Please call me back

This is what happens when your brain is overly creative...

I had an experience recently, one that only exists on the pages of a romance novel or a movie manuscript. An experience I am going to remember for a long long time...

I woke that morning determined not to let anyone get to me. Usually, I would wake up with an idea in mind what I was going to wear; it would have been easier if it wasn’t a Sunday morning. I was tired from the day before, it was my friend’s wedding and we were all over the place. I finally decided to go for a pair of jeans and a gray T-shirt my sister gave me at Christmas, giving me a look of someone going to a hangout spot rather than a Church service. Oh, I remember I had to set up the projector... NEPA took light while I was at it, I decided to go get money at the nearby ATM as I didn’t have cash on me. I had gone to the wedding think I would get cash from the ATM, but I somehow forgot about that until it was morning. Remembering my
devotionals and daily Bible reading delivered daily into my mail box from Biblegateway.com, I started reading as I walked down to the ATM at CBD Alausa. Then it happened! I was rounding up my reading as I walked into the premises of GTBank, I looked up from my phone and saw this dude looking at me as he walked from one of the three ATM to his car. It happened so fast, yet my mind had billions to say about him that had nothing to do with who he was, what he was wearing or even what he looked like. I just can’t exactly say I had a coherent thought, one was muddled into the other... thoughts racing back and forth, and all of a sudden, I heard one of them clearly, “I sure will go out with him, if he asked me!” I caught myself unaware... I was indeed “overgasted and flabberwhelmed” as we would say when we were teens. One thought was like “what about Dapo? Are you just going to forget him like that?” Dapo is a friend of mine who is yet to have enough liver to ask me out himself, we talked about everything, we both knew (or at least have an idea) what we think about each other. So, another thought was like “ok, maybe not date him, but go out on dates with him or something... nothing serious though...” Yet another “well I sure will like to be his friend...

I forgot to say this happened as I walked away from the bank towards Secretariat on the way back to Church. Here’s what happened at the Bank. I looked up from my phone, caught his eyes and in what seemed like a long 5 seconds we locked eyes... there was something of recognition from within me that must have been what I say in his eyes; like our hearts knew each other and were happy our eyes met. I knew him in my heart and he did me. So, I walked on by, all the way to the machine and he did same to his car, but didn’t start the car. I used the ATM wishing he would just talk to me, say hi, or something. Couldn’t help wishing for a chance to hear him speak... He started the car as soon as I was done with the ATM and drove off... so I continued my walk to Church thinking all my racing mind could allow me think; nothing! I couldn’t think a thing, my mind did it by itself, I willed myself to take control of the thoughts, but this one time even my will failed me... As I write, I still can’t figure what it was about him, but whatever it was, it was way too special... Then I looked up and I smiled... I’m definitely not the only one having racing thoughts; somebody else parked at the end of the road is too. There he was waiting, just at the point where the road meets with Awolowo Road, right in front of Lagos State Secretariat. He must have figured he didn’t want to miss this opportunity of a lifetime. But then how come he didn’t do anything when I got to where he was and I made to cross the road. So, I thought he only parked there to pick a call, well a long call that must have been.

As I crossed the road and turned heading towards Shoprite, I was he driving towards me; he had made a U-Turn thinking I was heading the other direction. I smiled and somehow I knew he was going to circle round the Secretariat to pick me up; he obviously wasn’t the type to reverse and state the obvious. I had prepared my mind that if he did circle round to come back to me, I would ask him “are you stalking me?” He came around and I said it but he didn’t hear; he wasn’t there to hear that, he had made up his mind not to miss out on this. I still don’t know what made him decide to give it a go after all, but I’m sure happy he did. So, he offered to drop me at my destination and we talked all the way down. Somehow we talked, yet I know nothing about him. He’s amiable and interested in my person, but I never asked about him. We exchanged contacts, but I knew nothing of him. He called me back immediately wanting to know all the time would allow, I had to go back to my duty in Church... He noticed the “attraction was mutual” and appreciated the “honesty” and hoped for more of that, but the question that nags at me is “why hasn’t he called back since?” Could it be that he said too much already, is it that I’m too much trouble for his gentle life? Or is he having a rethink? Can it be possible that his girlfriend in Canada meant that much to him? Or was mentioning her to me at all was the reason he is better off not coming near me again? You obviously see how the simple single question has led to a whole list of questions, many of which are yet unspoken or unwritten as the case may be. Could you please ask him to call me back? Please call me, Ben! Please call me back!