THE NIGERIAN GRADUATE
The Nigerian Graduate -Episode 1
Walking aimlessly through the street of Ado Ekiti has become my hobby, waking up like every other tenants in my lodge, getting dressed and hurrying to catch a cab in pretence of going to work was my everyday routine. I am Aderinola, a 24- year old graduate of Psychology from Ekiti State. I grew up in Ekiti but was lucky to have schooled in UNILAG.
I served in Kebbi State and if there was a profession I hated, it was teaching…. I had gotten a job to teach at a standard secondary school in Odo- Ado but being a big Unilag graduate, I could not stoop so low to teaching a group of readymade spoilt brat who were coming to school to get a WAEC certificate….
My parents were based in Ilawe Ekiti, father was a reknown and ” rich farmer” and mother was a trader… But to my friends except Fiwasaye, my father was a retired “rich” soldier and my mother, a businesswoman who was based in clothing’s… Yes now! My mother was a businesswoman or is there any difference between businesswoman and trader… Both r selling stuffs! And she was into clothing’s too because she was selling inner wears to some local market woman in Ilawe Ekiti. I hate to admit my parents were illiterates, but they were… Stark illiterates!! My dad could speak Yoruba fluently and he could communicate in English a little but my weird mother was prone to our native dialect, she could not speak fluent Yoruba and she was never afraid to speak it not even when she came to Lagos to visit me while I was in school.
After my graduation, being their only surviving and educated daughter, my parents wanted me home but I bluntly refused., not after tasting the sweet life of Lagos but after much pleas from within and without, I agreed to settle down in Ado Ekiti, the state capital of Ekiti State, the fountain of knowledge and the state with the highest number of professors…
Of the greatest “ule uyi,ule eye”.
My parents rented a “self-con” for me in Falegan, a serene street along Ilawe road. I lived a double life, to my co- tenants, they believed I’m a lucky rich girl who worked in ACCESSBANK but truthfully, I dressed to kill. I took my time taking my bath and wearing makeup.
Bet with me, I can name 10perfumes that worth #200 which had sweet scents…
I used Dallas perfume and pocket perf and a couple of sprays. I possessed one thousand and one suits, suits were my favourite, ranging from skirt to trouser suits… While in the university,I was being mistaken for a banking and finance student and it went on till my graduation.
Fiwasaye knew much about my second life, the pauper village girl, she was fond of calling me corporate omo oko or corporate ashewo.
My daily routine: I woke up before five every morning, pray,brush my teeth and have my bath. Making myself up was my morning duty, none of my neighbours had mistakenly seen my natural look, I concealed all blackspot and pimples, I was always looking fresh in my makeups and truthfully, most if not all of my hard earned money goes into my makeups, if I don’t, how will I get more money? I rocked ombre lips better than most pro n models… After these, I go knocking on doors as I woke other tenants up before sweeping my room and veranda. If I had something to cook, better and if not, I would either eat at Mama Sikira or at Fiwa’s place.. It depended on my pocket. I leave home exactly 6 in the morning alongside my neighbours if I had money and before 6 if I don’t…
Anyone who have ever been to Ado Ekiti will know Falegan is not far from Bank road, you don’t have to pass through Ola Oluwa school… There’s a shorter way of doing that*winks… I trekked down to Bank road and being a regular customer in most banks, I entered freely to check if there was any possible vacancy and sometimes to fetch customers
One fateful day, it was one of the unfortunate days I trekked down to bank road, I entered into Zenith bank and sat at the reception even when I had no business in the bank premises. I was lost in my own thought of how to handle my dangling debt coupled with the fact that my carowhite cream was finished, so was my loose powder and I needed to buy a fake Brazilian hair.
“Can you lend me your pen”
It sounded too angelic and I thought I was in heaven. I lifted my face to meet the gaze of a young looking handsome , oh no! guy… I won’t call that face that of a man. I starred straight into that eyes for some few seconds trying to fathom what planet they fell from.. The man shifted a bit and looked back trying to know if I was actually staring at something else.
The man shook me repeatedly after seeing how blankly I was staring at him and shouted..
“Hello miss, are you alright” my heart melt. It sounded rather romantic than been worried. I came back seconds later and adjusted vehemently in my seat.
“Pardon my manners” I said in my best tone
“You look pale, what were you thinking of” he asked still looking worried.
“You asked for a pen” I said opening my bag searching for one.
I handed it over to him as I waited patiently for my Princecharming. He was not the best of all handsome men but damnit! His skin was radiant and his voice could soften a hardened stone. I waited patiently for two hours before my Princecharming appeared again.
“I was worried you would have left” He said stretching his hand in a bid to return my UBA inscribed pen..
I received it two years ago while serving in Kebbi. It was the pen the manager of the bank I opened gave me, he was my man friend.
“I am stranded” It slipped rather too fast that I could not control it.
My Princecharming stood rooted on a spot as he checked me out from head to toe…
“I thought you work here”
“No, I worked with ECOBANK”
“OH! The bank the Governor locked” he said out of pity.
“Yes”
“Let’s get out of here” He said
“Pardon!” It sounded more like, “let us go to my house”
“Do you wanna stay here like forever” he gave me a puzzled look.
I immediately stood up knowing fully well I had fumbled. This man was distracting me and I could not help it… I led and he followed closely. We got outside and I could see him more clearly, he was tall and well built…
My exact type of man, he was wearing a white shirt, a black pair of trousers, a wine blazer and the sun could not have shone the way his black shoes were shining.
“You stare a lot. Follow me to my car” he made to move and I follow closely behind.
To be continued
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