“Sewa, aso e fine gan. You know ko si big deal ninu style yi ti o ran.”
With my back turned so my mum can’t see me, I roll my eyes and reply her in my mind. Yes Mum, I know the fabric is fine, but you’re just hating because I didn’t sew the style you picked for me and I am also aware there isn’t a big deal in the style of my outfit—a simple short-sleeved gown that flares down from below my breasts to my knees. It’s classic, beautiful, and comfortable. One of Jide’s friends is getting married, and he asked me to be his date for the event and so he can also introduce me to his friends.
During the week on Tuesday, Jide had come to take me out for a quick lunch during my break at a restaurant near my workplace. My lunch break is one hour, and since I’m still a newbie even if two weeks old, I still have to be the perfect new employee. I made sure we kept to time, and I was returned back to the office before my time was up.
I was very glad he came—I enjoyed being in his company even if I acted like he was a pest. More than a week without seeing him felt more like two months, and that was how I knew I was in over my head for him. It was during this break he told me about the wedding which would be on Saturday and asked me if I would like to accompany him, and my answer was yes.
When he dropped me off back at the office, he removed the bag containing the invitation and aso-ebi from his boot and gave it to me. I laughed because what if I had said no, I would be busy on the day. He said he was being hopeful and that was why he got it already. He offered to pay the amount it would cost to sew the material, but I kindly declined. My tailor and I have our own understanding, and sewing clothes with her are affordable for me.
I am applying nude-coloured lip gloss to my lips to finish my look, peering through my small mirror. I can see my mummy hovering at the entrance of my room, so I know she has something on her mind she wants to address. I don’t know why she won’t just come out with it already.
“Mummy, what is it?”
She sighs dramatically, enters my room, and lies down on my bed, getting comfortable before she speaks.
“I hope this Jide person is a good man, this one that you won’t bring him to the house so I can question him. You can never be too careful these days.”
“Haba Mummy, I’ll be fine. Nothing can happen, and I have a good feeling about him. Besides, when am I not careful?”
“I’m just saying, Sewa. I hear news every day about young women who get raped, kidnapped, killed, and used for rituals. Many people are not who they pretend to be.”
“God forbid o! It will not happen to me, by God’s grace. Mum, stop depressing yourself with such thoughts. I am protected, and nothing of such shall befall our family and friends.”
“Amen. I’ve heard you. It’s just my reminder for you to be wise and careful. I wish you well in this relationship. I want you to be happy. If this is the man God says is for you, so will it be, and if not, you will still be alright.”
“I hear you, and Mummy, I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
My mum is on her way out of my room when we hear the doorbell go off. She looks at me, and I look at the time. It’s five minutes past one, and Jide told me to expect him by one so we can get to the wedding party venue around two or a bit past it, because the wedding is being held on the island and driving from the mainland there will take more than half an hour or more depending on traffic.
“That’s him at the door?”
My phone starts ringing, and Jide’s name pops up. I nod at my mum, and I know she’s going to go and hound him. I quickly select the wedges I’m wearing, spray myself with my perfume, and remove the scarf I had tied to set my edges. I look in my full-length mirror and love what I see staring back at me. I put the invitation, my lip gloss, phone, and wallet into my strapless purse and head for the parlour.
My mum has Jide sitting on the long sofa, a glass cup filled halfway with chilled apple juice along with the carton on a mini-table in front of him. She is on a single couch beside him. She might have been grilling him because Jide is explaining something to her, and she is smiling at him.
He stops speaking once he sees me and stands up, a huge grin is on his face, and the way he is looking at me makes me blush. Take that, Mum. Even if there is no big deal in my outfit, it’s clear that Jide thinks I look beautiful in it. His agbada makes him look like someone of importance and so smart—I love how he is wearing his outfit, his fila perched perfectly on his head.
“Sorry, ma, your daughter looks more beautiful each time I see her.”
I know my cheeks are out because I can’t control the big smile that takes over my face at his compliment. My mum gets up from the sofa and smiles at both of us.
“Let me let you both be going. We’ll continue talking another time, Jide. Just be good to my daughter, and she will be good to you also.”
“Yes, ma, I will return her to you in one piece. Thank you, ma, for trusting her with me.”
