I took her to an eatery close by…. Everything was all Regina’s ideas. When we entered, one of the waiter ushered us to an empty table. “You are welcome to City Stew Restaurant” he said.
Emilia: thank you.
I brought out the seat for Emilia to sit down before going round the table to sit myself.
Emilia: awwnn so sweet.
Me: *smiled* what?
The waiter: Mr. and Miss ….??
Emilia: Derra!
The waiter: right! Mr. and Miss Derra, what can we serve you?
Me: what do you have?
The waiter: I guess, this is your first time with us.
Me: obviously!
The waiter: we have all kinds of dishes. Rice, beans, yam, noodles, spaghetti, macaroni, different Africa soup and lot more.
Me: that’s good. We will quickly go through the menu and get back to you.
The waiter: alright, I’ll be standing over there.
Me: thanks.
I gave Emilia one of the menu for her to also go through and decide what she wants.
Emilia: don’t worry, I’ll go for what you want.
Me: really?
Emilia: yeah….
Me: are you sure?
Emilia: yeeeesss!
Me: okay….I’m asking because, I was going to order hot porridge beans with bread. Are you okay with that?
Emilia: *sick face* beans?
Me: you don’t like beans?
Emilia: ehmm….not that I don’t beans but….. Here? I mean, it’s somehow.
Me: *laughed* somehow? What happened to eating beans in public? Is it forbidden?
Emilia: *smiled* no nau. But…
Me: It’s fine. What would you go for?
Emilia: rice….
Me: ehhhee….so rice is good in the public but beans is not.
Emilia: *laughed* look around, nobody is eating beans…. And even if they must eat beans, it will be with rice or spaghetti or anything else.
Me: seriously, we need to speak up against this injustice. Beans must not be underrated anymore.
Emilia: you and who?
Me: me and my fellow “Beans Lover Association”
Emilia: *laughed out loud*
Me: be laughing!
Emilia: I’m really sorry….. Is there anything like that?
Me: stay there Nah. In fact, I insist we eat beans and bread.
Emilia: ahhh….
I waved at the waiter to come get our order….
Waiter: what can I get you?
Me: give us two plates of hot porridge beans. Do you sell bread?
Waiter: yes. What brand? Genesis, Shoprite, Spar, Best way….which one?
Me: you don’t have Agege bread or Delta bread?
Waiter: *smiled* No, we don’t.
Me: that’s bad o.
Waiter: what else would you add to the beans?
Me: uhmmm….let’s try chicken.
Emilia: ahh Beans and chicken?
Waiter: I mean, like rice, yam or spaghetti???
Me: No. just beans. See eh, just beans and two kpomo each.
Waiter: choi. My guy, you sabi am. I swear. Beans and Kpomo and Bread Na the gbedu.
Me: *laughed* I dey tell you.
Waiter: no worry, I go help you go outside arrange the bread.
Me: believe!
Emilia: seriously?? Ohhhh.
Me: what do you know?
The waiter helped to smuggle bread from outside to the restaurant before going to bring the food for us.
While we were eating….
Emilia: so, tell me about you.
Me: what do you want to know?
Emilia: Let start with “any girlfriend or Ex?”
Me: not really.
Emilia: what’s that? Yes or no?
Me: I’ve never called any one “my girlfriend” before.
Emilia: you want me to believe that?
Me: of course.
Emilia: lie-lie.
Me: okay o.
Emilia: are you serious?
Me: yep. The only one I know is Regina.
Emilia: is she your girlfriend?
Me: she’s my …. My bestie.
Emilia: what’s the difference..?
Me: *smiled* Bestie is the senior of girlfriend while girlfriend is the junior of bestie.
Emilia: *laughed* what does that mean?
Me: it’s a mystery, dear.
Did I just a “mystery”? Well, maybe I was right. There are things our girlfriends may never know about us but Bestie already know. Girlfriends may think, they own us, not knowing we are both owned by Bestie.
Bestie is like second mum and original girlfriend. They decide relationship for us; who to date, what to buy for our girlfriend, what to even eat.
It’s cool for a guy to have a female bestie but not cool for a girl to have a male bestie. That can wreck the relationship. It’s not just normal….
In my generation, a girl with male bestie is already a cheat and unfaithful.
Emilia was looking at me, wondering why I said, it’s a mystery.
Me: what is it?
Emilia: I don’t understand what you mean o?
Me: don’t let that get to you. Let enjoy our date.
