As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink
So a great foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor..
-Ecclesiastes 10:1
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“Black plus pale green plus white or you could go for
yellow plus orange and tangerine…” She said lifting her
head from the book in her hand.
“Eunice, I can go on and on listing various color
combination for you, but you have to tell me what you
want” she said facing Funmilayo, who seems confused as
to which colour to pick. Her wedding is just a week away
and she hasn’t decided which colour to be used for her
reception party.
” Erhm… Jade, please don’t be offended ohh” she said
trying not to sound foreign with her intonation, “abeg help
me pick any color that will match the aso ebi that we
showed you earlier”, she concluded not wanting to drag
the entire color episode further,she has a lot of things on
her mind.
“Will you love a …” She was still saying when she got
interrupted by the sound of her ringtone! She immediately
picked it seeing the name of the caller.
“Hello sweetheart, how are you, am sorry I have not…”she
quickly said before the other person on the line cut her
short… “When!?, where!?…. Which hospital!?… OK I am on
my way… She managed to say as her hosts watched an
epic drama of her countenance changing from a happy
mood to a sad mood.
What is wrong…?
Is everything alright…?
Eunice and Funmilayo ask her simultaneously as she
drops her phone…
“Busayo had an accident, he is presently in the hospital
and he is requesting to see me” she said with a tear
almost falling from her eye duct.
So what hospital was he admitted into? Funmilayo asked
guessing how important the person must have been to
her, considering the way she was gathering her various
photo designs in an unorganised fashion.
Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), she muttered
trying to concentrate on packing her things together.
“So… I will be on my way, see you guys tomorrow
evening” she said as she made her way to the door.
Eunice who had quickly visited the rest room shouted
“alright love” while Funmi followed her to see her off.
“I hope you will be fine, or do you need company?” Funmi
said out of concern as they descended from the stairs
and moved towards the main door.
“Nah, I will be fine, I believe the situation is minor”, she
said will a slight smile on her face.
Luckily for her, a cab was just dropping its passenger, she
quickly beckoned to it, hugged Funmi, and entered the
cab. Just as Funmi was about to enter the main gate,her
phone rang, it was her fiancee, she picked it up. At the
same minute another cab parked at the gate, and a young
man in his late twenties stepped out.
” erhm honey… I will call you back”, she hurriedly said as
the young man moved towards her, and then like
someone trying to find her voice, “Adejola Dare Joseph!!”
She said almost screaming.
“Erhm…Yes that is my name, but…” Joseph said stopping
abruptly and trying to recollect the face of the lady
standing before him..
“Don’t tell me you have forgotten my name Jossy!,” she
said almost looking angry… ” Funmilayo Omoboriola” she
said amidst smiling while the man standing in front of her
suddenly took a step backwards like he was moving away
from danger.
“The daughter of Mrs Omoboriola…?” He said with a
questioning look. “Oh my God!! he rushed to give her a
hug, its been a long time, I can’t even recognise you
again… I mean you have grown to be such a beautiful
woman”, he said releasing her from his monetarily hug.
“How did you know I was the one and what are you doing
here” he said as she settled down to her seat, the duo
had decided to take their reunion to the hotel restaurant
after Joseph had dropped his bag in his booked room
while Funmi waited for him.
“Well let’s just say am a big fan of yours on Facebook and
Twitter, … You just posted a picture of yourself at the
Nigerian airport online some few hours ago…” She said as
she dropped her drinker.
“Really!! I love taking pictures of myself just to remember
the moment”, he said trying to munch the few grains of
fried rice in his mouth.
“So what are you doing in Smridu…?” She finally asked to
break the silence that was engulfing their conversation as
they dealt with the plate of fried rice and chicken in front
of them.
“I just arrived back into the country, and I can’t travel all
the way to Ondo tonight, so I decided to sleep over and
be on my way tomorrow morning… What about you what
brings you to Smridu?” He asked as he cleaned his mouth
with his handkerchief.
“Well, am getting married in a week time, and I lodged
here in preparation for my wedding…” She said trying to
show him her engagement ring.
“This is really good news, am happy for you dear, abeg
shebi am invited too naa?”, he said as he smiled heartily,
“And who is lucky guy anyway?” Catching her unawares
with her question. She had thought he would not ask, so
she decided to cover up “Well why don’t you come over
to the wedding next week Saturday to find out” she
managed to mutter, praying he would not ask any further
questions.
“Okay, I will make sure I check you in your room before
the evening runs out to get the wedding invitation card”
he said standing up. He was done with his meal and he
needed to rest, she also stood up as they both walked
down to her room gisting about other things in their life.
“You know…it could have been you” She said as they got
to her door.
“Am not sure it would have worked out between us
Funmi”, he said smiling as he remembered the event that
led to that statement…
————————–
“Yes!! I caught you today!!” She said jumping out of her
hiding place, to the shock of Joseph who would have
taken to his heels if not for the heavy backpack he was
carrying.
“So why have you been avoiding me since resumption?”,
she asked him while Joseph stood there staring at her not
knowing what and how to react to what she had said.
Well it was true he had been avoiding her, after his best
friend spilled the beans that she was his long time crush…
“Erhmm,… It.. Is.. Not… That.. That.. Am.. Avoiding you oh..
Its just that.. Erhm… I have been busy with my duties”, he
managed to say, stammering. Wishing she would just
leave him alone and stop this interrogation of hers..
“Lair!!, you have been avoiding me because you are shy,
you could have just told me you liked me yourself,
instead of asking that your naughty friend to do it for you…
Anyway, I like you too” she said smiling and walking
towards where he was standing..
“Really!, but I don’t ….” He said with a bright smile on his
face before she cut him short,…”Be my boyfriend, don’t
worry nobody will ever find out”, she said with a large
smile all over her face.
“I am not sure I want to do that… Cant we just …?”
He replied her trying to sound like the man in the
situation. He is being asked out by a girl, “who does that?”
He thought in his mind.
“Please…” she said cutting him off before he could finish
his statement with her two hands joined together in a
pleading manner.
“Alright, I have heard you” He said knowing that was the
only way he could make it out alive from the situation.
And just immediately he said that she screamed, ran to
him and gave him a kiss on his lips.
Gbam! Gbam!, followed by screams and… “you are mad,
why did I even like you in the first place, you slapped me!”
It was Funmi’s words holding her cheek after she was
given two hot slaps on her cheek.
“Am sorry! … I didn’t mean to do that,… It was just…”
Joseph tried to explain to her, but it was too late she was
already running home crying and cursing at him. Why did
he do that?, the poor girl had only made an attempt to
kiss him, and he had acted on impulse by slapping her, it
doesn’t make sense, why would he slap her…? He knew he
was in a bigger trouble as he walked down home.
…..…….
“You shouldn’t have slapped her…!” James shouted at his
friend, his eyes was bloodshot looking like he was ready
to pounce on him.
“Haven’t you been been listening to me? I said it was a
mistake I didn’t mean to…” She said trying to convince his
best friend who had stormed into his house fifteen
minutes earlier demanding for the reason why he made
Funmilayo cry.
“Whatever the reason might be, you shouldn’t have
slapped her.” Maintaining his position.
“And why is this your problem by the way? were you not
the one who caused the whole problem… I don’t even like
her.” He said as he made his way to the door, “You think I
don’t know you were the one having crush on her, and
you were too shy to admit it…?” he quickly added as he
opened the door to meet the trouble he has been waiting
for all day
“Mrs Omoboriola!” he said in almost a whisper…
