CHAPTER 18 –
© OPEYEMI OJERINDE AKINTUNDE
“So this is what all the drama has been about? You
want to marry your rich Bishop’s son?” Daniel said
“Daniel, there is nothing between Reuben and I, he is
just my friend”
“A friend that brought you to school and was
smooching you here before he left, Nwala you are such
a slut…, so how many times has he slept with you?”
“Daniel stop it”
“Stop what?”
“Stop your stupid assumptions, I am not dating him” He took my phone from me and went straight to my
inbox, and oh my goodness, Reuben’s messages filled
it.
“Obviously, you are just friends,” Daniel said throwing
my phone on the floor and stepping on it. “Daniel stop it, stop it…” I screamed, ” That phone
cost a fortune…
“Nwala, I have been with you for years, standing by
you, even respecting your virginity”
“But now, you want to leave me because I am broke, No problem, I assure you, I will make it, this phone is
just a reflection of what you have done to me. You
have always made me believe love has made us equal, but thanks for throwing me to the ground where I
belong and crushing me” Daniel said as he walked
away…
I was too weak to know what to do…
I had two roommates; June and Shalewa. They were
yet to resume, so I was the only one in the room. I lay
on my bed, holding my crushed phone and all I could
hear over and over were Daniel’s words. I felt like a
betrayer. He was wrong, I was not going to let him be
crushed. I was going to marry Daniel…
* The next morning, I went to the phone shop in school
and got a small phone that didn’t have internet
compatibility. I recovered my line. The first thing I did
was to call Reuben…
“Oh Finally! I was beginning to regret my traveling
home last night… I have been calling since last night”
“So sorry, my phone got broken, it fell…”
“Oh my! Have you fixed it?”
“It’s beyond fixing”
‘Can I get you a new one?”
“No…” I shouted
Silence followed and I got to speak before
his manipulation weakened me again. “Reuben this has to stop, I can’t do it” Reuben was silent, and then I guess he made sense of what
could have happened
“Daniel?”
“Yes, he was here last night when you dropped me off, he saw me hugging you and…”
“He got angry and broke your phone?”
“Yes…”
“That’s not right”
“I know what’s right for me, and Reuben please, can
we stop?”
“If that’s what you want” Reuben replied
“Thank you, so please no calls, and especially no text…”
He became quiet “Are you there?” I asked
“Yeah…”
“No calls, no text”
“Bye Nwala” He dropped the call…
I felt sad for Reuben, but I had to do what I had to do…
By the time Reuben dropped the call, I was by the
University garden. I walked towards one of the garden chairs and sat on
it. My legs suddenly felt weak.
I dialed Daniel’s number and I was extremely
surprised he picked up…
“Hello”
“Daniel, can I have 10 minutes”
“Speak on”
“Daniel …” I told him all that had been happening
honestly and how involved my mum was. I assured
him that I had ended the friendship with Reuben…
“Daniel, for you to be sure that I belong to you, Get me
pregnant… that way my parents will have no choice
than let me marry you”
“Nwala”
“Yes Dee”
“No… I can’t do that… I want to marry you because I
deserve you, not because I got you pregnant” Daniel
said affirmatively
“So how do I earn your trust?” I asked
“You just earned it” Daniel said…
And that was how everything went back to normal…
To be continued…