I gag. Jide is sucking up to my mum and telling her things she wants to hear, which is extremely cute, but it’s making me uncomfortable. I put my hand on his arm and drag him away as I say goodbye to my mum.
Once we are in his car and he starts driving, he goes ahead to talk about how he likes my mum and how cool she is. When I ask him what they had been talking about in the short minutes it took for me to come out of my room, he refuses to answer and just says my mum and him came to an understanding.
The bride is Jide’s friend. They went to university together and have kept in touch since then, so I understand now why he said I’m going to be meeting a lot of his friends. I guess a lot of people who went to university with them will be in attendance. I feel a little nervous because I’m going to be at an event where I know only one person, and I know a lot of people’s attention is going to be on me, not only as the odd one out but as Jide’s date.
The venue is at one of the big event centres on the island. There was little traffic on our way, so we got there a little past two. The place is so full, I’m surprised Jide found space to park his car. He links my arm in his, holding our invitations, and leads me to the entrance. He greets several people but doesn’t stop to chit-chat.
The inside of the venue is beautifully arranged, and it’s clear that the hall has been divided into two. One part is for the young people, guests of the bride and groom, and the other is for the elders, the guests of the parents. It’s also clear that different aso-ebi has been selected for the young and the old.
Jide leads me to the right towards a table with young men and women like him near the stage where the bride and groom comfortably sit. They are all excited to see him, and he receives a couple of hand slaps and greetings from his friends. He introduces me to them as his girlfriend. When he says that, he looks at me like he knows I want to object to his statement, but I will when we are alone.
After that, he leads me to the stage where we congratulate the latest married couple, and he hands the bride an envelope. She hugs him and me, making sure we take a picture with them before releasing us.
Once we are seated, a waiter approaches us and hands us each a menu. I go through the list and decide on eating ofada rice and assorted meat. I give him back the menu, and Jide goes for the same, always copying me.
Jide takes a cup and pours a glass of champagne into it and fills it with ice before he offers it to me, but I kindly decline and ask for a glass of juice instead. I don’t want to get slightly intoxicated.
“Finally, I am meeting the lady that has Jide’s boxers in a twist. I’m Coker, his best bud.”
I didn’t notice Coker take the empty seat beside me because I was discussing drinks with Jide, and I smile politely at him. I have equally heard about him on two occasions in passing from Jide who was recounting the crazy things his friend made him participate in.
“And I finally meet the infamous Coker.”
He laughs at my response and relaxes into his seat. I turn to look at Jide who smiles and shakes his head at his friend’s antics.
“Guy, why are you beside my woman? Go and find your own o,” Jide says, and it’s my turn to laugh.
Coker is handsome, and clearly, it won’t be hard for him to find a woman for himself. In fact, there are plenty of beautiful women sitting at this table for one not to have a thing with him.
The food arrives, and Jide and I instantly dig in. This ofada sauce is killing it, complementing the rice so well. Coker talks to Jide and me as we eat, keeping us good company. I notice a young woman giving me curious looks, her eyes moving from me to Jide and from me to Coker. After catching her trying to stealthy-stare at us for the fifth time, I ask them if they know her, and the groan that leaves Coker’s mouth makes me smirk.
I was right in my assumption about one of the women at the table having a thing with Coker. The next time I catch her staring at me, I smile widely at her. She quickly looks away before looking back at me with a you-got-me smile.
Her name is Jumoke. Coker and she were a couple until recently, but since they moved within the same circle of friends, meetings like this will always happen.
Once we’re done eating all sort of treats that the waiters and waitresses bring to our table, Jide drags me to the dance floor to bust some moves with the bride and groom, so he can shower them with money as they dance.
Soon, everyone at our table is on the dance floor grooving to the tunes the DJ is playing and having fun. When I get tired, Jide leads us back to our table. We notice it is getting late, and since we are going back to the mainland, we decide it is time for us to go. We say our goodbyes to the married couple and his friends before leaving the wedding venue.
At the car park, once we get to his car, his arm unlinks from mine and goes to hold my waist. He turns me to face him and pulls me in before his lips close over mine, and when I move closer to him, the kiss becomes deeper.
That’s how I end up French-kissing someone in an open public space without a care of my surroundings.