During the morning parade, I noticed Uche was avoiding me or maybe I thought so. One major figure I was knee on seeing is Ifunaya. As the general parade was going on, she did appeared in her white short and top even though most of us were in green long sleeve khaki jacket because of the rain that fell overnight bringing about a high rated cold. She does not look disturbed by the cold as she approached me with a smile. Yes she’s beautiful and I like her but I wasn’t going to let that distract me from the reality as I’m going to be applying Apostle Paul’s words “Putting every thought under subjection”.
Ifunaya: Good morning Will, you are still not looking good. What exactly is wrong?
Me: Good morning how was your night?
Ifunaya: It was great, how was yours?
Me: Cool. Nice performance yesterday. They announced this morning that you guys came first. I’m sure your contribution speaks for your platoon.
Ifunaya: Yeah, I was named the best solo dancer
Me: Great! Well deserving.
Ifunaya: Thanks dear. So what’s the problem?
Me: I saw your message yesterday.
Ifunaya: Yeah, is that why you are not looking good?
Me: No, not at all, just want to say thank you,
Ifunaya: You are welcome dear, so what’s the problem?
Me: There is no problem but I’ll like to apologize to you.
Ifunaya: Apologize for what?
Me: Two things, one; you might not like what I’m about to say.
Ifunaya: And two?
Me: I’m sorry if I’ve been leading you on since
Ifunaya: (Smiles) I’m listening
Me: The thing is I really like you but it was wrong of me to get too close
Ifunaya: Were you the one that got close to me?
Me: Yeah, we sort of got close to each other
Ifunaya: Not really Will. I got close to you because I like you since that night we met.
Me: But I’m the one who was drawing you afterwards.
Ifunaya: (Smiling) You were just following my clue and I think it’s normal for a guy.
Me: Even if it’s true I was following your clue, I did it intentionally because I found you attractive.
Ifunaya: You are in a relationship right?
Me: Yes, I was.
Ifunaya: Was?
Me: Yeah, she broke up with me yesterday evening.
Ifunaya: Before or after we parted?
Me: It was after. That’s not the problem here though, I just don’t want to be leading you on, I’m sorry.
Ifunaya: You know I’m engaged for marriage
Me: Really?
Ifunaya: Yeah, we’ll be having our traditional marriage after camp.
Me: That soon?
Ifunaya: Yeah, it’s supposed to be before the camp but we had to postpone it because of my fiancé transfer at work. He was transferred to Lagos.
Me: Wao! Why then did you get so close to me? You are putting me in trouble
Ifunaya: (Smiling) Not really. I like you but was not planning to date you. Even if you had asked me out, I would have turned you down. I love your company and I think you are a good person. I discovered I’ve started developing feelings for you, so I understand you.
Me: Wao, I’m really sorry for misreading you.
Ifunaya: We both misread each other dear and we were both getting carried away but I’m happy we have this talk. I think we are good now right?
Me: Yeah, I’m relieved.
Ifunaya: Me too. Is that lady (Pointing to Uche who was looking at us but took away her gaze when I look at her direction)
Me: Uche?
Ifunaya: Yeah, is she your girlfriend that broke up with you?
Me: No, Uche is my friend
Ifunaya: It doesn’t seem so
Me: She’s my friend; we are from the same school, same department.
Ifunaya: Why then does she feel jealous whenever I’m around you?
Me: I’m not sure, but I’ll try to get the reason why
Ifunaya: From her?
Me: Yeah
Ifunaya: That might be rude. Asking her directly might get her offended.
Me: She’s not even talking to me again. I’ll have to talk to her because I need to clarify everything.
Ifunaya: No problem. So how do you settle your relationship issue with your girlfriend?
Me: I’m really not sure. She won’t pick my calls.
Ifunaya: Don’t worry she’ll come around. We ladies can be like that sometimes. Just make sure you visit her after camp.
Me: Thanks, that means a lot.
Ifunaya: I’m here whenever you need to talk.
Me: Thank you. I thought you are on parade.
Ifunaya: Not anymore. They reduced their number and I was happy to exclude myself.
Me: Funny. I just don’t have interest in any of the events.
Ifunaya: If you were allowed to have your own event, what would it have being?
Me: Scrabble. I love it so much.
Ifunaya: Funny you. Scrabble won’t give you any stress
Me: It makes you to think fast.
The practice parade continues while Ifunaya and I continue to discuss as Uche persist in avoiding me.
A day to leave the camp and Uche was still avoiding me while Funmi continue to ignore my call for five days plus now. I finally got hold of Uche when everybody was trying to save their loads at the NCCF worship shed. She attempted avoiding me as usual but I held her hand and pull her back. She faced me and gave me a surprise hug that sent me into confuse mode. How can somebody who has been avoiding me all this while hug me so passionately like that as if she’s been expecting me for a long time? Ladies are indeed a rare species, understanding them is like trying to count the sand at the beach. The hug reminds me of the way she hugged me after her accident. I pushed her out a little and ask what the problem was.
Me: Uche what’s the problem? Why have you been avoiding me all these while?
Uche: I’m sorry, I couldn’t face you
Me: Why? What did I do wrong?
