Maybe

I’m really not one to love cats but Damn!!! His cat was cute,Maybe it wasn’t so cute but it was Barry’s cat, everything that belongs to Barry is cute.The old fashioned radio on top of his dining table, the old school cupboard where he kept his newspapers and the way his house is just set up.  Yes I know what you’re thinking, who has a cat , an old fashioned  radio n an old school  cupboard, well! Barry did and I loved it all. Maybe it isn’t love .

  I was still in school trying to round up one of my textile designs assignment and insulting Mrs Ngozi for giving us such difficult assignment when rain started falling.   Oh! God, what is the meaning now? Oya Jemiamah let’s go, tomorrow we’ll complete it. I told Jemiamah trying to pack my stuff .we usually go home together since we use the same route.  Dodeye let’s just finish it at once, even if we leave now, we’ll still be wet. Jemiamah replied without even looking at me.   I didn’t want the rain to get really serious but I didn’t want to go alone so I stayed back and continued working.

    Okay, see you tomorrow I told Jemiamah as she dropped from the taxi at Mr fans Marian, I still have a long way to go, I’ll have to drop at Efiotte, will I see a cab to take me home with this heavy rain?  I kept thinking and asking myself. I for carry you go federal housing o! But this rain, sorry o!!  the driver said as he gave me my change, no wahala oga I replied.

  Come inside I heard a vioce from the car that stopped infront of me, I just jumped inside, didn’t even care if he was a kidnapper, I’m going to federal housing I said before he asked, that’s quite a distance he replied with a vioce that sounded so croaky. Maybe he has cough.Then I took a good look at him ,he was wearing a really dark shades. but  its dark and raining now! How is he seeing? I asked myself. He had long grey beards. Grey? He looks like he’s in his late 20’s. Maybe he dyed it  .He was on an afro, the type that’s low all round and really full in the middle. Maybe  he is a musician.Then he was wearing a beautiful patterned short sleeve shirt and a milky short.

      Inside my room after taking a shower and having dinner, I stared at the card he gave me. Normally ill just put the card in the bin or toss it somewhere but this card, it was beautiful and well crafted, really heavy I think it was made of wood. What kind of human being owns such heavy complimentary card? Maybe  he uses them to attack armedrobbers. Then I thought, how can a man not even ask of my name or why I’m in the rain or even say anything to me in more than a 15 minutes drive and just give me his card saying “ill like to see you again, call me ”  I haven’t seen this type before I said aloud before sorting out the clothes ill wear the next day to school, I usually do this when I have early morning lectures, the only thing I could think of was wanting to understand Barry more. Yes, I saw his name on his card. ” Hi, this is Dodeye the girl you dropped at federal housing ” I messaged him when I was done. After a minute or two he replied with “ok”. Maybe he’s busy.

  I was running late for lectures so I increased my steps when my phone beeped, I was hoping it’ll be a coursemate telling me the lecture won’t hold but I saw ” meet me where I picked you by 5, I want to show you my house ”  ahah! Which kind of human being is this? I thought, show me his house? I laughed and increased my steps more. Maybe he’s a comedian.

   At 5pm, I found myself at Efiotte, why am I here? Why did I come? What is it with this boy? Did he charm me? Were  all the thoughts running through my mind. Come in he said and opened the door, I entered and locked it. You look beautiful today Dodeye he said as I was putting on my seat belt. Oh! His cough is still there. Thankyou Barry I replied. I’ll prefer if you call me RyRy he said. Maybe he’s gay.

     Welcome to my house Dod, Dod? I asked myself  , my house might seem a little weird to you but be very comfortable please, I don’t bite. Then I saw a cat, Omg I hate cats but this is Barry’s cat, I can’t hate it. Why can’t I hate Barry’s cat? Who is Barry? I don’t even know this Dude, where are all this feelings coming from?  What is happening to me? Maybe it’s love at first sight.

   I started walking around the house, his clock was the pendulum type clock,his cussions fabric looked like raffia but it was really comfortable to seat on, his center carpet looked like a mat and the center table was made of Cain, his TV was really big but all I saw was black and white, then on his dining table he had an old fashioned radio and beside the green and white standing fan was an old school cupboard, it looked like the type I used to see in my grandmother’s room, he arranged news papers in it. Then I went into his kitchen, he had a gas but it was set and painted like a group of firewood, I walked into his room, he was inside staring at the mirror, it was so beautifully framed with wood that had been cut into tiny bits, he had a painting of a naked girl backing a baby  on his door and ceiling. Everything looked so interesting, I felt like I was in a tourist site. You like the house? He asked me. Yes I do, it’s really beautiful I replied. A lot of people don’t he said as he undressed, walked to the other side of his room to grap a short and then walk into the bathroom. I was shocked not only because he undressed in front of me but because of what I saw. He had a tattoo of a snake from his chest down to his tummy and it was drawn in a way his D looked like the tongue of the snake. What have I gotten myself into? Maybe he’s a ritualist

   I was just sitting on his bed, looking around, the way the wardrobe was sculpted, the way he arranged his clothes according to their colours. What is he really? I thought to myself when he tapped me and gave me a drink, take this for energy he said, what do I need energy for? I asked? You’ll know soon he said as he turned the drink to another glass and started drinking.  The drink tasted like honey mixed with lime and something else, it was bitter but I couldn’t stop drinking, when I dropped the glass on the table, he carried it, dropped it on the ground and pressed a button on a remote that was lying on the bed then the room became dark, cold and music started to play, for a split second I wanted to run.

 Lie down, don’t be scared, I just want us to have a quiet time he said as we cuddled in the spoon position. I’m a sucker for the spoon . Then he began with the story of his life….

   My name is Barry but I like to be called RyRy, I’m an engineer and I work at unicem, I’m 28yrs old and the only child of my parents ,they are both late. I like ancient things and I love beautiful girls, cats are my bestfriends and I’m scared of snakes, my tatoo was one of the ways I tried to conquer the fear……

 Wake Up, its 7pm Dodeye, let me take you home, so I’m that boring you slept while I was still talking he said while wearing his shirt.  I’m sorry I said as I got up, wore my slippers and carried my bag.

  Barry dropped me at my house, Maybe he’s just an ordinary guy,Maybe I’ll never see him again.  …