I quickly changed the topic into something else.
It’s was time for me to go meet Bethany for her chess and music class.
Me: are you okay?
Emilia: yeah.
Me: if you want more, I can order another plate.
Emilia: eehhh….i cannot feel my legs again.
Me: *laughed*
Emilia: I can’t believe, I ate beans in public.
Me: how does it feel?
Emilia: cool though.
Me: now, you are one of us.
Emilia: is it also Regina’s favorite?
Me: I don’t know why you re mentioning her again….but Nope. Her favorite is spaghetti.
Emilia: I was just asking.
I called the waiter to come get our money for the food.
Me: how much is it?
The waiter: N1200 plus the bread.
Me: ehhh…. Na first class students cook the beans?
The waiter: *smiled* that’s the price.
I reach out to my bag to get my wallet so I can pay for the food. And I couldn’t feel my wallet.
Me: *to the waiter* I’ll call you.
He left.
Emilia: what is it?
Me: nothing… I... can you excuse me, please? I need to pee
I went the bathroom to make call. I called Regina to ask her if she saw my wallet.
Me: dear, I can’t find my wallet. Did you see it?
Regina: you left it in the room
Me: ah mogbe. Can you bring it for me?
Regina: I’m not in the house right now.
Me: rush back home nau. We’re stuck here.
She was about saying something when my airtime credit got finished….i waited for her to call back, she didn’t.
I went back to meet Emilia….
Emilia: what is it?
Me: uhm…. Nothing…I dropped my wallet at home.
Emilia: don’t worry, I got you.
Me: you do?
Emilia: let me pay for it?
Me: awwnn thank you so much….
Emilia: and later, you’ll pay me back.
I called the waiter and she gave him N1500.
Me: keep the change…
The waiter: thanks bro.
Me: uhm dear, I must say, I enjoyed myself. I don’t know about you.
Emilia: yeah I did. Thanks.
Me: I should be the one thanking you.
Emilia: for? I hope it’s not for paying for the food….cos you are refunding me.
Me: *smiled* of course not. Thanks for coming with me.
Emilia: awwnnn
Me: I need to go see a friend of mine.
Emilia: okay…where?
Me: she stays few blocks away from here, at Faith Avenue.
Emilia: Faith Avenue? That’s my street.
Me: are you serious?
Emilia: yeah. I stay 2 gates away from the transformer spot.
Me: really? That’s exactly where I am going to. But I think, 5 gates away.
Emilia: what’s your friend’s name?
Me: Bethany!
Emilia: no way….
Me: you know her?
Emilia: yes. She’s my friend too.
Me: your friend. I have never seen you two together.
Emilia: yeah. That because, she prefer hanging out with a girl called Toyo. It was just recently, she started talking to me again.
Me: wow.
Emilia: what’s going on between you two?
Me: nothing. I‘m only teaching her how to play chess and keyboard.
Emilia: wow. Will there be room for another student?
Me: ahhhmmm…. I’ll have to talk to her about it.
Emilia: okay o. so do I make it to your type of girl?
Me: what do you mean?
Emilia: will it work out between us…?
Me: you mean, us dating?
Emilia: yes. Or do you need permission from Regina.
Me: can we not bring her into us.
Emilia: I’m sorry, I just don’t like her role.
We both boarded a taxi to Faith avenue…I got to Bethany’s gate and said “goodbye” to her, as she walked towards her own house gate.
I knocked at the gate and waited for Bethany to come open the gate.
Bethany: *frowning*
Me: what is it? Why are frowning yourself?
Bethany: nothing…
Me: c’mon don’t tell me nothing.
Bethany: I said nothing….are you coming or not?
Me: not until you tell me, what’s wrong?
Bethany: why were you talking to her?
Me: who?
Bethany: Emilia.
Me: *smiled* I thought you two are friends. Besides, there is nothing between us.
Bethany: lie. She has been telling me about you. I just didn’t know, it was you.
Me; *singing fire boy remix* she’s getting jealous, she does not wanna see me with anybody, she’s getting jealous oh baby.
Bethany: I’m not jealous….
Me: look at me…. There is something on your mouth, wipe it away.
She quickly used her hand to clean her mouth…
Me: very good. You just wiped the lie out of your mouth.
Bethany: *frown again* leave me alone o.
We entered inside to begin with the keyboard. Minutes later, there was a knock on the gate. We thought, it was her mum. So she went to open the gate. Lo and behold, it was Emilia.