As she sat there, almost lost in her thoughts,
the flight to Uyo was announced, the
announcement startled her as she moved
quickly and caused the phone of the man
beside her to fall to the floor, he reacted by
trying frantically to save it but it was an
unsuccessful effort.
“What the hell?” he almost shouted at her
“I am sorry,” Chinwe said as she quickly
picked up his phone and tried to see if no
permanent damage was done to it, he
snatched the phone out of her hand as if she
wanted to contaminate it.
“Watch yourself lady,” he hissed as he took a
good look at his phone before advancing to
the exit door for the boarding pass, but not
before giving a hateful look at the
perpetrator.
Chinwe almost poked her tongue at him as
she followed him to the exit door. She waited
in line till she got to the lady attending to
them, who did a quick body search on her
and asked her to proceed to the aircraft, at
the entrance, Chinwe was met by a very
attractive lady who gave her a genuine smile
and directed her to her seat after taking a
look at the perforated boarding pass.
“8A ma” pointing to the right side of the aisle
“Thank you”
As she walked down the aisle, she saw that
someone was at the row already and she
moved closer, she discovered the person to be
the Yanni guy, whose phone she accidentally
knocked off his hands.
Chinwe decided to ignore him as she put her
back pack in the locker closer to her; she sat
down beside him and rested her head back.
Finally, she thought, finally, she is escaping
the life that would drown her if she stayed.
She heard and listened faintly to the safety
briefing before takeoff and as the engine of
the aircraft revved, she took a deep swallow
and dug her hand frantically in her jeans
pocket to see if she could possibly find a gum;
none, she would have to wait for the
refreshments to be served and endure the
fullness in her ears due to altitude changes.
The aircraft ran along the airway and she
watched through the window at the distance
they leave behind, and before long, they were
airborne. Chinwe watched as her seat
“companion” put his prized phone on the seat
in between them.
When she saw it, she took a better look at the
phone and almost hissed, the phone was
cheaper compared with the one she left
behind. She looked straight ahead and before
long, refreshment was served. She consumed
the snacks ravenously because she had little
to eat earlier; her friends had mocked her of
having knotted stomach because of the events
and because of what would happen later in
the night. Little did they know she was all
strung up because of what her plans were and
the fear of it not working out had left her all
knotted up inside.
After eating her snacks, she opened the single
candy in the pack and plopped it into her
mouth. All the while she was eating; she did
not notice the man beside her looking closely
at her. He was acknowledging her for the first
time since he bumped into her at the
departure waiting room.
Taking a closer look at her now that her cap is
off, she looked to be around 24 or 26, her hair
was shiny and very lady like as if she was
going for a stage event that would attract lots
of audience. Her ear ring seemed very small
as if it would go well with a larger piece if
she likes. Her nails were well painted too; her
feet were covered to the toes with a pair of
sandals well embellished in bright white
stones. She looked like royalty if one could
separate her from the jacket and the white
top and a faded pair of jeans and even at that,
her face stands out.
She has a small pointed nose well placed at
the center of her face, her lips are well
proportioned not too full and not too thin
either, her eyes are big but not
overshadowing or reducing her beauty, every
feature on her seem to compliment the face
and yes, she is a looker.
Davis wondered why he never noticed her
earlier, she was having a cap on, yes and she
appeared to be in a hurry even while she was
seated there. Her mind was miles away he
could tell, although he noticed her tapping
her foot along with the rhythm of the song he
was listening to, but he did not care for her
interest in music. Who could blame him, he
was also miles away, fuming silently and
hoping the flight would be announced soon.
He arrived angry and listening to music was
the only way he would not be sitting there
scowling and scaring people away. He did not
know how long he stared at her, but she
seemed to be falling asleep, Davis had never
been known to be able to fall asleep on
flights, he was always scared of missing the
opportunity for escape if there was an
emergency.
The flight continued beautifully but on some
other occasions, he would have been admiring
the clouds out his window, he never got tired
of looking at them especially on a bright
sunny day as this, but the beauty beside him
was taking all his attention. He wondered
what her name would be, he found himself
giving her different names in his head. Sylvia,
Joy, Mercy, Glory, Sandra, Princess, yes,
princess seems more suitable.
His Princess slightly moved her head from
side to side, she was coming out of her beauty
sleep, but she settled in again and resumed
her sleep, she must be very tired to be able to
sleep soundly on a plane or she is a good air
traveler. Davis wondered how many times she
must have taken air trips in her young
beautiful live.
