Must Read: Ade

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: Ade

I had met ‘Dara at a time when I people
had been doubting my prowess as a man.


I had not been a saint all along but I was not
a player. It was just that my heart had
refused to go along with anybody. Girls and
ladies swarm around me but I had always
tell them I was not interested. Some had
even called me impotent and I had shown
one or two of them that I was not. They
had left my room then in school crying.
Oluwadarasimi was a three hundred level
student of Economics in our school then. I
had met her when I was in the office of
one of our lecturers. My heart had skipped
a beat as she came in to ask of Mr Adeola
who was not in. I had chatted her up as a
sharp guy and we had become friends.

I asked her out when I was leaving for
service and convinced that what I felt for
her was love and not infatuation. She had
agreed and after I finished service, she had
gone for hers. She was still serving when I
proposed marriage to her and she
accepted not knowing that she had been
double dating.

I never knew also that she was a great
actress and pretender or was I blinded to
the facts and reality because of the love I
had for her? To me she was perfect except
for the too much make up she wears and
some attributes I admired in Shola that she
does not have. Maybe I was really at fault.
Or she was just a devil in an angel’s cloak.


I came back to reality to see Rotimi still
pacing nervously. His mood was foul. He
had called his fiancee and told her what
happened. She had requested to speak to
me and I had said no. But I never knew I
said it.


I went to the kitchen to get water. I looked
around and got our first aid box where we
put our drugs. I took out the pack of
Indocid- we bought it in packs because of
the rats in our compound- then I got six
tablets of paracetamol after emptying six
capsules of Indocid on my palm. I got six
tablets of piriton- that was also in
abundance because we mixed it with the
Indocid- and seven tablets of folic acid.



I had closed the box and was sitting on the
bed thinking of swallowing them down
when NEPA flooded the room with light
and Rotimi caught a sight of what was in
my palms.


”Eewoooh oh! A n wona m!” Rotimi
shouted as he slapped the palms holding
the deadly combinations. The drugs
scattered around the floor all over the
room. He sat near me on the bed and
began lecturing me on how it was sinful to
take one’s life. He said if I die, what will
become of him.



” you no know say, if you kpai cos of one
elle, na plenty elle go match where dem
bury you put? Ol boy, she don do her own,
God go do him own na. See, if you kpai
now. Who go come be my madman friend?



Bros I no say e pain you wella, but im no be
the end for the world na. See you be fine
boy, plenty elle dey wey go do with you na.


You know as e take be for school back
then. No be dem dey come toast you?

Forget am, she no worth am. If you kpai na
im she go dey form James Bond for people
say man kill imself cos of am. No be you talk
am say she no even fine reach Shola say if
Shola never get guy you for try work im
levels? You go see babes jo. Make we stroll
find something chop cos I dey hungry o
and I no fit leave only you o.” He said.




I looked at his face and saw the fear and
anguish registered in it. I burst into
another round of tears. He never told me to
stop because he believed that crying
purges you of emotions.


Twenty minutes later, I was ready to hit the
streets. I switched on my phone and the
first call to come in was ‘Dara.


”Hello,” I said in a cool, calm, and collected
voice.
”Hello Ade, I am sorry please. I was worried
when your phone was switched off…” She
was saying when I interrupted her.
”I am okay, thanks. It’s alright we will be at
your wedding. Regards to your fiancé.” I
was about to end the call when Rotimi
asked to talk to her.
”Hello madam!” He said.


”Rotimi, please I know how sad he would
be. Please don’t let him hurt himself.” She
begged.



”Hurt himself you say? Please spare me
those talks. My friend is alright o. He didn’t
even cry for your info. He was just
surprised at your cruel wickedness.


That’s all. We will be at your wedding as he said.



And please regards to your fiancé and
parents. Good night and happy
preparations.” He ended the call and we
both laughed at his lie that I didn’t cry. Who
knows where I would have been by then
had NEPA not restored power. I looked
back at that day as a whole and I laughed.

How much more can a man get in a day?
From being very happy at solving
someone’s problem to being heartbroken
and almost in the jaws of death.

We got the suya and La Casera we needed
and headed back home. We ate and
watched the news on Channels TV before I
my mum’s call came in to confirm if I had
not done anything stupid. I laughed and
asked her to thank God and Rotimi for
helping me. I didn’t tell her that I almost
killed myself lest she runs to Lagos the
following day. I spoke with my dad too and
he prayed for me also.


I went to bed feeling very empty…