SWEET MEMORIES OF ONOME 16

I was pensive and withdrawn the rest of the day,my mind in a turmoil dis jointed thoughts.....
I was both scared and angry walking around in a stupefied daze..I thought I was ok but
apparently I was not acting normal because my mum called me to the side and asked me,all worried and concern showing on her furrowed brow if I needed to go see the doctor..I quickly tried to re adjust,trying to compose myself and assuage her worries and concern ..knowing my mum she would drag me kicking and screaming if need be the next day  to our family doctor if  i gave her any reason to or she was not convinced of my state of health ..she kept a keen eye on me  the rest of the day and sent one of the housemaids with a succession of orthodox and unorthodox remedies the rest of the Sunday..
they would bring me a bowl of custard(I can't stand even the smell of pap talk less of tasting it) then they would bring pepper soup and all sorts,even though I really did not have an appetite I made a gallant effort of forcing down the succession of dishes with my  ever present glum expression and a worse feeling of despondence and sadness going on internally ..

My brothers were not around as they were in school,and the only other person I could confide in was an uncle of mine who was much older but nevertheless in tune with the youths and youthful pursuits he was also in step with contemporary fads,and was a really laid back jovial and happy go lucky man.His  approach on issues were really great positive and engaging so I did not hesitate before I went to look for him the next day after I got back from school.I bared my mind pouring out my deepest fears and  sorrows...he listened to me nodding at intervals while pensively looking on stoically as he gently rocked on the small bench just outside his apartment he was seated on..his sympathetic look and his hand gently laid on my shoulder encouraged me to open up further dredging up my innermost and most private feelings,I laid myself bare and emptied out my emotions  all in a bid to make sense of my upturned emotional turmoil...after about 45minutes emotionally spent and feeling considerably  lighter,the turmoil a little suppressed I lapsed into silence to listen to his advice on the subject I had brought to him...

He stared at me intently but with a warmth devoid of any judgemental mien and gently exhaled,.........Do you really love her? In answer to this I nodded my head gently but empathically..he then continues... then you will have to do something really hard even painful.. he paused for some seconds probably for his initial words to sink in while i wondered what he was on about and where he was going with this,he then dropped my second bombshell something I was not expecting...... You would have to let go of her.....I jerked my head up looking at him quizzically a confused look in my face like that of an antelope caught in the beam of a vehicle headlamp beaming straight into his eyes..as he continued he encircled his hands round my shoulders and imparted in me the words And advice i have  held close to heart and never forgotten till today....

if you really love her then you have to let her go(as if I had any choice before lol) nothing good can come off a long distance relationship between you two considering your ages,you both will meet different awesome(not his exact words but mine) people and gradually forget and repress the feelings you have for each other now... She will always hold a special place in your heart but if you are both destined to meet each other again then you will,if not then let the memories of the good times you have shared and the feelings you have of each other hold dear and console you each time you miss her..

His  hand still resting on my shoulder he pulled me gently to himself and then lifted his hands gently slapping me on the back as though nudging me out of my mire and reverie..trying to rescue me from the river of self pity and emotional depression I was drowning in....I thanked him for his heads up and advice which I really did genuinely appreciate as he swiftly side stepped into more mundane but related issues.....,he asked me when I was last with ONOME and I told him then further asking me when I was meeting her again and I informed him  of that  as well..we were arranging to meet up for a date the coming weekend,as my mood lightened  up,the  dark cloud lifting up a little bit although still hanging over my head like a sword of Damocles he swiftly moved on to more lighter topics asking me about my exams and admission plans..

I left my uncle with a renewed sense of hope and an appreciation of  the sacrifice we must make although I was still hopeful forlorn and weak as the hope might be after being confronted with the futility of changing anything so I was feeling a bit better than I was the day before to my mums relief.The week went normal as it does, while I was not looking forward to our discussion the coming weekend I was nevertheless looking forward to spending time with Onome,we still continued texting and calling each other as we did even more this week due to the way we were feeling I thought I was going through a rough time dealing with the news but she was going through worse crying each time we talked for more than 30minutes on the phone she was closer to her mum than I was so she informed me that she had confided in her mum and she promised to try and make sure we held up regular communications even after she left for her studies abroad and had tried to comfort her in different ways ..she called me the day before we were scheduled to meet just after I returned back from school n a Friday afternoon than things were moving faster than we thought,her dad had called again and given them an update as she related this news my heart was thumping erratically against my chest cavity,lightheaded with the ominous fear of the impending new she was about to impart sweaty hand holding the phone tight to my ear as I stood elbows on the balcony and a forlorn look across the far gate and the compound...she curtly told me that we would discuss it on Saturday asking me where and when we were meeting I tried to coerce and cajole the news out of her but she won't budge asking me to be patient and wait till tomorrow which was less than 24hrs anyway...after trying without getting through we agreed to meet at the sweet sensation not far from her house by one pm on the Saturday then lapsed into general gists and discussions like we do..

