UNCHARTED TOO: THE SEQUEL
Hi there peeps... I haven't posted in a while, forgive me. So about two things happened these past few days :
1. We experienced a power outage over here so my phone's battery had died.
2. I had also been trying to study and read more writing books to improve my writing.
And if you still haven't read the first part, you can find it here
I'm still trying to work on the comments box as some of you amazing people have brought it to my notice that you have been finding it difficult to comment...
I'd like to dedicate this piece to Mohammed Ibrahim who has followed this journey avidly. Asalam my brother! 😀
Now there, enough about me, how have you been? 😘😘....
"Meet me at Kodjo's Cafe at 8 pm today in the evening...we need to talk!" Sarah's message simply read. Yalley spent a great part of his cognitive processes thinking about the various instances one might use the phrase, " we need to talk ".
First to come to his mind was a dad's "we need to talk ". Those were the uncomfortable moments fathers had the "you're growing and your body is changing...blah... blah" talk.
Second to peep its head was the scary "we need to talk " text from the girl you had had a one night stand with.
"Yeeeeeesh! " Yalley shuddered at the thought.
And then finally was a text like what he had just received this morning. Quick question : when a very beautiful girl you have loved basically all your life sends you a text message which says meet her tonight at a very good café (so casually as if no life-altering decisions will be made) and ends it with a "we need to talk ", you will....
(A) read it casually and toss the phone aside.
(B) read it meticulously and freak out.
(C) give it a look and roll your eyes.
Definitely option B right?... For that was the option Yalley took too and hardly had he finished freaking out when the door of his room screeched open and then entered Fiifi, Yalley's room mate.
Fiifi Ato Shellingson ( the Ato is silent he would go on to correct anyone who cared to pronounce that part of his name) , was one of the few people on earth who really knew Yalley apart from Sarah. He and Yalley had met during their degree program at "Tech" ,the simple name Kumasi people called The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. They had both studied Economics there. (Talk about irony!)
The name someone would use to call Fiifi depended on when and where in life the person had met him. His father called him "Oboy " whereas his pampering mom called him "Junior" ( exactly who he was a subordinate of don't ask me oooo... I don't know either... Mothers just like naming their children with such beautiful nonsense).
Those who met him in SHS called him "escoba " but if you had met him at the University, it was plain old "Fii" and the stress one put on the last 'ee ' sound depended on the gender of the person. Females tended to stress it longer. Anyway, Fii was not only a handsome face and an 'unrepentant romantic ' but was also intelligent and a graceful basketball player.
He never missed a basketball game and yet also studied for his quizzes like there was only one 'A' only he had to get by all means. This morning for instance, he was just returning from a study session but had disguised himself with basketball gear as if he was going for practice. Heaven knows if anyone asked, he would have sworn above heaven and earth that it was not so.
He was Yalley's closest friend however apart from Sarah and it was also great news when he heard he was coming to pursue his graduate studies in the same institution as Yalley.
"what's the purpose of your face? " Fii asked when he saw Yalley sprawled on his bed looking sad.
"Nothing, just yesterday I kinda told Sarah I liked her... "
"Oh my guinea pig!... Finally!. That's great news charley!" Fii who couldn't hide his excitement boomed.
"Wait... Wait... Wait...what do you mean by 'finally '?" Yalley muttered.
"Chai... my guy... you think it's a big secret that you have liked Sarah?... everybody from Karnem-Bornu to Timbuktu Knows it wai ," Fii laughed. "Anyway, what did she say? " he continued.
"She said I should give her time to think about it... she sent me a message this morning to meet at Kodjo's at 8 today. "
"Well that's great... Where is the good stuff? " Fii joked looking around. "we've got to celebrate "
"She ended the text with 'we need to talk'... "
"Ooooooosh! "
"You can't freak out on me Fii because that's what I'm doing, " Yalley gulped.
"Okay... Okay ...fine... we don't know anything for sure... you've got to calm down and wait for us to see what happens. After all, the wise people of old said if one stared at the bush long enough, he would see what came out, " Fii counseled.
Yalley heeded Fiifi's advice and pulled himself together. He waited (hopefully) and prayed silently in his heart that things should go in his favour. Eight o'clock found him all dressed up and cleaned up sitting in one of the booths at Kodjo's.
