Walk With Me

Prologue: Beautiful delusions

High school

"Nwogu Ijeoma, please come in."

Finally. I'd been standing outside the board room for sometime now. With a few of my team, as the board members discussed our request for the final time. It's been meeting after meeting, I really don't understand them. You either approve or not. There's no need complicating everything.

I closed the door and went to stand at the center of the room, looked at each one of them in the eye and lastly at the board president.

"This is the final meeting held for your proposal. It has been approved. Take note of these following conditions however....."

I blanked out when they started talking. The way they're going over this, you'd think it was something serious. Common to allow students to host a valentine party, they're here doing too much.

When I got to the hostel much later, after missing my lunch that is. Everywhere was quiet. I got to my corner and Kamso was on her bed reading a book. As usual. Romance if I have to guess.

"You're back." She grinned and put a bookmark between the pages.

"How did it go. Did they approve?" She asked. I tried to play it down but I ended up grinning as well. I nodded and she clapped and kicked her feet happily.

"I want to believe you're happy for me, but I know its because you get to go on a date with Mike." I said giving her a side eye.

She narrowed her eyes at me but I only shrugged and went ahead to change to my day clothes.

"So who's your date for the Valentine dinner." She asked when I returned. I chuckled and pulled out my planner.

"Date?" I chuckled again while I flipped through the pages. "I'm going to be running around that day as the planner. Who has time to be messing around with these our stupid class boys..... No offense to your boyfriend."

She shook her head and waved it off. She grabbed a pillow and placed on her laps "It's just that the way you've been pushing to host this party, plus the theme you chose. I genuinely thought you had a change of mind... and view on love...and marriage."

I looked up from what I was writing and regarded her for a minute "If anyone needs a change in view on love Kamso, it's you. No offense but sometimes I feel like you live in a bubble. I wish you would have a more realistic view of life and love."

"Which is?"

"Transactional, for lack of better word to describe it...." I was still talking when she started shaking her head.

"Ij stop. I can't listen to this your sad, cold story right now. When you fall in love, you'll know. This person will cross your path and all of a sudden you wonder how you lived without them. Your mind is calm, your soul is lit–"

I waved my hands to interrupt her "Kamso biko, ejo. Let's just agree to disagree. One day you'll suffocate me with corny words. Which novel did you read this one from."

"Your parents don't have to be the model for–"

"Don't bring them into this please." I bit out. My mood darkening already.

"Oya sorry. Anyway, Jekwu met me today and he wanted to–"

I looked up at her and glared. Jekwu was another annoying human being. Irritating rather, is a closer term to how I feel about him.

"Dead that talk." I snapped at her and she raised both hands up.

"Yeah. Let's talk about something else." She changed the topic and I went along with it. But my mind went to my parents since she brought them up.

I wonder how my mum was doing. I wonder if she's moved on. If she's happy.

The Dinner

"You really outdid yourself today social prefect." I turned to the teasing voice and Mike was coming up behind me.

I shrugged and looked around again. The decor was perfect like I imagined. The tables the center pieces, everything. "Well what can I–"

I noticed he wasn't listening anymore and glanced at the doorway to see what distracted him. I rolled my eyes when I saw Kamso walking in. She smiled at us when she noticed us and did a little wave.

"Hey beautiful." Mike said as she got to where we stood.

"Omo you guys should go somewhere else with all the cheesiness." I slightly pushed at both of them.

But Kamso stayed back and whispered to me
"You're going to meet someone one day Ij. And he's going to show you a side to you that you never knew existed."

"That is so nauseatingly corny." I cringed at her words. Leave it to Kamso to bring love into everything.

"Ok." She simply shrugged. "Shebi I'll be there to see it happen." She said and started going over to where every other person stood.

"It's never going to happen." I whispered to myself. She turned back as if she heard and only smiled at me like she knew something I didn't.

I watched as she got to where Mike was. He pulled the chair for her, not this girl blushing. Eww.
Can never be me. I shook my head and smiled at their silliness before moving on to check if every other thing was going as planned.

Perfect.

I stood at the side of the hall and watched when it was time for couples to dance. As they all moved to the dance floor. I watched the little interactions, the smiles. And I wondered how it would be to live in such delusions.

But as I watched them, a part of me, a tiny part of me.... Wished to be deluded as well.

A/N
It's weird coming back to writing after so many years. You guys, vote and leave your comments.
Xoxo ❤️