The Activist - Season 1 - Episode 24

Episode 5 years ago

The Activist - Season 1 - Episode 24

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While Korede had learnt from his misfortune that not all ‘food’ must be eaten, Chuks and Toke’s friendship started to grow, though a bit slow at first. This was understandable, considering what had happened in the recent past. However, a dangerous spot in the realm called ‘being friends with a girl’ is when the two parties are often alone a lot of times. The strike afforded Chuks and Toke such opportunity.

Normally, school strikes are a pain in the neck of all students, as the momentum gathered during the semester is automatically washed away and students have to abandon their studies. However, one of the privileges of being in the college of Health Sciences is that the lecturers from Part Two onwards were not just lecturers, but doctors and consultants, meaning that their work is mainly in the hospital. This meant that most of the lectures did not take place in the campus area, but some distance from the school in the General Hospital.

This meant that Chuks was not having any break.

So as Tade and Korede packed their bags and made for home, Chuks went for lectures, meaning that he will meet Toke more often.

This bred a lot of unwanted feelings as the friendship blossomed to one that was now crossing lines.

Lines Chuks was not bound to cross.

The strike lasted four months and by the time Tade and co were back, Chuks had not only become a 300 level student(while Tade and co were still in 200) but was now in a more-than-friend relationship with Toke.

Unfortunately, Chinedu did not find that funny.

At first, He did not take it as serious as Toke was always having those ‘days’. However her persistence began to unsettle him and when she almost forced a kiss out of Chuks, he knew what was happening. His cronies were already pushed for an immediate action on Chuks, but he tarried a little.

Patience they say, makes a meal appetizing!

Meanwhile in Fajuyi hall, Tade was watching with disdain and slight bemusement the increased fondness between Chuks and Toke and he did not take it lightly.

“Chuks, am not comfortable with this your relationship with Toke, its getting out of hand.” He protested to Chuks one day.

“Guy, chill out! We are just being friends! Its nothing.”

“Nothing indeed! What about the time she was snuggling up with you during the rain, this time last week? Or the fact that she is having issues with her boyfriend?”

“What has her boyfriend issues got to do with this dicussion? The guy is a self-centered, low-egoed dude!”

“Yet he is the capone of one of the most dangerous cut groups in school” Korede jumped in. “Tade is not the only one bothered about your involvement with this girl.”

“Look, the fact that you publicly toasted the babe does not mean that I will go the same route.”

“What you don’t understand is that your route is a more dangerous path. If a guy has to toast a girl, it means that she is not having anything to lose, but the guy has, therefore he has to do things to impress her. In your case, she has a natural liking for you and its dangerous.Its more dangerous because she will become vulnerable to you and with time, you may become vulnerable to her. If for instance the day rain fell, both of you were alone, do you know what could have happened? Your hormones will have pushed themselves to work, even if you were not thinking of that. Then you may do stuff that you will regret later. Or you may actually be so weak as to ask her out.”

“And she will accept easily, inciting Chinedu and the Ravens against you” Tade added. “You don’t even know what she is thinking at the moment. What if she breaks up with Chinedu?”

“Ehen? What will happen if she does so?” Chuks asked defiantly.

Tade raised his hands to the heavens, finally accepting defeat in the quest to knock some sense into his roomie.

“What will you do if you were Chinedu,Chuks?”

Korede asked, looking concerned.”You know the kind of power he wields.”
“I will do nothing.”

Tade put his hands in his head, Korede opening his mouth with that ‘ You can lie ooh’ look. Chuks did not bother about any gesticulations from them but decided to leave them alone.

Once outside his room, Chuks walked to the stairs and sat down there, thinking about what they said.

It is not like they were wrong in anyway, in fact he kind of shared their fears, only that he did not want them to feel like some advisers all of a sudden. He knew, much more than Korede knew, about the consequences of pushing the relationship further.

The only problem he had was that he was not sure of what he wanted from the relationship. This left him in a tight spot.

He was not the only person in such a spot.
]Toke dropped her phone on the bed. She had just finished talking to her boyfriend, who had used all the persuasive skills he could muster to make up with her.

She liked him; Chinedu that is. He had this directness in him that she liked, it was easy to know what he wanted. For all his cult activities, he never bullied a lecturer. In fact most of his lecturers don’t know him as a cult member. He had a way with ladies, though he was not a smooth talker, he knew how to get a lady if he wanted. He showed her enough affection without looking like a maga or a dunce. He was sincere with her, at least sincere enough not deny any offence he committed.

But he had this possessive nature about him, always monitoring her about. She never really noticed on her own, it was always her friends that pointed that out. The most recent incident almost generated to chaos as her friend almost raised an alarm, thinking that his spy was going to mob them.

Then his vindictive stint scared her. He had almost driven all her male friends away, including those that helped her with assignments. It was still a miracle that Chuks had not left her.

Chuks himself was another person that she was beginning to like. Initially he was behaving oddly, like a nerd. But as they continued studying together and her grades improved, he lightened up and they started really relating like friends, gisting and going out to places together. He was free and calm, always seemed to know more than she thought he would about, which impressed her.

Of recent their relationship had increased in tempo and latitude, up to the extent that she stole a kiss from him. Of course they both realised that they did something stupid and decided to forget about the incident.

But she can’t and the more she thought of it, the more she began to see Chuks as a husband figure. She would consider it blessed if she had someone like Chuks as a husband. Chinedu was not bad, but definitely was not husband material. She needed someone close by with a legal business that is not scary, not a guy who goes for shady deals every now and then. Chuks really fit the bill, however she knew that she could not just drop Chinedu.

She suddenly had an idea. Since Chinedu has a few ‘side-chicks’, he won’t mind being a ‘side-guy’. She will keep running the relationship with Chinedu while trying to gwt Chuks to a state that he will commit.

“A girl has to do what she has to do.” She said to herself