He hadn't waited very long when he saw Sarah's Prius pull up outside. She was the picture of perfection when she entered into Kodjo's Café. She wore a pencil Blue Jeans with a sleeveless white blouse half-tucked in. She spotted a cute black Prada purse and the Corset heels she wore I'm sure was the envy of every lady in the room.
She walked gracefully to where Yalley sat after waving and flashing him a smile as she entered the door and sat across from him.
"Hi ," Sarah said half between a whisper and a cheer.
"Hey, " Yalley replied.
"How are you? "
"Not bad.. You? "
"I'm grand. ... You ordered yet? "
"Not yet... Was waiting for you but we can do that now, " Yalley remarked cooly.
Presently, some food was ordered. They both sat there eating in silence, each lost in their own thoughts . That short scene also passed about twenty minutes later and then came next the main agenda for the evening.
" So.... What has the jury decided? " Yalley inquired after they'd had their dessert.
Sarah looked him straight in his eyes and began, " Yalley, I stayed up for the most part of last night thinking about us and what we've been through together over the years. I got down on my knees and prayed to God that he should guide me to the right decision and I've finally realized... okay maybe not finally realized... I think it has always been there before but much like you I had been afraid that it might destroy our friendship... What I'm trying to.... " Sarah blushed as she continued, " I guess what I'm trying to say is... I like you too..."
Yalley's heart did a thousand somersaults. It all seemed so surreal to him. He blessed his Maker.
"OMG... This is so surreal... Do you know mom and dad have been fasting concerning this matter... I have to call them later! " He squealed with joy and delight.
"Yalley wait... " Sarah trembled as she spoke. "There's something I have to tell you ."
Her palms were sweaty and her heart beat more than a thousand times per minute. This part was really what she prayed to her Maker about. She hoped Yalley would hear her out and understand it.
Still trembling and a little afraid as to what Yalley's reply might be, she continued, " Earlier Yesterday, I got a call from the Montreal University Business School informing me that I've been accepted for a three year fellowship programme. I'll be starting in the fall and have less than six months to leave and I know it would be totally selfish for me to ask you to ....but I hope that... You will," Sarah stuttered.
Yalley Sat there very quiet thinking, pondering, deliberating or whatever adjective one might employ to describe what was going on in his head at the time and finally whispered,
"I'll wait"
Owusu F. Michael ©
1. We experienced a power outage over here so my phone's battery had died.
2. I had also been trying to study and read more writing books to improve my writing.
And if you still haven't read the first part, you can find it here
I'm still trying to work on the comments box as some of you amazing people have brought it to my notice that you have been finding it difficult to comment...
I'd like to dedicate this piece to Mohammed Ibrahim who has followed this journey avidly. Asalam my brother! 😀
Now there, enough about me, how have you been? 😘😘....
"Meet me at Kodjo's Cafe at 8 pm today in the evening...we need to talk!" Sarah's message simply read. Yalley spent a great part of his cognitive processes thinking about the various instances one might use the phrase, " we need to talk ".
First to come to his mind was a dad's "we need to talk ". Those were the uncomfortable moments fathers had the "you're growing and your body is changing...blah... blah" talk.
Second to peep its head was the scary "we need to talk " text from the girl you had had a one night stand with.
"Yeeeeeesh! " Yalley shuddered at the thought.
And then finally was a text like what he had just received this morning. Quick question : when a very beautiful girl you have loved basically all your life sends you a text message which says meet her tonight at a very good café (so casually as if no life-altering decisions will be made) and ends it with a "we need to talk ", you will....
(A) read it casually and toss the phone aside.
(B) read it meticulously and freak out.
(C) give it a look and roll your eyes.
Definitely option B right?... For that was the option Yalley took too and hardly had he finished freaking out when the door of his room screeched open and then entered Fiifi, Yalley's room mate.
Fiifi Ato Shellingson ( the Ato is silent he would go on to correct anyone who cared to pronounce that part of his name) , was one of the few people on earth who really knew Yalley apart from Sarah. He and Yalley had met during their degree program at "Tech" ,the simple name Kumasi people called The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. They had both studied Economics there. (Talk about irony!)
The name someone would use to call Fiifi depended on when and where in life the person had met him. His father called him "Oboy " whereas his pampering mom called him "Junior" ( exactly who he was a subordinate of don't ask me oooo... I don't know either... Mothers just like naming their children with such beautiful nonsense).
