Consequences

Chapter 7

  It was a Friday morning and I had just stepped out of my car at the University campus in Lagos. It was a bright day, and I was poised to make good use of my time at the campus. I was in my final year of studies, looking forward to life after graduation.

I was preparing for my entry into the world of business and especially, company management. And I had high hopes and big dreams of becoming a top level manager, of a well-established company. I had no problems with that, as my father already owned a company. And so at least I had somewhere to start.

However, on this bright hope-filled Friday morning, something happened that would change the course of my life and make me eventually become the wife of Ola Segun.

I had just locked my car when I saw this good-looking guy walk up to me. He was neatly dressed wearing a light brown shirt over a pair of blue jeans, while sporting a pair of Gucci glasses to cover his eyes.

He fixed his gaze at me. It was so intense I started feeling uneasy. In my uneasiness I rapidly stared at him from  head to toe. I then looked at myself to see if there was something wrong with my dressing or my hair.

"Excuse me?" He asked intent on getting my attention.
"Yes what do you want?" I asked looking at him from head to toe. He was good looking but this didn't strike me.

"My name is Ola?"
"So what can I do for you, Ola?"
"Please don't be offended but I was admiring you and just wanted to tell you how beautiful you are." So early this morning, this guy had nothing better to do than to waste his time admiring me? I asked myself.

"Thank you, but don't waste your time with me. I have better thing to do with my time." He took off his shades and I could finally see his eyes. They were deep and penetrating and I felt something. I felt something move me, something I had never felt for another man before.

What was he using to make me fall so fast for him? Was it jazz? I decided to walk away from him and go to my department. But just as I was about to move past him, he held my left arm.

"Leave me jor." I reacted. He removed his hands quickly and looked at me as I struggled to adjust myself. I felt his eyes follow my hands.

"Something tells me you are mine." He said in a low-toned voice that echoed through my ears and enveloped my whole being. I looked squarely at him but managed to laugh.

"Ola or whatever you call yourself, I think you better tell the babalawo  who told you that I am yours, to play his oracle well." He laughed.
"I'm not the type that goes to native doctors to play oracles for me. I know when something is mine, and I know you are my wife." I was shocked to here him say that.

One look at him told me he was arrogant, and carried himself up like he was some kind of a boss. But he didn't stop there. He also wanted to know my name.

"What is your beautiful name?" I could only laugh at the effort he was making.
"My name? You want to know my name?" He nodded.
"And what are you going to do with it, give to your magician friend so he can do his ritual work very well?"  I seemed to have annoyed him with my response.

"It's not a big deal if you don't tell me. Someone will always tell me."

I looked at him again, and then walked away from him. I went straight to my department. But throughout the time I was in my department, I kept thinking of him. In fact the thought of him was so strong, I couldn't concentrate on my studies. Ola it seemed had messed up my day.

"Babe wetin dey do you?" This was Nancy my course mate and one I considered my closest friend sitting next to me in the lecture room,  asking me that question.
"What are you talking about?"
"I've been observing you, and I see that you have been deep in thought." I knew what she was talking about and laughed.
"What are you thinking of?" she asked
"Oh nothing, its just one of those days."
"You can fool everyone else, but not me."
"What do you mean?" Nancy looked at me and then lowered her head.
"So who is he?" I jolted in my seat when she said that. As I looked at her I widened my eyes in surprise at her question. How could she think my mood was because of some guy?

"And what makes you think that?"
"I know you too well and today, you are seriously distracted. I am sure some guy has put some charm into you to make you think of him."

"Nancy you should have studied Psychology instead of wasting your time with Mass Communications."

"So it is a guy, right?" Nancy asked winking at me. One look at her told me she wouldn't stop until she knew what was going on with me. And so I decided to tell her.
"Okay I don't know how to say this, but I met this guy on my way here and he told me I was his wife."

"Heee, baby this is serious. So him see you, and say you be him wife?" I nodded.
"So na dat one dey shak you reach like dis?" I frowned when she said that. I wasn't in love, but  I knew I was beginning to feel something for that guy; like I was truly in love.

"As a matter of fact, and to say the truth, I'm not even sure what I feel for him. But the fact is I can't stop thinking of him."

"Babe no disappoint me o. Dis guy fit get many girlfriends and you no go even know sef." I looked at her confusingly. She could be right and I hadn't thought of that.
"And by the way what is his name?" She asked
"Why do you ask?"
"I want to know if it is a guy that hangs out with some of the bad girls in campus."
"Well, he said his name is Ola."
"Ola?" She closed her eyes as she quietly pronounced his name.
"Do you know him?" I said brightening up. If she knew him it would save me the trouble of having to find out who he was.

"There's only one Ola that I know, and he is in the  Business Administration department." She nodded, "Ola Segun is his full name. If I am right, he's supposed to be in his final year too." Could it be a coincidence or my friend Nancy was making this up?
"What do you know about him?" I asked eagerly.
"Not much, but he's always in the company of two other guys and two campus babes."

Campus babes? I must assume one of them must be his girlfriend. I wanted to find out who they were. And so I asked Nancy to take me to where they usually hang out.

"No those are not the class of people you should mingle with, I mean those babes." I wasn't interested in them, I was interested in Ola.  But I figured if I could mingle with those girls, it could pave the way for me to know him.

"Well, supposing I'm interested in Ola but  I don't want to show? I could pretend to be friends with them?"
"You mean those girls?" I nodded. Nancy closed her eyes and looked away.
"Nancy I'm not asking you to do some matchmaking. I just want to get into their midst and know Ola better."
"But why?"
"Look, how can some guy  walk up to me and say I am his wife?  Doesn't it sound strange?" Nancy sighed, "and just by saying that, he might already be in my house asking my hand in marriage  from my parents."
"And who says he's going to do that?" She asked. I looked at her unable to give one reason why he might want to do that. But I was beginning to develop the idea that I would become his wife.
"Look if you are into this guy already just say so Tola."

"But is it not evident?" I saw Nancy frown at me with pursed lips. I knew she was angry with me about my decision to hang out with those girls. Left to her alone, I had to give up the idea of finding out who Ola was. But I was  completely stubborn to an extent and here, I was showing it.

"Okay babe, I'll hook you up with those girls." My eyes brightened as she said that.
"But only on one condition."
"Ah ah, Nancy why are you imposing  conditions for helping me out? Are we not friends?"
" Friendship aside, I do not approve of this meeting. Why I'm telling you this is that those girls can be troublesome; you may not like them. But whatever happens do not come running to me for help, is that clear?"

The silence that gripped me when she said that seemed to have sucked the air out of me. I was weak and didn't know what to say. I just stared at her like she was an alien talking to me.

"Tola did you hear what I said?" I heard her quite well. But this one condition baffled me. How could I not rely on her again if I needed help? And all because I wanted to follow my heart's desire? I had to take a quick decision and this meant deciding to agree with her or not.

"Okay, I agree, but please if I need advice can I rely on you?"
"Only advice. The day you come with a problem to me, that will be the end of our friendship, okay?" Was she jealous? I really couldn't understand her, but since she wanted it that way I was okay with it. As long as it involved me finally getting closer to Ola and knowing him, I was okay with it.