After some enchanting moments, the pilot’s
voice broke into his thoughts and announced
the weather and that they would be arriving
Uyo airport in 15 minutes. Davis simply re-
seated himself well so as not to startle the
princess beside him, who was waking up to
the announcement. He wondered if he could
chat with her as they were preparing to land
in Uyo, or if he could charm her to take a ride
with him to the city. Who knows if a convoy
is awaiting her at the airport, he thought to
himself.
Looking away from her only made him dwell
on the thoughts he had been planning to
postpone, but there is no getting away from it,
his parents were at it again and he will not
give in to them this time. He will finish his
Master’s degree and advance to do his PhD in
any state or part of the world he wants, he is
an only son, but he is a full grown man with a
mind of his own and they should release their
hold on him. He can’t stay with them forever.
As things went on in the plane with the
hostesses walking to collect the paper cups
and nylons of the snacks, his princess passed
hers to them and resumed looking out the
window, Davis wished he could look into her
eyes and see the color of her eyes, but he was
sure it would be brown, brown not black,
black would make her intense, brown would
make her…, he stopped musing, he must be
going crazy defining her eye color or
whatever it was he was doing.
He should be concentrating on his problems,
on how he would survive and make money,
prove to his parents that he is grown and that
he could take good decisions. He is 27 for
God’s sake; he would not continue to work
there with his father and made to believe he
knows what he’s doing when he knows well
they are tolerating him because he’s the
CEO’s son, besides, sitting in the room and
talking money is not his thing.
His decision to have his Master’s degree was
not because he wanted to study but because
he needed to be free.
Chinwe woke up and gathered herself into a
sitting position, her mind was clearer than it
was before she fell asleep, she hoped Clara
would be available when she gets to Uyo
airport. She found the annoying guy staring at
her but she chose to ignore him. She,
however, looked from the corner of her eyes
to see if she had not mistakenly gathered his
stuff with hers in the seat in between them.
She knows he does not recognize her from
anywhere; she has always kept a low profile.
It is too soon for her pictures to be flying over
the internet.
When the announcement to buckle up for
landing came, she felt he was still looking at
her so she faced him and she caught him off
guard because he almost wanted to look away
but must have decided against it, instead of a
scowl on his face, he kept staring at her as if
he had something to say. Chinwe was also
staring at him as if she wanted to bite his
head off but continued to look at him also.
A hostess suddenly appeared beside him and
asked him to buckle up and put his seat in an
upright position, which must have broken the
spell that was over him because he
awkwardly sat up and adjusted his seat.
When the hostess walked away, he turned to
her and said;
“How could you manage to sleep through the
entire flight?”
“Did my snore bother you?” she asked rudely
“No, of course not, I only meant it is a good
gift to be able to… you know, and no you did
not snore?”
“Hmm” Chinwe said and turned to look out
the window,
The view was getting bigger and becoming
clearer, but her mind was on the lady that
promised to take her in, her friend from the
University days. As they got off the flight,
Chinwe was moving quickly and towards the
taxi section, she had no bag to claim at the
conveyor, so she did not notice Davis rushing
and almost pushing a woman to the floor in
order to catch up with her.
“Hey, wait up” he said as he rushed after her
“Uni-Uyo” Chinwe was already bargaining
with a driver
On hearing Uni-uyo, Davis was ecstatic, he
was heading the same way to meet with his
friend he would be staying with and proceed
from there to get an apartment.
‘’Yes, Uni-Uyo gate, the new campus”
The driver mentioned an outrageous price,
that gave Davis the opportunity to cut in, he
was going the same way and today would
make it the 3 time he would be going by
taxi, he knows the driver was asking for
almost twice the price.
“You can’t be serious, the price is half of that,
if you would take us say so now before my
regular driver comes out” he has no regular
customer of course.
On the other side, Chinwe was asking him
with anger
“Which ‘Us’ are you referring too?”
“Are you two together?”
“No”
“Yes” they both answered at the same time,
“Ok, I understand, oga I will carry you both at
that price, but e be like say you don offend
your woman o”
“Don’t worry about us, just bring your car
around”
The driver on hearing this hurried off to get
the car,
“I am not taking a cab with you mister”
“Davis. Why? It would be cheaper we could
split the fare if you don’t feel comfortable
about me paying”
“I don’t want to share a vehicle with you”
“Ok, but I would love you to, so I can
apologize for my behavior back in Lagos, and
sharing with me would reduce the money for
me too, I don’t have enough to pay for the
trip. Please”
While he was talking, the driver pulled up
beside them, Chinwe looked at him and
opened the door and took her seat, and Davis
clapped his hands excitedly and got in beside
her
“What can I call you please?”
“Nothing”
“Wow,that’s an odd name, nothing?”
