ALMOST IN LOVE II

Anybody home? I know it is time, no need to remind me.

To those who were patient enough to accept their fate, thank you.

To those who slid into my DM to threaten me that they will write the rest of the story themselves because they know it (like Dunco), God is watching you in 3D.

To those who wept, wailed and wheedled just to get me to complete the story last week (like Taiwo), the rest is here now, relax.

To those who regaled me with my history to tell me that they have been with me from when I discovered my writing skills (like Nike), I hail o.

Oya, let’s get cracking! Where was I?

That was how in the days of not knowing what type of sweetness would be in the rock, I gave my word not to take honey from the rock. You don’t know what I am talking about? Oya, here is the link, go and read up – https://jummycaxton.art.blog/2021/12/05/almost-in-love/

After reassuring MyPearl that I would never date him, he found his peace and regained his smile and we went back whole-heartedly into our daily 2-hour calls. Of course, for those of you who love love, you already know that in no time, the 2hours were no longer enough. That was when we now added the scattered mid-day calls. In essence, MyPearl turned me into a hermit. I couldn’t go out for long because he would soon call. Imagine walking a visitor and excusing yourself to go back home and sit beside the phone… The silly things we do for emotions we cannot call love.

I am sure you are wondering what stage of life I was in in the year 2000. Well, I changed departments to Law in 1999 and as such I was in 200 Level Law (since I had to repeat 200level). As with University studies back then, it was riddled with all sorts of strikes. So, the boost my relationship with MyPearl had was a strike. Our “honeymoon stage” situationship was truncated when the strike that kept me beside the phone was called off and I had to go back to school, which meant no more access to the phone. There were still no mobile phones then.

Aside from the lack of communication, resumption introduced a new complication into our relationship – his younger brother. Let’s call him Jon. Don’t think too far yet. Let me take you there. Now, MyPearl was 6years and a week older than me. His brother, was two weeks older than me. However, I has spent over 3years in the University environment and as such I was a veteran student. So, my first official contact with Jon was when money was sent to him through me. MyPearl’s girlfriend gave me in church for onward transmission to him. I went on a quick visit to his hostel room to deliver it. By then, I had headed the Drama team in fellowship for some two years. I was a respected somebody.

Almighty Jumoke, Departmental Head and PCF Leader came to visit bearing good cash tidings from his brother. Well, my friendship with Jon was an instantaneous hit. This was not a telephone-induced closeness. We literally became inseparable. Of course, my course of study and his were not the same and as such we could not be joined at the hips. However, I got stuck to him like white on rice and so, come 4pm, Jon would be the very first person to walk into Queens’ Hall to mark register in my E2 Room. We would be together till fellowship time or nightfall, depending on the day of the week.

MyPearl was around every weekend. He worked in Ilorin but worshipped in Ibadan. As you already suspected, his relationship didn’t make it to the 3-month mark after we started communicating with such intensity. I am sure she blamed me for the end of the relationship. However, after signing my pact, when he soberly announced to me that the relationship didn’t seem to be working, I promptly dissociated myself from the break up process and stayed on my lane. It didn’t stop them from breaking up. It didn’t make the break up less painful for either of them either. I stayed away because my name must not come up. No one accused me of anything to my face. All was well, with me.

Like you probably know, there are two sides to the reduced communication coin. One side reads “Out of sight is out of mind”, while the other side reads “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” So, while MyPearl and I were busy missing each other, I was relatively busier and so I missed him less. He took that to mean he was out of my mind, while my absence was worsening the attachment at his end. He also had to watch Jon and I grow closer steadily, on a weekly basis. I never sought his take on this. After all, we had signed a pact that I would stay on my lane forever.

On weekend, work was going to keep him in Ilorin for the weekend. That was when he proposed that Jon should bring me over for the weekend. This is the part of the story where my siblings and family members (in general) should close their eyes and skip reading. Anyway, MyPearl sent money and Jon and I were on our way. We took a cab from Ojoo. I am sure I slept with my head on Jon’s shoulder. I always slept when traveling back then. We got there early. MyPearl hadn’t closed from work so he took Jon and I to his apartment and left us alone to return to work. Of all the things he had to entertain me with, he gave me a jigsaw puzzle. The type with a million pieces. I have suffered in this life.

When he closed, he brought us food and we ate and were replete. However, being with both of them that night drew my attention to something – I was in trouble. I had two doe-eyed young men hanging unto every word I spoke. Kai. The apartment was a one-bed. Decisions had to be made. Would they both sleep on the floor with me on the bed? That sounded like the way to treat a lady – if you ask me. You know when you embark on an adventure and you jump off the aircraft only to remember that you did not wear your chute? Realization of the quandary dawned late. What had I gotten myself into???

As you probably guessed (I know you imagined the worst! Get your mind out of the gutters joo), nothing unusual happened. Now you want me to define what is usual, shey? Na you know. I got the bed. Yet, the way these things go, two of the three of us did not get much sleep that night. We talked all night. It sounded like Christian courtship. Where you get all the tense moments, fear physical contact and then keep talking to each other, especially since you had company that was looking up to both of you spiritually. It was a long night because of the tension. It was a short night because of the emotion you can’t call love.

Well, that was the story o, and we lived happily ever after. Now I know some people are definitely coming for my head. MyPearl and I were and are very good friends till date. I suspect that he cannot really understand why our friendship never made it to the next stage. Let me tell you the secret – because of my superpowers. I honoured my word of never dating him. Jon, apparently, never really understood my relationship with MyPearl. Thus, he never understood why our own relationship was not progressing to the next level either. Unfortunately, because of MyPearl, he had been brother-zoned before he even made it into my life.

Don’t think the ending of the story was easy o! Sometime in 2001, I had to explain my relationship with MyPearl to Jon. We didn’t have the opportunity to talk at length and so I wrote him so long a letter, as was my custom at the time. You would not believe it o, that letter I wrote was the end of our tight and committed friendship. After reading that letter, he just stopped talking to me. Looked through me if we met anywhere, like I didn’t exist! Now, that hurt more than wanting to test the dating waters with MyPearl and not being able to. I lost a true and dear friend to mismatched expectations. At least, with MyPearl, I made a conscious choice. With Jon… It is what it is.

Are there any sisters in the audience with stories of brothers? Please share your experience. This wasn’t my first brothers escapade sha. One day, you will hear the gist of S and B; brothers that stayed on my street when I was in secondary school. That one was even more dramatic. Until then, please stay safe and define your relationships. Shadows will cost you so much more than good intentions would get for you.

See you next Saturday!