Those who met him in SHS called him "escoba " but if you had met him at the University, it was plain old "Fii" and the stress one put on the last 'ee ' sound depended on the gender of the person. Females tended to stress it longer. Anyway, Fii was not only a handsome face and an 'unrepentant romantic ' but was also intelligent and a graceful basketball player.
He never missed a basketball game and yet also studied for his quizzes like there was only one 'A' only he had to get by all means. This morning for instance, he was just returning from a study session but had disguised himself with basketball gear as if he was going for practice. Heaven knows if anyone asked, he would have sworn above heaven and earth that it was not so.
He was Yalley's closest friend however apart from Sarah and it was also great news when he heard he was coming to pursue his graduate studies in the same institution as Yalley.
"what's the purpose of your face? " Fii asked when he saw Yalley sprawled on his bed looking sad.
"Nothing, just yesterday I kinda told Sarah I liked her... "
"Oh my guinea pig!... Finally!. That's great news charley!" Fii who couldn't hide his excitement boomed.
"Wait... Wait... Wait...what do you mean by 'finally '?" Yalley muttered.
"Chai... my guy... you think it's a big secret that you have liked Sarah?... everybody from Karnem-Bornu to Timbuktu Knows it wai ," Fii laughed. "Anyway, what did she say? " he continued.
"She said I should give her time to think about it... she sent me a message this morning to meet at Kodjo's at 8 today. "
"Well that's great... Where is the good stuff? " Fii joked looking around. "we've got to celebrate "
"She ended the text with 'we need to talk'... "
"Ooooooosh! "
"You can't freak out on me Fii because that's what I'm doing, " Yalley gulped.
"Okay... Okay ...fine... we don't know anything for sure... you've got to calm down and wait for us to see what happens. After all, the wise people of old said if one stared at the bush long enough, he would see what came out, " Fii counseled.
Yalley heeded Fiifi's advice and pulled himself together. He waited (hopefully) and prayed silently in his heart that things should go in his favour. Eight o'clock found him all dressed up and cleaned up sitting in one of the booths at Kodjo's.
He hadn't waited very long when he saw Sarah's Prius pull up outside. She was the picture of perfection when she entered into Kodjo's Café. She wore a pencil Blue Jeans with a sleeveless white blouse half-tucked in. She spotted a cute black Prada purse and the Corset heels she wore I'm sure was the envy of every lady in the room.
She walked gracefully to where Yalley sat after waving and flashing him a smile as she entered the door and sat across from him.
"Hi ," Sarah said half between a whisper and a cheer.
"Hey, " Yalley replied.
"How are you? "
"Not bad.. You? "
"I'm grand. ... You ordered yet? "
"Not yet... Was waiting for you but we can do that now, " Yalley remarked cooly.
Presently, some food was ordered. They both sat there eating in silence, each lost in their own thoughts . That short scene also passed about twenty minutes later and then came next the main agenda for the evening.
" So.... What has the jury decided? " Yalley inquired after they'd had their dessert.
Sarah looked him straight in his eyes and began, " Yalley, I stayed up for the most part of last night thinking about us and what we've been through together over the years. I got down on my knees and prayed to God that he should guide me to the right decision and I've finally realized... okay maybe not finally realized... I think it has always been there before but much like you I had been afraid that it might destroy our friendship... What I'm trying to.... " Sarah blushed as she continued, " I guess what I'm trying to say is... I like you too..."
Yalley's heart did a thousand somersaults. It all seemed so surreal to him. He blessed his Maker.
"OMG... This is so surreal... Do you know mom and dad have been fasting concerning this matter... I have to call them later! " He squealed with joy and delight.
"Yalley wait... " Sarah trembled as she spoke. "There's something I have to tell you ."
Her palms were sweaty and her heart beat more than a thousand times per minute. This part was really what she prayed to her Maker about. She hoped Yalley would hear her out and understand it.
Still trembling and a little afraid as to what Yalley's reply might be, she continued, " Earlier Yesterday, I got a call from the Montreal University Business School informing me that I've been accepted for a three year fellowship programme. I'll be starting in the fall and have less than six months to leave and I know it would be totally selfish for me to ask you to ....but I hope that... You will," Sarah stuttered.
Yalley Sat there very quiet thinking, pondering, deliberating or whatever adjective one might employ to describe what was going on in his head at the time and finally whispered,
"I'll wait"
Owusu F. Michael ©
Hahaha "I will wait" can't wait was that the fii's response
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