Chinwe picked her phone and dialed Clara’s
number, the number was switched off, she
was scared already, that was the only contact
person she has in Uyo, she does not know if
she could get a room for the night with the
N15,500 with her, and she still has to pay for
the driver
Davis must have noticed her panic. She dialed
again and it was the same response, so she
sent a message quickly to her hoping she
would put on her phone and call her back
before they arrive at the Uni-uyo gate. She
does not know how long the ride would be
for, but was scared to ask the person beside
her.
Davis also dialed his friend’s number to know
his fate; he broke into a wide smile as he
heard his friend’s voice at the second ring,
“Guy, how far. I am on my way to the gate;
we should be there in the next 30 minutes”
On hearing 30 minutes, Chinwe dialed again
and was disappointed to hear it was still
switched off.
“The number’s not going through?”
“No”
“Do you know where she stays; we could ask
to locate the hostel”
She’s not staying in the hostel; we only
agreed to meet there”
Ok, do you know anyone apart from this
person?”
No”
Ah”
“She will call as soon as she puts on her
phone” she said as prayers
As they both sat at the back of the car, the
driver was looking at them with curious eyes,
wondering if he could drive her to someplace
safe, boys this age and looks cannot be trusted
and the lady looked like she needed
protection, although he doesn’t mind offering
her a place in his arms, he smiled to himself.
As they drove on, Chinwe kept dialing the
number, but the replies were the same;
”switched off.”
“I think you need to stop dialing the number
in order to save your battery life, in case she
sees your message and decides to call, don’t
run out the battery before then.”
As their driver took them through the road,
Chinwe’s mind was worlds apart; fear gripped
her heart at the thought of Clara not putting
on her phone.
At the end of their journey, Chinwe counted
half of the money they agreed to pay the
driver and handed it over to Davis who added
his also, and then gave the notes to the
driver.
“Sister, if her number is not going, I know a
place that is cheap that you can stay”
The look in the drivers eyes made Davis stand
protectively beside Chinwe and told the driver
in no words to be careful;
“She is fine oga, we have paid you”
“I can give you my number in case you need
me to pick you up later”
The driver ignored Davis as he scribbled his
number on a piece of paper he got from his
car, Chinwe took it and thanked him, and she
shoved the paper at the back of her jeans and
pulled her backpack on her shoulders.
“See, my name is davis and it seems my
friend is running late, can we go somewhere
and have something to eat while we wait?”
“Ebere, where can we wait?”
Davis remembered a small shop he got an
envelope from the last time he came to Uyo,
he pointed in the direction of the shop and
they both walked to the entrance of the
University, looking like what the driver
initially thought them to be.
Davis asked her to follow him to the snacks
joint to the side of the gate, when they sat he
placed a call to Joseph, his friend who
promised to be out soon to pick him up. He
decided not to mention Ebere yet, in case her
friend showed up and took her away before
Joseph himself arrives.
As they sat, Davis asked for some biscuits and
drinks for the 2 of them, Chinwe collected
them gratefully and opened them to eat
slowly; she was worried and calculating how
she would spend the night if Clara’s number
never got through.
She did not know for how long they sat there
waiting for either a call from Clara or from
Davis’ friend, but it was beginning to look
late, a glance at her cellphone confirmed it
was few minutes before 4 pm,
Some minutes later, a car came and packed in
front of the shop where they sat and a man
came out, looking like a DJ, as soon as he saw
Davis, he gave a shout.
“Rabbi” Davis shouted as they enveloped
themselves in a big hugs full of claps and
punches to the shoulder, Chinwe almost
winced on their behalf.
“You must have been sitting for long, no vex”
“No problem, meet my friend, we arrived
together and it seems her friend is also
running late”
“Oh, Ebere, how are things?” she greeted him
they shook hand as his eyes grazed over her
from the head to the toes and back again.
So what’s happening, can we leave now or…”
he said as he looked back at where Chinwe
stood
“I don’t know if we can wait for her friend”
Joseph looked his friend over and they started
talking about lots of things, they did that for
about 30 minutes before the owner of the
shop started clearing the goods from outside
the shop.
“Why not come with us to my place, not too
far from here and when your friend calls, I
could drive you back to meet with her. You
guys must be tired and to be sincere, I am
too” he said to Chinwe in particular. Chinwe
looked at Davis and he shrugged at her as if
the decision was left to her.
She stood up and picked up her back pack,
Davis eagerly took it from her and dropped it
at the back of the car for her; all the while,
“Rabbi” was looking at his friend. He was so
sure he was smitten by the beautiful lady.
*****continues***
