Best Short Stories Collection 2 – JEMIMAH
… THE LOVE STORY THAT NEVER HAPPENED…
Prologue
Memories, yes memories. Why do we keep memories? It is because of the people that came into our lives at different points and the relationships that we have formed over time. Some walked away, others stayed on the fence and yet some believed in us taking that great leap of faith.
My saddest memory of a human so far – Jemimah. This is a true story.
Maiduguri
North-East Nigeria,
June, 2013
I can’t place exactly the date or the day either but the month was June 2013. The annual World Press Freedom Day was being observed that day exactly a year after my mentor and friend Iyke O. Igbokwe, successfully hosted it in the same capacity I was now in- the Director of Socials, Mass communication students’ association (DOS, MACOSA). The distinction between me and Iyke was that, whilst he was strictly a DOS and brook no insubordination, I was the beast of burden in my time, working my butt off because my President was a notoriously incompetent spectacle wearing girl.
It was an important day for the University, and for the Department of Mass Communication. It was equally important for the association because we were playing host to a number of very important personnel. The State Governor, Borno, was sending a representative, state cabinet members attending in person, international journalists from VOA, VON and the likes, correspondents of national daily newspapers in Maiduguri and several top dogs on campus formed the list of guests. The newly built radio house was chosen as the venue, and singers Elias and Hirhyel approached to host the event.
For some insane reason, the department was looking up to me – if the program succeeds, I get to go home and sleep undisturbed, if it fails I get hung out to dry. I was angry, tired and simply strung.
To make matters worse, the President left every detail from protocol to entertainment completely in my hands and just went off gallivanting with her girls. I worked my butt off, and when it was time to dress for the occasion, I was burnt, emotionally drained and on the brink of an outburst.
To ensure everything goes well, first, the President and I had to be on the same page. I promise myself to pretend everything was smooth so we could run the damn day without any glitch.
The program started on schedule, 9:30am. And until the very end of it, save for moments when I was called upon to perform some duties, I paid no attention whatsoever to everything. I only got to care about my surroundings when the dignitaries had been escorted to their cars at the end of the program.
That was when things happened rather fast, starting with the coming of the most colourful male student in the whole department- Ufedo.
As always, Ufedo was the light of the party cracking jokes with everyone he could meet including the first year students. The rest of us, final year students, were more interested in taking our 2 minutes’ documentary interviews.
As we busied to that, the DJ we invited began slamming some really cool party songs and within a twinkle of an eye, the dance floor was lit and filled up with ladies wiggling to the beats. My flamboyant handsome friend from Abuja, Roy, started pointing at the girls.
“That girl is just okay for you my man,” he tapped me pointing to a particularly slim curvy and tall girl with delicately smooth chocolate skin. I was immediately drawn to her and for a moment my hitherto anger vanished.
My friends didn’t miss to notice the change in countenance.
“See, don’t slack, she can see you watching her from here, just walk up to her and share some good time.”
I needed no further convincing as I stood and walked up to her not sure of how to even start the convo.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” she answered back giving me her full attention.
“Are you a student of this department?” I asked clearly at lost as to what next to say.
She was a first-year student of the same department as me. I had never seen her despite being the leader of theatrix, the biggest theatre group on campus. She also told me her name – Jemimah.
“How come we never met at any point?” I was curious.
“Never mind, I know you already,” she giggled.
I turned to look in the direction of my friends and the look on their faces told me I was doing the wrong thing and would surely be laughed at. I had to take charge and do that fast, after all this was my ground and no girl should beat me here. I just can’t lose here.
“Lose what?” Jemimah asked and I realized that the tail end of my thought came out loud.
“Oh, it’s nothing of any consequence,” I said chuckling as I held her by the hand requested a dance and got it.
That night, some 35 days to graduation, I spent the night having fun with my guys answering questions on the new girl and feeling important.
As we knocked ourselves to sleep, fate was frowning at us. If only we could see into the future.
For the remainder of the days, Jemimah and I kept seeing each other. However due to the fact that we both were preparing for exams, our meetings were restricted and so for every time we met, we made most of the opportunity.
One evening as I was seeing her off to her hostel from the university’s central café, I ran into my ex’s best friend and that nearly ruined my day but not before Jemimah had disappeared through the corrugated iron gate.
“Bennie, what’s up,” I greeted first.
But instead of returning my greeting or simply rejecting it, Bennie launched into her trade mark chilling laughter that I had only heard off Hollywood horror movies. If Bennie were to be any man’s demon, then such person just won’t be able to lose her.
“What do you want, Bennie?’’ I asked the second time already worn out even before she had said a word.
“Nothing,” she finally answered, “I suppose you will tell me who that girl is.”
“No, Bennie, you didn’t suppose right. I am not going to tell you a thing about her, not today, not ever.”
Once again she let out shrieking long laughter. It was decidedly cold and haunting, unlike anything I am used to on a daily basis. I looked around me and everybody seemed the least concerned about the terrifying laughter threatening my peace as we stood under the shed of the beleaguered Nim tree. Oh, wait a second! was Bennie even in a human form? I shook her violently.
“Don’t touch me!” she growled at me with cold eyes.
“Well, just tell me what you want from me. You just hate me for breaking up with your friend and have thus decided to haunt me around like the demon that you are.”
