No Apologies

Tola sat on a single couch in the living room of their house, his eyes went to the wall clock thrice in a minute and wondered why his sister wasn’t back yet. He was so unsettled and had been expecting her for about three hours. He's called several times and she assured him every time that she’d soon reach the house.

It was a cool Friday morning, as usual, it was quiet in his home since his parents moved to the UK. It used to be him and his sister but she traveled a few months back. He stared at the wall clock again and then his phone, tempted to pick it up and dial his sister’s number.

As he was about to pick the phone, he heard a knock on the front door to the living room.
“That must be aunty,” he muttered.

“Lover boy, will you open the door?” a smiley voice replied to him from outside.

Tola grinned from ear to ear and set to open the door.
“I knew it was you. Welcome aunty”.

“Aunty, I don't know what to do.”
“What if she doesn’t talk to me again.” he said with so much fear showing boldly on his face as his sister struggled with her luggage through the front door of their house.

“At least let me settle in first before you attack me with a complaint!”

Tola’s sister just arrived from the airport after spending two months with their parents in the UK.

“Aunty” is how Tola refers to his elder sister since it’s just the two of them and she is 12 years older than him. He considers this a wide gap that’s beyond the term “sibling”.

“Let me help you with that,” he collected the bigger one of the two travel bags from his sister as she entered the house.

“How’re you?” His sister asked plainly in a sweet and curious tone as she sat on the sofa in the living room.

“Aunty, let’s talk about Lily first, I think she’ll be angry,” he said while walking towards the door to check if it’s properly locked.

“You seem to care about Lily more than me these days.”

“Aunty please, don’t say that,” he snapped back.

“Lily is my best friend, she’s been my friend since 100 level and who knows, she might even become more than a friend.”

“Such effontary in front of your sister!”
she gave a side look while glaring at him but the tone at which she responded wasn’t so serious.

“Sorry aunty Grace.. Ummm.. you know na.. you know,” he stuttered and continued.

“You know what I mean na, we’ve been talking about this since you were with dad and mom in the UK. In fact, before you left we’ve been on it and I’m still confused”.

“I need you aunty,” he said sharply and walked towards the fridge to bring a chill drink for Grace.

“Okay, I heard you, we’ll talk about it today.. tonight but let’s do something first.”

“What’s that?”

“Take these upstairs first,” she pointed to the bags she brought from travel.

She leaned towards the table and picked her phone up. “Darling Lily, I just got back and mom picked some dresses for you from her favorite store in the UK, do you have some time today to come and get them plus I’ve missed you so much”

She sent the SMS text to Lily and ordered Tola to take the luggage to her room quickly.

As he walked away through the stairs, Grace shouted “what’s for dinner by the way?” And he responded “let’s talk about me and Lily.”

“Are you a chicken? Don’t let me meet you there.”
“There’s nothing you can do aunty, I’m your only brother.”

“You’re spoiled,” she said jokingly and laughed as he watched him walk out of her sight.

Lily, Bimpe and Tola have been close friends since their 100 level days in the university of Lagos. Lily is an only child of her parents that resides in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. She lives in a self-contained room off campus located very close to their school. Bimpe lives in the same compound as her while Tola comes to school from home since his own house is very close to the university.

“Bimpe!!” Lily screamed as she dashed out of her room to Bimpe’s apartment.

“How far, why you dey shout!” (Means why are you shouting)

“Aunty is back! Aunty Grace is back!!”
“She sent a text that I should come over when I’m free and that she has goodies for me from the UK,” she stretched the “over”, “me” and “UK” as though she was singing.

“Wow, she came sooner this time, let me get ready cos the goodies belong to us both.”
They both giggled.

Lily sat in Bimpe’s 3^½ inches bed while she get dressed.

She picked up her perfume to spray.
“This perfume is from the last time she came. I can’t get over the scent.”
“Yeah, it’s amazing, I still have mine untouched. Now let’s go get more.” she sang again.

They board an Uber and set the destination to Tola’s family house.

“Has Taiwo opened up to you?” Bimpe faced Lily at the back seat of the Uber as they progressed in their journey.

“No, why?”
“I’m telling you that this guy likes you, you slow girl!”
“I don’t care, you know, I have a degree to bag.”
“Babe, we’re at 500 level now. Habaa since 300 level, give him a chance na! This was exactly what you did in 100 level when the class president asked you out. It’s always this nonchalant "I don't care attitude.”

“That one is because I always aced all the tests and exams.. leave that one out!”

“Okay, take a look at me now, I have a boyfriend and did I fail my exams? No! And I’ve been in this for two years since 300 level.”

