The Unclosed door... Part 2

Bola ran to me and dragged me to the restroom. She knows me well enough to be sure that the next thing I will do is burst into tears. It had always been my defence mechanism anytime she catches me doing anything wrong.

She sure didn’t want me to be labelled as “crybaby” by my classmates on the first day of school. I tried to tell her what happened amidst the tears but it just made me cry more. She hugged me tight and told me to finish crying before talking. When I was satisfied, I told her what happened…or what I thought happened.

“Did you check for your lunchbox where you put yours and it wasn’t there?”

“How will it be there when she was eating from it” I answered.

Why was she even questioning me?…I thought, she should have rushed to deal with the talkative thief already.

 “Let us go and check where you kept yours first” she checked my face to be sure that there were no traces of my tears and then took me to the classroom.

 As we passed the eating area, I saw the talkative thief, visibly shaken and still with my lunchbox. I quickly imagined what Bola would do to her after she confirms that she stole my lunch box and my food. I trust her, she wouldn’t take it lightly. At that moment, I was glad that I was in the same school with Bola. If she wasn’t here, who would defend me from bullies who steal people’s food? I would have been really lonely.

“Layoo, is this not your lunchbox under your chair?” Lo and behold! My lunchbox was just where I kept it.

“Buttt…she had the same… and the yam… I am sorry” I couldn’t even look at her in the face.

 “its okay…you should apologize to the girl” I nodded, still staring at the lunchbox with all amazement. Just at that time, “the talkative thief” as I have named her in my head, came in with her lunchbox looking scared. Bola called her and explained what happened to her after which she told me to apologize and I did. From that moment, Tayo became my best friend. We became inseparable …even till now.

Tayo is a very jovial girl. I like to call her a happy child. Even after what I did to her…or what I almost did, she accepted my apology with a smile and switched back to her talking mode almost immediately. I wouldn’t understand how anybody could talk as much as she does. People have always said the reason why she talks as much is because I don’t talk as much…so we are meant to complement each other. Maybe that is true. She has used her mouth to talk us out of trouble a lot of times but she has also used her mouth to lure me into trouble a few times. She just wouldn’t stop talking until I say yes. That is why on the day she persuaded me to follow her to see her brother, I eventually said yes.

We were in SSS2 and on one of our visiting days, my parents were out of town and Bola was away in school. Tayo didn’t want me to feel alone and abandoned so she already informed her brother that he should also buy things for her friend when he’s coming.

From everything Tayo says, her brother adores her just like Bola adores me so she was sure he would do just as she said.

“Uncle Jide….Uncle Jidee” With the speed of light, Tayo ran off to go and hug the closest person she can call a sibling. Tayo has been calling “Uncle Jide” her brother since when she was little but in reality she and Uncle Jide are cousins. She lost her Mom at a tender age and has since then been living with her aunty; Uncle Jide’s mom. She says a lot of nice things about her “mum” and the family but the major person she wouldn’t stop talking about is her “Uncle Jide.”

Uncle Jide and Tayo are complete opposites in appearance just like Bola and I are.  Tayo is fair in complexion and short…at least I was way taller than her, and had more flesh. In fact as at then, I could pass as a University student because of my stature but I was only a year older than Tayo. Uncle Jide is really tall and dark in complexion. The truth is that Uncle Jide and I could easily pass as siblings just as Bola and Tayo could since they even share the same jovial nature.

“Uncle Jide…this is Layo, my best friend”

“Oh! finally meet the Layo you wont stop talking about, Layo this, Layo that… elejowewe” They both giggled as he tickled her. He looked away from her to greet me as I bent to him in respect.

“Good afternoon Uncle Jide, I have heard so much about you too…its nice to finally meet you”

 When I didn’t get a response, I looked up to see Uncle Jide looking so shocked… or at least so I thought. No one has ever looked at me that way….like I was placed under a microscope. I felt so uneasy, I wanted to hide.

“Ermmm Layo…its cool…I mean… nice seeing you”

That moment, I knew I shouldn’t have said yes to Tayo.

To be continued...