“You made your choice, and it was the wrong one. Do you realize what you made that girl pass through?”
“I don’t care, she made her choice. No way was I sticking with a drug addict.”
“You presume that was the best thing to do, judging her?”
“I don’t know, don’t care either and it matters not anyway.”
A voice from behind me sounded familiar and I turned to see Geoffrey walking a few meters adjacent to our position and I called him. That was Bennie’s nemesis.
“Bennie the crack head,” he launched at her immediately he got to us.
She ignored him. I told him right there before her that I was fed up with her monitoring activities and just wished to be left alone.
“Look, Bennie, if you keep fighting progress, you’re going to find yourself on the wrong side of history, trust me.”
She hissed and started walking way in her characteristically bullish way literarily kicking at her way. I shook my head as I checked the time on my wristwatch. 6:34pm, 5 days left for me in Maiduguri.
The next time Jemimah and I were to be meeting which was ironically the last was at the final year students party which was being organized alongside the 30th anniversary of the Department of Mass Communication. Personally, it was an important day for me as I was signing off with respect, honour, and fulfillment.
Throughout the party, Jemimah kept me within her watchful gaze daring me to dance with another girl. Oh boy, she was that jealous, and strangely enough, I found myself having no objection to it.
Party over, honours shared. Music fades. Crowd dispersed. It remained just the two of us.
In a moment that could only be described in poetry, we walked around in silence through the trees listening to the sound of nothing, everything immaculate. The undeniable fact was that I wished I could cause the retiring Sun to tarry for a while.
“Jemi.”
“Yes.”
“You’re like a pomegranate. You have this hard protective shell, yet beneath it, all is a soft, sweet and charming personality.
“You have got such a cheerful way with words, haven’t you?” she teased.
“Lady, poetry is my art.”
“Just don’t presume you know it all,” she cautioned smiling.
“Well then look me in the eye and honestly say I am wrong,” I challenged her.
That wasn’t the time to smile, I pressed the side button on my emotional dashboard and instantly locked my expressions. With deep and searching gaze I looked at her waiting for an answer. She held my gaze back and for what seemed like eternity said nothing.
“I need to go, it’s getting dark,” she said finally and I heaved a sigh.
I stood there watching her slowly carry her 5ft 9 frame into the ensuing fog and beyond my eyes but not before she had made me a promise that we were going to see again later in the night.
When she finally came to meet me at Roy’s place that night, my bags were already packed to leave the following morning by first light, something I had no intention of letting her know.
As we sat deep into the night on a dead log lying on a larger fallen tree trunk on an open spot overlooking the commercial centre of the university, I couldn’t help but imagine what it could have been had I met her earlier in the semester. I couldn’t tell what was going through her mind but I was sure that I hadn’t made such a lasting impression on her to make her consider anything with me the minute I go out of sight.
“I’m sorry, Jemimah,” I found myself saying.
“For?”
“I’m sorry we never met until the dying minutes of my time here.”
“I’m sorry too.”
As the wind rustle through the leaves on the trees nearest to us, I drew her closer to me and our lips met in a warm kiss.
By the first light of the next day, I was ready to move. Mark Samson was already out, and so were many of my goons. Blessing, Roy, Jessy, Jiben, Ufedo, Bernard and Justin were all going to be around until they too get to hand in their thesis. Three of them were with me to see me off to a taxi going to the park.
I was going to miss them but the event of the previous night when I had returned to them after Jemimah had left were still playing on my mind making me a little indifferent about the parting.
They had asked me to fill them in about Jemimah and suspecting nothing, I had run my mouth telling them I was going to miss her, reconstructing moments spent together careful not to omit details. Something had snapped in me and made me stopped but too late then having already said too much.
“That’s all?” Justin had asked.
“Not really, but for now this is it.”
“Are you in love with her?” Roy had asked.
“Maybe.”
They had burst into a burst of loud mocking laughter that simmered down slowly.
“Could you not smile like that while talking about this girl?” Jessy had requested still laughing.
“You are asking me to mask my emotions because of what exactly.”
“Players don’t fall in love, bro.”
“I am a bro, not a player.”
They resumed laughing until they had their fill. I was just there seating like some idiot saying nothing. Weren’t these the same guys who lead me to her in the first place?
“Look, nobody said you should fall in love. Just get yourself the girl, live out your remaining days and bang!”
“Like some pizza?”
“Yes, like some pizza,” Jessy repeated sarcastically “are you trying to grow some conscience here?”
It was that simple, I wasn’t supposed to fall in love. Not expected to. Not required to. Forbidden to.
But now that I was head and shoulders into it, what was I supposed to do? The girl doesn’t know I was leaving that morning and would come looking for me much later in the day. I knew she would come; she was going to come. What would her reactions be? I was never going to know.
The sound of the taxi’s engine roaring to life echoing in the silence of the morning jolted me back to consciousness. Through the window, I shook their hands and moments later the car started moving slowly, carefully navigating its way through the many turns. We passed the sports centre, the radio house and lastly the legendary Department of Mass Communication and soon out of the university’s gates unto the expressway as we journeyed to the park from whence I would continue my exit from the troubled Northeastern city
…and out of Jerimiah’s life too.
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