A year on Venus

14: pretty but sad eyes!

I stood up from the sofa in my room and moved to find a soft spot to keep the master card at. I finally did and I was about to got in loo and had brush when I remembered I haven't eaten a thing. I stood still before finally shrugging it off. I have lost my appetite after all. I'm just waiting for the better hour of calling after they land. With that I brushed my teeth, prayed witr before finally drifting to sleep.

Keeping to my promise, I did call my parents. They assured me they landed safely, and I couldn't be more grateful to Allah. That was all I wanted—for them to arrive safely and my lord answered my silent prayer. Alhamdulillah.

***

It's been three days already. I've been attending classes and nothing much happened. Just the usual, no friends and no acquaintances. Okay maybe if not for this one guy that just bolted outta nowhere on my second day at school and began asking of the tanning spray i'm using. According to him my skin color was great and glowy. I was shocked at that. I remember rushing to class that afternoon because I didn't want to be late. And he bolted out of nowhere and the next thing I heard was, "You are glowing. Your skin color is goal so may I know the tanning spray?" I just kept looking at him. I didn't know what to answer him with. Honestly, to me that was madness on high level. "Common you can share with me. I have a clear skin I know but I don't want it so fair like this. Moderately fair like yours will be cool." He added. I had to fought the urge of slaking my mouth. Eversince my mom gave birth to me, this skin I have, have never ever witnessed any skin care product, or any tanning spray.

I thought maybe he was mistaking my identity, but who would think of a Nigerian Fulani to be Scottish or white or whatever? Anyways I tried clearing the misunderstanding because I wanted to be in class. The only thing that came to my mouth was to tell him I'm not who he thought I was. "I'm not white." I plainly dropped the bomb.

"Of-course you ain't white. You work hard on your skin that you vanished your white color, that's why I need the brand name of your tanning products." That came out quietly.

Wow, he didn't get it. He didn't get the fact that i'm not white. He thought I was one. Did I even dressed like them? I literally looked at my legs, and yeah maybe I dressed like them a little. Because I was in jeans and this huge jacket, because it was mad shivery. Scotland got this crazy shivering weather. And maybe jeans and jacket were enough to make me look like them. But what would he say about my accent? I know my friends have always detected my accent a bit American but I don't believe so, I thought this guy would actually detects my origin from my accent, but it never happened.

"100 dollars if you tell me?" He said.

My browse had to crease a little. Why won't he get the fact that this is my true color. That the light skinned people in my area are usually tanned, or maybe it was the intense heat of Borno state that did wonders to my skin. But overall this, this what he thought was tanning spray was actually natural. Nothing artificial.

"1000 dollars?" He added.

"Still not enough? Okay 1million dollars." I heard him say again. That was when I looked up at him and we ended up locking eyes. Because, I had my head ducked down all these while. But to my surprise his mouth widened. Before a sigh escaped his lips. "Heart shaped face, plump mouth, pointed nose but sadddddddd eyes? Wtfffffff!!! Why so? Why are you sad pretty lady?" He stated, the delightfulness of his voice falling dejected.

I didn't talk, I refused to reply him back.

"Alright young lady if sharing your tanning products with me is making you sad, you don't have to. I apologize. You look beautiful though." He finally said before darting off.

Just as I turned around I realised there was a crowd. But why were they looking at me with slackened mouths? But the whispers from the crowd confirmed my doubts. They were mostly saying I was lucky. But lucky about what? I had no idea and decided to shrug it off.

Indeed I was late to that class. Remind me next time to save myself from nasty people like him. Some one that will just stop you and be pointing out every single detail about your face, definitely sounds trouble! This guy is trouble.

So that was what happened, forgot to mention how he left murmuring something about me being stingy and refusing to tell him and hiding behind a sad face.