I woke up on Saturday feeling strangely nervous but eager and cautiously happy,a little optimistic that by some miracle she would have some good news for me when we met.its funny this  Onome issue was always the first thought that crosses my mind when I wake up and in addition constantly on my mind most of the day the only consolation being that she feels the same way hence I had someone to share the emotional burden with.I was restless and nervous all day and was soon on my way as soon as it was 12noon quickly getting a bike to take me to the meeting point,when I got there she was not yet there as I arrived a little easy so I went in and got a drink sitting in a corner booth and watching the going ons around me couples both old and young going in and out with some guys using the small Internet space browsing in the other corner…

HI GUYS I JUST REALISED THAT I MADE SOME TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS IN SOME PARTS OF THIS ENTRY WHILE GOING THROUGH AND PROOF READING THE NEXT INSTALLMENT SO I WILL BE DELETING SOME PARTS OF THIS ENTRY STARTING FROM WHERE THIS NOTICE IS WRITTEN.
I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THIS AND I WILL PROMPTLY CORRECT THE RELEVANT AREAS AND ALSO POST AN UPDATE AT THE SAME TIME I DO APOLOGISE FOR THIS…

I saw her from afar as she entered looking around for me and holding her phone preparing to probably call and ask me where I was..from the corner cubicle /seating area i was seating i saw the guys growing in the small internet cafe  staring at her as she passed by,she oblivious of their stares as she continued walking straight towards the middle of the eatery still looking around frantically as she began to fiddle with her phone probably trying to text me i presumed.I rose up and waved my hands in the hair frantically calling her name,as soon as she heard her name she looked up from her phone and sighting me from afar,her face lighted up in a radiant smile as she quickly approached my table.She placed her oversized leather bag in a corner as she leaned over kissing me full on the lips.An older man and a lady presumably the wife stared at us in marked disapproval as if they beholding masquerades..Onome neither cared nor paid attention to them as we seemingly only had eyes for each other.She sat down and leaned back fishing for her phone in her bag and retrieving it as i  got up and excused myself to go get her something to eat and drink..

As soon as i got back to the table with the drinks and snacks,i placed them on the table in between us  sitting down and leaning back admiring her as she placed her phone on the table and started eating..she delicately and gracefully broke off and picked at the morsels of snacks daintily with her slim and tapered fingers,inserting the pieces into her mouth in small pieces and following through with gentle gulps of her drink..We continued gifting generally about stuffs in general but nothing of importance deliberately side stepping and avoiding the big elephant in the room i.e the contentious issue which was the chief reason for us being here.As she continued eating while answering my questions or telling me about her week i continued to stare at her intently,as she eat the whole process seemingly like a work of art..i had seen a japanese subtitled epic  called shogun a long while ago  and i could only liken Onomes eating to  a scene in the movie where a geisha was going through the delicate and highly revered ritual of their tea brewing every movement measured and precise…measured graceful almost royal flowing one into the other as though a sea of waves flowing into each other in seamless unison.
It was a veritable mystery how such a mundane and pedestrian act like eating a piece of snack could conjure up such a gracefully romantic picture…she had no idea what i was thinking but she started becoming self conscious due to the intensity of my stare,she asked me why i was staring at her that way smiling mischievously as she continued eating? i smiled back making a wise crack,and as she tried replying she spilled some of the drink on her silky top while some of the drink also rolled down the side of her mouth down her chin..she quickly dropped the snack she was holding in the serviette and fished out for a tissue in her back using it to wipe off the droplets on her top,as i leaned in and gently used my left hand to wipe off the  drops at the corner of her mouth,as i retracted my hand,she placed the slightly wet and stained tissue on the table by the side of the saucer holding the half eaten snack and held my hand in her soft and succulent palms as she mouthed a gentle thanks but not letting go off my hand,both of our hands now resting lightly on the table the stark contrast between the light skinned almost olive coloured skin against the dark  coloured average looking skin which was mine..

It was so unfair because while dealing with the issue of her leaving, she was looking breathtakingly  beautiful in the multi coloured silk type shirt and a lemon tight jeans with a pair of pumps her black silky hair tied in a simple ponytail and the light make up accentuating the beautiful oval face and perfectly formed nose,her slightly chubby cheeks perfectly sculptured and merging seamlessly with the rest of her face it was always a wonder how she managed it considering she eat all the time but always looked pert and toned.
After several minutes of idle and general chit chat about unimportant stuffs,still holding hands and at intervals playing with her others hands and fingers i finally bit the bullet asking her what the latest update was concerning her studies. As i asked her what the news was heart beating furiously,my palms sweaty even in the air-conditioned eatery her look already gave me an inkling that this was not going to be good news, so i  prepared myself  for the worst mentally..

She was a british citizen by virtue of her mum hence she did not need a visa,they travelled fairly often back to the united kingdom in the past so the family documents were kept by her dad in his home office situated in their lagos family home,apparently before she was informed her dad had already make advanced preparations concerning the college she was going to start her A level studies preparatory to university before she was informed the previous week,so everything seemed to be moving at lightning speed..She informed me that they had gotten a place for her in a college just outside london and was just waiting to finalise all the documentations and payment confirmations before she will be travelling in a month plus since she does not need a visa..as i looked on at her stunned and shocked beyond words, she quickly wiped off a stray tear that ran down a corner of her face the half eaten sausage laying on the plate and both of us already abandoning any pretence of eating by now…

i did not know it then but subsequent events  the next couple of weeks designed it so that this was the second to last time  we would be seeing each other before she travelled out…