Chapter 4. Romatist

Akwa had just finished her last lecture for the day and was walking to her hostels with a company of a 200 level medical student, Panmun. They've been friends for quite some time and often seen hanging around campus. He is an indigenous student, and stays off campus. Akwa however finds his company intriguing so spends most of her idle time with him. 

"I wanted to invite you to a friend's birthday party, later this night," Panmun stopped and said, just a few walk to her hostels. 

"Thanks Panmun, but I don't party," she declined with a grin. 

"Actually, a birthday party. Not party party thing, just a birthday," he further clarified.

With a smile still on her face, she replied, "I heard you loud and clear the first time. It's just not my thing. See you tomorrow."

He couldn't press any further, as any persistence could maybe reflect a negative response. He smiled and waved her goodbye. Even as she walked, he stood there, still watching her with a twinkle in his eyes, he just couldn't steer his sight away. That look was obvious, a look of passion. 

On a Saturday afternoon, the temperature was high, one could really use a chilled drink. As promised, Jason took Akwa to a place he had always forecasted. He took her to an outskirt part of Jos, underdeveloped area, on a rocky mountain. Not too high but average. He mostly go there to clear his head, think and appreciate nature. He had a thing for natural environments, although it was quite a long drive back to the main town but completely he saw it worthy. 

They had just settle on the peak with a leveled surface, from his bag he brought out a small cooler filled with can drinks and snacks from the bag itself. With the sweaty weather conditions at that time, up there was way much better. That actually confirmed the saying, 'the higher you go the cooler it becomes'.

"I'm guessing this is a picnic, isn't it?" She asked. 

"Well, sort of," he smiled. 

"Hey, come take a look," he held her hand.

He showed her the carving of his name on the large rock they settled on. She marvelled at it and moved her fingers over the letters. 

"This is great, you really love this place, Olie."

"You bet," he turned to her. " I would like you too to adapt to it, it really will hold memories. You're the first person I've brought here."

He sounded really emotional, she too wasn't so dump not to notice, but as she always seem to be unpredictable, so she was at that moment. 

"So, how about your girlfriend, haven't you brought her here before?" She asked, smile breaking down.

He stared at her, trying to unravel the real intent of the question. Like was he really honest about her being the only girl he brought there or did she just wanted to know if he had a girlfriend or not, since he had never spoken of it. 

"Well, I never did brought her, I had intentions but I never did."

She folded her legs inbetween each other while sitting. She seemed interested in the topic therefore reinforced her attention. 

"Tell me, what happened?" She asked. 

She had no idea what she was starting, just the thing Jason was good in. He also redressed his sitting position, holding a beverage. 

"It was brief, and we had slight argument and that's it, she just shut me out, and me no go after her."

"Why?" She grimaced. 

"I got a problem with loving, dating ladies because they're pretty, I showed her love and care, but honestly, I really never loved her, like true love."

"Wow! How about the girl you told me about the day we first met, that your ex. I didn't even get her name."

"She's not my ex. And I don't like saying her name."

This reply got her confused, and it was all written on her face, so he sought to clarify. 

"I mean, we never dated, or we did but for just 24 hours, that's nothing at all. Over the time we got into fights and disagreements, but we settled. Most people already thought we were dating, cus some times we would be as close as anything. Now, now we're just friends."

"The way you talk of her, with respect and high esteem, you still haven't gotten over her, have you?" She asked staring at him directly to the face, not to miss any bit of reaction. 

"She is my first love, it's a normal thing to feel the way I do, but that doesn't mean I still I got a grip on her. There's a difference."

"What do I know, I've never dated before," she said. 

"But you sure do love someone, don't you?"

"I did, but nothing further than that happened."

"Tell me more," he persuaded. 

"Today we're about you, not me. I do the questioning, you answer."

What a clever way to dodge a question there, although, not too convincing but sometimes it's better to let people at peace with their delusions, so he thought. 

"Okay, there's this girl, she's my ex though and definitely the only one I acknowledge as 'ex'. Her name is Menenge, she's the most understanding person I've ever known. We were teenagers at the time though, and even when we broke up, she never stopped caring. She would give me her shoulder to cry on, show me that I could always count on her. But sad how things were, I loved her, but not as the first one which however contributed in the break up. I mean, I gave my heart all away to my first love but it still didn't work, maybe for the best."

