five.

We were both silent for about ten seconds then i sipped my coffee then said, “All right, let me know when you’re on your way, k?” Coffee does do wonders. After I hung up, I still felt calm for about twenty minutes. I even made two more cups of coffee before I came to my senses. “What the hell? I should be breaking dishes and throwing shit all over the house!” I said out loud. I had every right to be pissed and I was sitting sipping coffee and trying my hardest not to lose it. I didn’t even know what vexed me the most, my car or Layefa. Even if I did overreact this morning, tonight’s misbehavior was definitely worth being paranoid about. Every woman knows that that most affairs begin with “I’m working late”. It was sooo obvious that Layefa never left the office or wherever the hell he was. LASTMA trouble, my fine ass! Dumping my coffee cup in the sink, I stormed out of the kitchen and marched upstairs. When I got to the bedroom, I just buckled to the floor. I sat on the floor by the bedroom door and just wept. It wasn’t sexy sobs oh, it was real real crying!

“Why? Why me?” I cried. Sob. Sob. “He said I’d be safe with him, He said…he said” I stuttered through my tears.

I remembered when I first met Layefa. It was during my second year at Unilag. By then he had already graduated from Yale. He was back home for the NYSC program. As at then I hadn’t had a boyfriend since SS3. Wale, my SS3 boyfriend, shattered my heart so bad that I even promised myself I’d never get married. Thinking about it now, I was probably just spoiled and childish. This was what happened exactly:

Wale and I had been going steady since the Christmas during SS2. He was definitely God’s gift to High school girls. His mom was German so he had that fresh mulatto look. Slick hair, hazel eyes and everything. I met him at one of those house parties we used to have. He was my first boyfriend but I never told anyone that (except Layefa). He literally took my breath away. Even my mom knew how strongly I felt about him. I tried not to show him how much he meant to me but I couldn’t help it. I guess that’s how come he was able to hurt me so.

The heartbreak occurred on our prom night. I waited and waited for hours for him to pick me up. His phone was unreachable; nobody seemed to know where he was. We hadn’t really planned prom together but it was just expected. Like we were so steady, I would have raised an eyebrow if he formally asked me to prom. Anyway, my dad dropped me off at the venue and I sat alone for about another hour before Wale suddenly appeared with some slut from our rival school. Being the popular dude that he was, he caught everyone’s attention for sure. When they were done gaping at Wale and his date, they threw pitiful looks in my direction before everyone went back to their dancing and eating or whatever they were doing. So I went up to him and was like “Where have you been? What’s with you phone?” I was clearly trying to act like I didn’t notice the big-breasted whore by his side. He shrugged and asked casually, “So, where’s your date?” I’m like “Excuse me?” He repeated himself. I stared at him for like a whole minute then he said, “Your dress is nice, by the way”. Stupid ol’ me thought he was joking around or something so I pulled him away from his date and then said, “Wale, who’s the girl? Why did you bring her here?” I don’t know what I expected to hear but I sure as hell wasn’t expecting: “She’s my date naww. She’s hot shey?”. I didnt even code my bewilderment, "What? How? From where?". He said we'd talk later that his date was beginning to look annoyed.
i ran to the bathroom immediately and cried there for awhile before i called my dad to come get me.

That night, Wale called me and told me that he didnt realise i took us so serious that he was just having fun. He said he the girl he brought as his date didnt mean anything to him(later,i heard they did it in their prom ride!) but he didnt think i did too. talk about harsh shey? I didnt blame him. His hotness was definitely getting to his head. Coming from someone who'd just been breathing down my neck while my parents were out the night before telling me how i was 'the one' and how we'd fit perfectly into each other(the perv!), it was all too shocking to hear. I cried for weeks. I vowed never to give another man my all. Until Layefa came along. I told him what Wale had put me through and he assured me i'd be safe with him.He, of all people should understand my paranoia when it comes to men, right?


"Dee? What are you doing on the floor?" Layefa's voice suddenly brought me back to the future. Looking up at his tired eyes, chiseled nose and his sexy mouth, all i could do was sigh.