessa.

In minutes, the couple had settled with their friends, music playing in the background while everyone made conversations.

Kayode’s cousin, Peju, a girl who went to the same school with them took the floor and handled the whole event, making everyone laugh in the process.

Oyin looked at Oyin and Kayode from time to time, she marveled at the love they both shared and how much in awe of each other they seemed to be.

She wondered if it was something she was going to feel at any point in her life. She desperately wanted that type of love; the one that drew her into her man’s world without force, the one which caused her to never feel lonely even when she was alone and the one that made the world seem inconsequential whenever they were together.

Her heart sank at the possibility of never loving like that, the possibility of settling for the type of love she had learnt to accept, the type of love that felt like the right choice to be made.

For her, love was not that decision of being with the person that felt right, it was the feeling of having no choice but to be with someone because life was basically useless without them.

“So let’s play a game” Peju announced as she reached for a white paper on the coffee table. “It’s called how well you know the couple” she added, waving the paper in her hand, “This paper has the questions and if you get everything correctly, you’d get extra chicken in your food tonight”

Everyone in the room laughed.

“So, how did they couple meet?” Peju asked and then looked round for an answer.

“Through Oyin and I” Segun replied “Oyin and I had been reading in class and then Ola had come to drop Coke and donuts for Ola while she studied. She had been wearing one yellow Ankara dress”

“Green” Oyin corrected and Segun looked her way.

He smiled slowly and then nodded, “Green. With yellow leaves”

“But it was mainly green”

“True”

“Kayode had come to return my note which he had stolen without my permission” Kayode laughed then, “And he saw Ola”

Oyin chuckled, “Ola wouldn’t talk to him because she said he was looking at her like a Creep”

“But apparently, they both talked to each of us about each other all night long.”

Oyin remembered the night in question clearly, “Yep. Ola kept talking about ‘that creepy guy’ from class and how she did not like guys like him”

“And Kayode was begging me to tell that Oyin girl I had friendzoned to hook him up with her friend”

“Aww cute” Peju said and clapped her hands excitedly.

Segun looked Oyin’s way and stared at her like she was the only one in the room, his eyes not leaving hers even when she motioned for him to face Peju who was on to the next question.

When he would not look away, she stood, “Ola where are the drinks, I need one” she said and made for the Kitchen before Ola could answer.

She made for the Kitchen where Ola’s mother who was babysitting the baby while they had their thing was leaving with a glass of water. After greeting the older woman, Oyin opened the Fridge and grabbed a pack of Juice. She shut the Fridge and saw Segun leaning by the entrance, his gaze on her.

“That is creepy” she mentioned and looked around for a glass.

He ignored her and kept looking anyway.

“Stop ogling and go back to the sitting room. I am sure my boyfriend would not like the fact that you’re here with me. Alone.”

“Screw your boyfriend” he said, marched to where she was standing and covered her mouth with his.

He kissed her with so much hunger, she realized she was not the only one who had missed this.

When he drew away from her so they could both catch their breaths, he said, “I do not care about anything anymore. I want you and I am having you. Fuck your boyfriend” then he returned to kissing her.