Consequences

Chapter 16

Finally the day of graduation came and I was extremely happy. I had finally finished my studies and was about to go into a world where I would have to measure myself with a lot of other graduates like me.

It was a day I wanted to spend so much with Nancy as I didn't know in what direction life would take us to. But Nancy didn't feel the same way as I did.  She preferred to hang out with Ola's friends. I guess I knew why she was acting  that way. She was still angry over how I behaved towards Ola when he met us at the restaurant.

I found this quite strange because it was something I had completely forgotten. So why was she still making an issue over it? Since she preferred the company of Ola's friends, I had no option but to leave her. But I wanted to see them and stay with them a bit before leaving.

They had all gathered at the same restaurant where I took Nancy to. As I went in, I greeted them. They were all there-Anita, Funke,Dele, Nancy and Lanre.

"Fine baby." Dele hailed
"Lady Chanel." This was Funke
"Smooth criminal." Anita said.
"My only friend." Lanre greeted.
"Ola's baby." Nancy hailed
"Wait o so you people gathered here because of me, abi?" I asked as I took my seat next to Lanre.
"Tola, you wan set fire between Lanre and Ola, again?" Anita asked.
"I'm a graduate now o. So I can do things the way I want."

"Abi, my sister?" Nancy said. They all hailed me at once using different names to call me.
" And by the way where is he?" I suddenly asked. To this nobody answered my question, they all kept quiet. I looked at each of their face and tried to figure out what their silence meant.
"He said he had some important engagement." Lanre finally replied.

"So if you are going to wait for him, you might as well sleep here." Dele said. They all laughed. In that moment, I felt like the only outsider among them. And so after staying with them for a few more minutes, I got up to leave.

Lanre asked if he could see me to my car to which I gladly accepted. We walked slowly to my car and on reaching it, he asked me how life would be from now on.

"Well, we have graduated. Now we have to face life itself." Lanre looked at me in such a way that I had a feeling he wanted to tell me something.

"Yeah, so after everything we finally made it."He remarked

"True." I said looking at him.

"And I was able to settle my differences with Ola over you." He grinned as if this was the most important achievement he had obtained.

"So Nancy told me." I replied
"So how will it be between you guys?" He asked
"You mean me and Ola?" He nodded. "That I don't know. I mean I know what I want. But if its not what he wants then I guess... " I paused. It was hard for me to think of any other man that could replace Ola.
"You'll look elsewhere?" I nodded and stared at him. He stared back at me.
"I might."
"Sincerely?" He asked surprised. It reminded me of him not telling me about the girl he intended to marry. Since it came to my mind, I decided to ask him why he never told me about her.

"Lanre? Why were you not sincere  to me?" I asked him.
"About what?" He asked
"You never told me you had a girl you wanted to marry." To this, he bent his head and looked away.
"I never knew until the rumors about us started spreading." I said.

I then remembered what my mother had told me, 'get used to Ola so you have a man of your own.  Do so before you find yourself sharing a man with another woman.'  Being reminded of my mother's words, I asked myself how sincere Lanre would be to me in what he was going to say.

"Tola we were friends. There was no intention to commit to each other." I folded my arms as he spoke. But his reason didn't convince me enough.
"You know, Lanre? Recently, my mother had a feeling I was seeing someone."
"Does she know about you and Ola?"
"No. But coincidence would have it that his father and my father are old friends."
"So you already knew you were destined to be with him."
"No, but she insisted I hook up with him. Because for her it was better that way before, as she put it, I ended up sharing a man with another woman." Lanre looked at me attentively trying to figure out what I meant.