THE LADIES
We were
like sisters but we were just friends. To us, it wasn’t anything more or less
but people had seen more. They had seen what looked like a similar trait in us.
We both had same beautiful smiles as they had observed. But I hadn’t seen
anything physical about me and Tolu. After all, she is Yoruba while I am Igbo,
so where did the similarity come from? But the love we had for each other is
something that had proven so hard to explain.
Tolu and I met during one of our Physics classes in secondary
school. That happened to be her first day at school. What struck me first was
the clear cut contrast in our attitudes to questions. The Physics teacher, who
would always throw her questions to those who cared to answer, found the best
companion in Tolu that day. I always knew the answers to most of her questions
but I wouldn’t answer until she points her finger directly at me. Tolu was
different. She would raise her hands anytime a question was asked and she would
answer correctly. After the class, I busied myself with some self assignments.
Someone walked up to my desk and stood. At first I pretended as though I never
noticed a presence, then she spoke.
‘Hello, please where can I wee?’ I looked up and I noticed
how so beautiful she was. She looked so tender and her skin shone so brightly
even as dark as she was. I had been scrutinizing the poor helpless girl for
many seconds now, she was becoming so uneasy. I smiled and she did the same
shyly.
‘Wow!’ I exclaimed.
There was something really about her smile that caught my
attention as well, it was just like mine.
‘Lemme take you there’. I offered. ‘Oh, thanks so much’. She
said, sounding as though I had offered to help her ease her near-bursting
bladder. I quickly packed up my books and led the way towards the ladies.
We had been very good friends since then. We sat on the same
seat row and took turns in answering questions in classes. Our fame grew.
When we finished our secondary education, we sat for the
University Entrance Examination. We both wanted to attend the same school and
surprisingly we both had the same ambition to study medicine. We eventually got
the admission at the University of Nigeria but unfortunately I wasn’t offered
admission to study medicine but Tolu got it. I didn’t have to reject micro
biology, so I went for it. We both started off together with our campus lives
as we were, friends. Though we didn’t rent same apartment, but we saw each
other more often almost on daily bases. Tolu never failed to tell me stories
about the guys who came her way and how she ended up taking their money and
leaving them to beg almost to death just to plant a peck on her cheeks. I
couldn’t help laughing. I wasn’t that tough on guys on campus, I simply told
them my big “NO” and that was it. I was always afraid they might want to get
back at me if I spent their money without giving in to their requests but here
is my best friend totally unafraid and we made jokes out of them all. We went
for night classes together on weekends and that helped us a lot during our
tests and examinations. After the night classes, we would go home to rest and
then visit ourselves later during the day. We would have fun together with the
other girls in the neighbourhood, and later on we would do the cooking and
laundry together. It was always fun all the way.
Tolu and I took turns to visit each
other at our houses on weekly basis. This particular week end, it was my turn
to visit her. I got home after our usual night class and found out the one of
our neighbours, Beauty, was playing some loud tunes and that made the whole
compound to be filled with some confused noises, so I couldn’t even wink in that confusion. I later learnt
from the other neighbour, Eunice that Beauty’s boyfriend just came back from Germany
and had proposed to her, so she was throwing a big party to celebrate both for
his arrival and for her engagement. ‘Lucky ones!’ I sighed as I went straight
to the bathroom. As I hurried through a cold shower I was also day-dreaming
about how my Prince-in-Shiny-Armor could just come and take me to his little
kingdom. How stupid I was to think about that now, I realised. I had my
education to complete before anything else. Though I longed for the right man
but I kept telling myself that the right time would surely come but right then
I needed to catch some good sleep. I made for Tolu’s house after dressing up and
the room tidied. I was almost sleeping on my way. I pounded heavily on her door
and she opened.
‘Uju, what happened?’ she asked half awoke and with some tone
of surprise in her voice.
‘My dear my compound is filled with some hell of noise, lemme
sleep here please.’
‘Of course common in,’ she beckoned. I walked straight to the
bed and lay down and we didn’t speak anymore so I dozed off.
I was awakened by some disturbing sensitive touches. My senses
became alert but my eyes were still closed. It was like a dream. But someone was
actually touching me so erotically. Who could that be? I thought I was sleeping
in my friend’s house? was this some kind of joke or what? Wait a minute! I quickly opened my
eyes and I got her hands off my body. I stood up and she pretended to be
seriously dozing. I looked at her face, went straight and grabbed my bag. I
hadn’t been this irritated in my life. I made towards the door and she stirred.
‘Where are you going to?’ she asked, still pretending.
‘I am leaving.’
‘why? Aint you goinno stay for our stuff?’
‘No’ I answered almost shouting.
‘It’s ok then. See you later’ she said and laid down again in
pretence. I watched her for few seconds. Confused even more, I walked out of
the door slamming it behind me. My heart was heavy. When did Tolu turn to this?