She could notice how emotionally he was falling, the look on his face, the trembling of his voice, unspecific stare of things around. 

"Hey, it's okay," she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yet here you are, good as new."

"Sorry, you didn't fell for that, did you?" He jokingly asked. 

She was confused, uncertain of what he meant, she only shrugged her shoulders and lifted just a side of her lips, in a brief smile. 

"What does that mean?" She asked. 

He chuckled and replied, "The moody thing, I'm not moody. You see," he took her hands. "I feel proud talking of it because I'm a survival. I thought I was never getting out but here I am, good as new. I'm fine, Miss Cute."

She stared at him for a while then started giggling, so unusual of her. He wondered the stimulant behind it but couldn't possibly find any relation. 

"You have something on your head," she said. 

"What?" he rubbed his hair. 

"This," she instantly poured water on his head. "The weather is hot, could make you behave abnormal. Anyway, you're welcome."

He just sat still, eyes closed with a wide grin expression on his face. Who does that? Wasn't he like supposed to react of something? No, because obviously, she indeed did him a favour by cooling his head, whereas the water was chilled. 

"I got a question for you, why do you still call me Olie?" he asked, just after drying his face with his handkerchief. 

She sighed and replied, "You know, I was used to calling you that online, phone. I can't imagine you used an app to change your voice," she scoffed. "And now, Jason isn't just in my head, you and her are one. And speaking of that, as a punishment for your impersonation, I will keep calling you that."

"What? That's for girls, Olie for Olivia," he protested.

"No, Olie for Oliver. Perhaps, I love it that way more."

He just watched and only concentrated on her lips as the sound of 'Olie' filtered through her lips. He had seen, heard people call the name, but deep down in him he saw a difference with hers. The sweet sound, movement of her lips, story behind it, her addiction to it and love for it, all instantly made him wished his real name was actually 'Oliver'. But only as she acknowledged that, he could ask for nothing more but hear her call him with passion. 

He placed a hand on her cheek and said, "Just know this, Akwa, I will always be here for you, if you need anything, I'll be here. I'm lucky to find you?"

She placed her hand on his and replied, "No, I am the lucky one, that's all I remember. From day one, you helped me one way or the other, you've really had my back, for that Olie, for that, thank you 3000."

He could hardly restrain the ocean of emotions of joy, pressuring it's way through laughter. His cheeks held the laughter occupied, is heart held the joy, from the pounding of his chest, eyes fixed at her. 

They sat very close to each other, both could see each others reflection in their eyes, soaked in intense emotions. At that moment, the world be damned, they cared less of the random activities of the wide, only aware of what sat in front of them. Gradually they both were falling weight to the front, like magnets, they were covering the void between them till they could no more breath the flowing air, but theirs alone. And the closer they got, the heavier their eyes fell, shallow like they were under hypnosis. And just as there was no more little gap separating them, Akwa felt his stiff grip of her body against his, softly stroking her hair. Her eyes regained full sight and she heaved a deep sigh of relief, resting her chin on his back. 

Soon, the sunlight from the sky began to fade away, skies dark, it was time for rain. They ambled down the mountain without talking at all. They obviously lacked what to say or how to begin, courtesy of the incident on the rock surface. This went on, but not as they earlier left the mountain, they along said a few words to each other. 

Akwa had returned back to the hostels, then, the sun had completely slept. She sat on her bed, just after writing in her journal and was holding it against her chest, as she commonly does. Nanklin thought of what must have possibly went wrong with the outing. Akwa looked bemused, worried, and mostly keeping to herself, she even, barely touched the food Nanklin prepared. 

"Miss Cute, what's wrong with you, what happened?" Nanklin asked, hopping from her bed to Akwa's. 

"I've never felt like this before," she said softly. "he asked me if I love someone but I didn't answer, cus I'm not sure. Plus we almost kissed."

"Wow!" Nanklin exclaimed. 

Further Nanklin as well joined the club of mutes. The ebullient Nanklin ran out of words to say, she instead wrapped Akwa in her arms, friendly tapping her back.