Chapter 7, Episode 5

Last updated on January 14th, 2024 at 12:57 pm

“Tochi, I have a question to ask,” I said breaking the silence, Tochi was drawing images on the ground as we both sat on the bottom step of a secluded spot on the campus. He stopped drawing and faced me.

“What did I do wrong, babe?”

“When you say ‘babe’ what do you mean?” I couldn’t explain why I just confused both of us with this indirect question. I almost rolled my eyes at myself. He paused as if to reason it. There it is, he doesn’t even know what he means.

“I don’t know, babe, like my babe.” I felt fuzzy as he said it. He sounded like it was a no-brainer. I was going to keep quiet and just enjoy the way I was feeling but I remembered Zabby and added quickly, “What do you mean by me being your babe?”

This time, he did not delay. “My girlfriend na. What else?” Fully into this, I continued. “But you did not even ask me out.”

He burst into laughter. “Does anyone ask anyone out again these days?”

“Well, we are not everyone,” I replied adjusting myself to properly face him.

“Hmmm, true. But I love you and you know it.”

“I did not ask about that.”

“Okay, Angel. My Angel, what do you want?”

“For you to ask me out.”

“After all these months?”

“Yes, the more reason it should be easy for you to ask me out,” I answered, getting irritated.

“Angel, calm down. Just calm down. What brought this on?”

“Does anything have to happen? Does anything have to happen for you to officially ask me out?”

“Angel, all my friends call you my girlfriend. The other time you barged into my hostel room without even knocking because that’s what girlfriends do. Did you hear any rumour?” I was quiet. He continued, “Would I never be okay for you? Would it always be you against me? Are you just looking for trouble?”

“Don’t! Don’t even go there. Don’t say I am looking for trouble.”

“Okay okay,” He replied shifting away. I wanted to hold him, to tell him not to shift away, but I left him and faced front.

After a long period of staring at other students passing and the trees dancing, I faced him. “One question. When is our anniversary?”

“Any day you want. It can be from the first day we met in 100 level or today. But I have loved you for every single day from when we met.”

***

“So, we are official now?” Zabby asked. She was vlogging and just dropped her camera before she asked the question.

“Yes, we are.” I did not tell Zabby the whole truth though. Tochi and I had chosen February 14. I also chose that day because it felt like it would be easy for both of us to remember. I did not tell Zabby about the fight or the fact that he just plainly refused to ask me out. I still feel upset that he refused to ask me out, but he also had a point, our relationship was different. I could ask him out, but then I’d appear desperate.

“Great! Why don’t you sound as happy as I expect though?” Zabby!

“I am excited na, we have been dating for months, it’s just us officially agreeing.”

“Hmmm.” She looked at me as if to find out my true feelings. Thankfully, it was a video call.

“Please when are we getting our video?” I asked to change the topic. She had taken a two-week break from releasing vlogs for her mental health and it was almost two weeks now.

“Oh, I resume my normal schedule next week. Two videos per week. I already have about three vlogs scheduled.”

“Wow!”

“Yeah, while I was not releasing anything I continued vlogging. You know I love my camera.”

“Yeah, the break was necessary, sis.”

“I intend taking more breaks like that, I’d just find a sustainable way around it.” I was about to talk when my dad’s call came in.

“Zabby, daddy’s calling.”

“Bye.” I picked up my dad’s call.

“Daddy.”

“Angel baby, put on your data, I want to video call you.”

…

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