Me: You did nothing wrong and I’m sorry for the way I acted that night.
Me: It’s okay Uche, what’s the problem?
Uche: Let’s just say I developed feelings for you but you always see me as a bad girl. It makes me sad and jealous when you preferred a new lady to me.
Me: Common Uche, we’ve discussed this and I even thought you were disturbing me because of Janet.
Uche: I’ve like you before I know you with Janet. Knowing you are close to Janet only makes it look like that’s the reason why.
Me: Hmm
Uche: I needed your help concerning my project by that time; I sincerely don’t know how to go about it then.
Me: Uche I know you are brilliant, your final grades speaks volume, so I don’t believe you needed any help.
Uche: That part of engineering usually gives me problem. I’m the one that asked our supervisor to join our project together.
Me: Hmm, and that was successful.
Uche: It was during those moments of working together I developed a strong feeling for you, but you were not even looking at my side at all. You were instead focused on Janet and your Rich girlfriend.
Me: You can’t blame me for that Uche. The first impression you gave me wasn’t good. Especially with the party, that really made me despised you a lot.
Uche: I’m sorry about the party, I never intended it to be that way, but you could have at least be my friend then, instead you were always neglecting and treating me like trash.
Sincerely at this point, I started to feel guilty because her allegations are not entirely false. I did not know what to say or how to handle it.
Me: But we are friends now Uche.
Uche: Yes we are, and I’m happy about it until that lady came along.
Me: Ifunaya is just a friend like you.
Uche: It doesn’t seem so and you are always concentrated on her
Me: I’m sorry if it looks that way.
Uche: Do you mean that?
Me: Yes I am very sorry about everything.
Uche: But this isn’t fair
Me: What’s not fair?
Uche: Why are you just coming today?
Me: Uche you’ve been avoiding me like plague
Uche: But you are a man, you always know how to get to a lady if you want to, just like you did now.
Me: I am lucky today because there are no many options for you to run.
Uche: It’s not fair because after tomorrow, I might not get to see you as often again.
Me: It won’t be too good to be seeing each other often too, remember I’m in a relationship.
Uche: You and your rich girlfriend are still dating?
Me: Yeah, why won’t we?
Uche: I’m just asking. You guys really tried then.
Me: Don’t worry; we’ll be visiting each other.
Uche: What if I’m posted on water, will you still visit me?
Me: You will redeploy, or are you planning on staying on water?
Uche: Maybe, it might be fun.
Me: Well, you’ll be coming over to city then.
Uche: Hmm, so you won’t come?
Me: Uche, staying and travelling on water might be fun for you but it’s not for me. You’ll be coming to the city, don’t worry I’ll be paying for transport whenever you come.
Uche: What if you are the one posted on water and you are not able to redeploy.
Me: If I can’t redeploy from the place to the city, I’ll redeploy from the whole state.
Uche: And you’ll leave me here?
Me: I left my fiancée at Lagos to come here and besides, I have phobia for water, I can’t be travelling on water every now and then.
Uche: Fiancée? Hmm. Anyway, you promise we’ll be seeing each other right?
Me: Friends for life, I promise.
Uche: Nice, I’m happy to hear that
Me: You are very funny Uche; you made it sound like a big deal.
Uche: Don’t worry you can’t understand.
Me: Hmm, please make me understand o. Anyway, which one should I help you with?
Uche: I’m done; I can’t pack everything now, since I’ll still bath tomorrow.
Me: Are you planning on going along with your buckets?
Uche: Why not? I don’t know where I’m going yet. My concern is how to get my kits ironed for tomorrow.
Me: That’s easy, just fold them perfectly and place them in between your bed and the mattress.
Uche: Won’t the bed pattern show on the clothes?
Me: No. Place a cloth on the bed before placing the uniforms and then your mattress on it. By the time you are sleeping, you are automatically ironing it.
Uche: Hmm Engineer Will the inventor (We both laughed)
Talking about how she responded to my relationship and calling Funmi my fiancée, I hope she did not know anything about our breakup. If she’s indeed the one feeding Funmi details about me here, it will kill this new opinion I’m having towards her.
Later that day, I received an unusual call from Janet.
Me: Wao Janet, it’s been a long time. How is camp over there?
Janet: Fine Will, you just abandoned me, it’s not fair o.
Me: Common Jane, you know I need to tread softly before your man cut my head off.
Janet: Hmm but we are still friends now
Me: Don’t mind me, hope you are good?
Janet: I’m fine. I sent you some pictures and messages on Whatsapp, have you seen it?
Me: Nope, I’ve been managing my battery since yesterday, so no browsing.
Janet: Alright. Check it but don’t freak out okay. I’ve explained all I think you should know under the pictures.
Me: What’s in the pictures Jane?
Janet: When you see it, let’s talk later. Call me o, I’ve got news for you. Bye.
Me: Alright thanks.
“What might she be sending that can make me freak out? I hope it’s not nude”. Curiously, I put on my mobile data even though my phone’s battery was below 30%. Numerous messages did entered but I went to Janet’s message straight away and what I saw and read did not just freak me out, I nearly collapse. D–n! This is not happening!