“Well, that’s you my friend.”

“I give up,” Bimpe said sharply, scoffed and sat upright.
“ Now I feel there’s something else there.”

“Like what?” Lily replied.

Bimpe faced her again and asked “do you like someone else?”

“Ugh,” Lily sighed and turned Bimpe’s head forward with her two hands. “You nag too much. Let me even call this one”.

She picked her phone and dialed Tola but there was no response.

Why isn’t he picking? Or has he found out. Well I’ll just take advantage of today to tell him and I hope he wouldn’t be angry about it.

She fixed her gaze back on the road and sang along with the music from the car.

When they finally arrived at Tola's home, they knocked on the door together waiting for a response.

“Go get the door,” Grace said to Tola, chewing her fried chicken.
“Are you expecting someone?” he asked softly, arching his left eyebrow and wiped his hands off the oil from his meal.

“Welcome back!” Bimpe and Lily said in unison as the door opened.

“Oh, Lily, what’s up?”

“You.. I’ve been calling your phone, no response,” Lily replied.

“Oh I’m so sorry..”

“Well I’m not here for you so there’s no need," she said as she walked away from his front. She cut in.

“Welcome back ma,” she gave Grace a side hug and made herself comfortable on the dining table.

“How you dey Bimpe? Sorry that I didn’t call you earlier, I wanted her to settle before I called. Had no idea she had already.”

“It’s okay, don’t mind Lily,” Bimpe answered and joined Lily and Grace on the dining table.

Tola locked the door properly and went straight to the kitchen to bring two more plates for his friends.

“We have so much to catch up on my dear, how’re you guys doing, how’s your studies and final year projects?” Grace asked while Tola served his friend chilled fruit juice.

They served food for themselves, ate and talked about their experiences as final year brethren.

“Three hours have gone by so fast,” Tola broke the silence.
“Yeah, I had so much fun with Aunty and I love all of my dresses,” Lily replied.
“..and mine too and the cute extra stuff she included and the perfumes and the books,” Bimpe completed it.

“This one that she’s gone upstairs to sleep, is this how UK people behave?” Bimpe said jokingly.

“Let aunty rest o.. it’s been a journey,” Lily replied.
“That’s true.”

Source:Unsplash.com

“Now that we’re here, I have something to tell you Tola and I just hope you won’t be angry.”

“Me?” he pointed at himself.

“No me,” Bimpe replied and chuckled.

“Yeah,” Lily replied.

Tola sat upright and he felt a cool sensation in his belly. His heart raced and eyes widened. He looked so curious and eager to know what she had to say. He thought to himself that he could cease the opportunity to say his mind as well.

“Okay, I have something to tell you too Lily and besides why would I be angry at you.”

“Okay.” With emphasis on the okay. “I’m saying this here because I want Bimpe to bear our witness plus she’s our dearest friend.”

“Just talk already abeg! And stop being dramatic.” Bimpe said.

“I wanted to wait till after our graduation day to break it to you that I found your diary in your bag on the last day of lectures and I accidentally read some parts.”

“Ooops! I’m serious Lily, I don’t mean all those,” he wiped his hand on his shirt continuously for a while. “I.. I.. I just wanted to speak to something if no one would listen to me.”

“I’m sorry, I read your journals.”

“Stop! I didn’t mean it,” he said, sweating profusely.

“Now I’m interested in the context. This feels like a mighty man has fallen. I hate being in the dark. I can’t believe you didn’t share it with me, Lily. I thought we were more than this. What exactly happened na Lily?”

Bimpe said in a rush while Lily and Tola kept staring at each other with no words.

Tola looked sorry and sad and broken while Lily looked curious and sorry too.

“I..”
“Don’t bother.” Lily cut in. “What do you mean you don’t mean all those when I feel the same,” she added.

There was silence in the room for a couple of seconds.

“Feel what?” Bimpe broke the silence.

“I mean I feel the same for Tola,” Lily said.

Tola’s face lit up and he stood. “You don’t mean it Lily.”

“I mean it and now I’m curious about what you want to say.”

Tola was so flabbergasted and words failed him. The only thing he could utter was “I like you. I love you Lily.”

Bimpe sat there in shock while Tola walked towards Lily.

She opened her arms wide as though she read Tola’s mind.

He hugged her briefly and whispered “there’s nothing more to talk about. Today marks our first day dating right?”

“I’m cool with it if you want that,” Lily replied.

The end.

PS: This is the first time in months that I’m writing again in this amazing community. I’m so glad to be back and I hope you accept me back too.

Thank you for reading.