I never knew her to be a lesbian. Was she like this before I met her back in
secondary school or did she learn it from her friends here on campus? But why
hadn’t I noticed all these while? Oh my God! I couldn’t bring myself to that
conclusion. I needed to do something about it and that very fast. I couldn’t
let things be the same way I found them. I needed to confront her if that would
help. I turned and started again to Tolu’s house. I was so obsessed that I
forgot to knock. I violently pushed the door wide open and couldn’t believe my
eyes! There was Tolu my best friend and Nneka her neighbour, both completely
nude, kissing and hugging each other! I had barely left the house!
‘Oh my God!’ I exclaimed.
I nearly threw up. The
sight was disgusting. I stood, shocked, glued at the spot I didn’t move for two
minutes. They both ran for their clothes. I opened my mouth no words came. Tolu
finally got her clothes but couldn’t wear them. She too stood with her head
lowered. By this time I had found my feet. I turned and walked slowly out of
the room. This time my head was blank. I didn’t know what else to think about. I
got to my room, walked straight to the bed and laid down. Beauty’s music was
still wailing from the next door. I took the advantaged of the noise and I
cried so bitterly. I needed to unburden my heavy heart and so I did. I slept
off after.
My message alert tone woke me up. I picked up my phone and checked,
it was a message from my best friend, Tolu. It reads:
Dearest Uju, I knw how u wil feel abt
all dat hapnd 2day. Wel, I neva intended 2 try it on u cos u’v bn my 6ta. Dis is
wot I enjoy doin now. I’m not in2 men & u already knw dat. I luv fellas lyk
me. I have already made up my mind 2 quit dis relationship cos u cant stop me
& am sure u wont want 2 hang out wit someone as “dirty” as I am. So pls
lets kip it d “hello/hi” affair 4rm now on, no more, no less. Am sorry. Bye 4
now.
It was a long text indeed and I felt so weak after reading it.
How would I survive without my best friend? I kept wondering.
Two weeks
without Tolu hadn’t been easy. Going to night classes all alone, going home
after lectures all alone, no laughter, no discussions. On several occasions I had
bumped into her with her friends. She seemed not to care about anything. She was
still in her best moods. We only stared at each other without expression and
walked away. A week later I developed a severe fever. I couldn’t go to school. I
stayed indoors and there was no one to take care of me. I couldn’t call my
parents. I was scared they might find out about me and Tolu and it could worsen
the whole situation. I was so down that I only ate when I had the strength to. I
missed Tolu so much.
One afternoon, I felt a very hard lump in my stomach. It was
painful. I decided to ignore it at first maybe the pains would subside with
time. But I got it all wrong. Instead, the pains increased more and more. I groaned
in pain and out of fear. I was passing on gradually. I rolled on the bed with
my two hands clutching my stomach. There was no one close. My neighbours had
gone out for lectures and for other businesses. I groaned and cried. I saw my
life fizzling away in minutes and I was so scared. Suddenly I heard a knock on
my door. A savior had finally come! I cried and groaned the more. The person couldn’t
open the door, I locked it from the inside and I couldn’t put myself together
to crawl to the door. I was now gasping for breath, I was dying slowly. The knocks
increased to bangs and then to kicks, hard kicks and the door opened. Tolu rushed
towards me with tears in her eyes. She lifted me without saying a word but all
cries. She yelled out for help several times, she was agitated. Then Pa Ngozi,
the only married man in our compound, came rushing in. they both lifted me and
brought me outside. I was still crying and groaning. Tolu stopped a taxi and
they took me in. we drove off to the hospital. Tolu held my hands and she said
so many reassuring words to me. I wasn’t listening. I was looking at the fear
in her eyes…the love we both shared. Even in my pains inside me there was now
peace. A flutter of joy flashed through my heart. I was dying but I was alive
inside of me. Then I closed my eyes.
When I opened my eyes, it was Tolu’s beautiful smile that
greeted me first. I tried to move my limbs and the hurt so badly. She held me
as if she is my mother.
‘How long have I been here?’ I asked. ‘Two days my love, she
said softly. ‘your mum was here, she has gone to see the doctor. I am glad you
are now awake’.
She came and sat on the edge of the bed. She held my hand in
hers,
’Uju, I’m so sorry for
everything. I know I put you through all these but believe me it hadn’t been
easy with me either. I failed a test because I was unable to concentrate any
more on my studies these past few weeks’. She looked away and said, ‘I caught
her with another girl so we broke up and since then I decided to quit and I did
not because of her anyway, but because I was losing you and I missed you so
badly, the only true friend I got. I shouldn’t have let you go through all
these’. She looked straight into my eyes pleadingly she said, ‘baby please
forgive me. I promise I wont hurt you anymore. Please let’s be friends again. I…’
‘shhhhhhhh!!!!’ I whispered. All these while I watched her talk I never said a
word. For some seconds our eyes were locked into each others’, filled with so
much love and affection. ‘Please where can I wee?’ I asked her. Then I smiled
and she did the same, it was as if we just met. She stood up, ‘Lemme take you
there’. She offered. She helped me up from the bed and supported my waist with
her right arm as we walked slowly into the ladies…
