At precisely 7:30pm, I bid a fond farewell to Sandra and departed from her residence, promptly hailing a taxi that would transport me directly to the entrance of Charlotte's hostel, where I would continue on with my evening.
I urgently needed to speak with Charlotte, so I dialed her number, only to find it engaged.
Undeterred, I waited patiently for a few moments before trying again, but frustratingly, the line became busy once more, just as it began to ring for the second time.
“What the heck is going on? Why this girl dey carry me dey play like this na?”..........I grumbled.
After a brief period of waiting, I opted to take a more direct approach and headed upstairs to Charlotte's room.
Moments later, I stood poised outside Charlotte's door, steeling myself with a calming breath before extending my hand to knock discreetly on the door.
“Who is there?”........a voice asked from inside when I knocked on the door.
“It’s me”........I replied nervously.
“Who?”........she asked again.
“Why not check and see for yourself”........I retorted, getting pissed up already.
“Hold on a sec”........she replied.
The door swung open after a short delay, and I was taken aback by the unexpected sight of the one person I had least expected to find standing there.
It was no other person than Mirabel. My first girlfriend as an 100 level student.
“What a surprise, What are you doing here?”.........she asked.
“At least a welcome should be in order, or don’t you think so?”........i said curtly.
“My bad, you are welcome”.........she replied, leading me inside the room.
I cautiously entered the room, mentally preparing myself for any additional surprises, but my attention drifted away from her conversation, my mind still reeling from the shock of her presence.
I surveyed the room when I entered, but there was no sign of Charlotte anywhere. I began to wonder if I was in the wrong room.
“Welcome and make yourself comfortable”.........she said warmly, interrupting my thought.
“See how beautiful you've turned out to be, you are extremely beautiful”.........I complimented her, as I settled on her bed, admiring her once again.
“Thanks for the compliment, you aren't looking bad either”..........she muttered.
“Yeah I know that, I'm still looking hot just as before”........I replied, and she giggled.
“You are really looking hot. How long has it been? Like one year?”..........she asked, but I could tell the sarcasm in her voice.
“Haba!! It’s not up to one year na.
Remember I called you a couple of months back when I got stuck in the rain and needed an umbrella”..........I reminded her.
“Yea it has just been phone things and that just happened like once or so”..........she replied.
“Do you stay here alone?”.........I asked, trying to divert from the topic.
“For now yes.......I had a roommate, but she got an off campus accommodation and packed out yesterday”...........she explained.
“In other words, you would be living here alone right?”.........I asked.
“I don't really know yet sha, might ask one of my friends to come stay with me........By the way, what are you doing here?”.........she asked, staring at me suspiciously.
“Actually I came to see a friend, but it seems like I have the wrong room number or something”..........I replied.
“No wonder, what is your friends name and which number did she give you?”.........she asked, trying to show concern.
“Her name is Charlotte, and she said she stays in room 335”..........I replied.
“That’s my roommate I was talking about, and you are in the right room.......Unfortunately, she has packed out. How come you didn’t know? Didn’t she tell you?”...........she asked.
“She didn’t tell me anything of such. Although we aren't really that close, and it has been a while we last spoke”.........I lied.
“Pascal the sharp shooter”........she teased, staring at me intently.
“What have I done?”.........I asked, trying to act innocent.
“How on earth did you know Charlotte? This your eyes sha, You no dey take am see woman. You must chyke am”.........she teased, laughing uncontrollably.
“It is not what you think. We are …...”........I tried explaining, but she cut me short.
“Don’t bother explaining anything to me, I'm not interested. The less I know, the better........What do I offer you?”..........she asked.
“Never mind, I'm fine........I don't want to inconvenience you. Let’s leave it for next time”........I replied politely, but she shook her head in disapproval.
“Of course you know I won't accept that excuse from you......please tell me what I should offer you, let me get it quickly, your Shakara too much”..........She replied, and I shrugged.
“Okay then, you can offer me whatever you have”.........I replied, then she smiled broadly, revealing her beautiful dentition.
She graciously offered me a delightful spread of biscuits and juice, and as I savored each bite and sip, we indulged in a wonderful conversation, effortlessly catching up on each other's lives, sharing stories, and exploring new topics, in a warm and enjoyable exchange that felt like no time had passed at all.
We intentionally or unintentionally avoided discussing our last romp.
Just as our conversation was flowing, her phone interrupted us, and from the warm tone and extended duration of the call, it was clear that the person on the other end was someone very special, likely her boyfriend.
“Sorry, that’s my boyfriend”.......she replied, after ending the call.
“I go love o”........I teased.
“Leave me abeg”.........she replied.
“Tell me about him, or don’t you want me to know him?”........I asked.
“I think It’s best we keep that part of our lives away from each other........The less we know about that part the better”.........she replied, and I shrugged.
After we finished catching up and reminiscing, I let her know that it was time for me to head back to my lodge.
“You still stay in that your lodge?”.......she asked, as we stepped out from her room.
“Yes”.......I replied.
“That reminds me, how is that girl, Evelyn?”.........she suddenly asked.
“You want us to talk about that now?”.......I asked.
“Forget it then. But nevertheless, I still have some scores to settle with her”.........she muttered, with a sad expression on her face.
“Come on Mirabel, I thought we've moved pass that already?”.........I asked.
“Yeah we did, but…….Never mind”........she mumbled.
“But what? Tell me”.........I pestered.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious”.........she replied.
“I can’t believe you are still carrying our first year grievances. What happened then should be forgotten.......Moreover I’m to be blamed for everything. I’m the person that left, it’s all my fault. That Evelyn came into the picture, doesn’t mean that she was the reason why I left”........I explained.
“Pascal let’s just forget about that. But have you ever asked yourself why I never blamed you for what happened to us?”........she asked.
“No I haven't”........I replied.
“It’s because you aren't the one who left, I did”.........she replied, and it sounded like a thunderbolt in my head.
“What do you mean?”........I asked in a confused manner.
“I mean, I was first to leave the relationship........The whole break-up thing didn’t have anything to do with you”........she confessed.
Her confession left me momentarily paralyzed, my gaze locked onto hers with a mix of shock and trepidation, as if I had just witnessed something utterly unbelievable.
“Pascal, that's in the past now. But on a very good day we will discuss it”.........she assured me, and I nodded.
With our evening goodbyes exchanged, Mirabel headed back to her hostel, and I began a thoughtful stroll to my lodge, the evening's events replaying in my mind as I struggled to gather my scattered thoughts and emotions.
I was taken aback by the realization that I had been misled, believing I was the one who had moved on, when in reality, Mirabel had been the one to leave me behind; the discovery left me feeling utterly deflated and crestfallen.
Deep in contemplation, I remained lost in my thoughts until I arrived home, where I then unwound with a soothing bath, afterwards reclining on my bed to sift through the events of the evening and gather my thoughts.
While I lay on the bed, my thoughts drifted backward in time, to the moment I first laid eyes on Mirabel, and the memories of our blossoming relationship began to replay in vivid detail.
It was almost two weeks into our first year when I first crossed paths with Mirabel at our faculty officer's office, where we had both gone for clearance. A chance conversation between us, sparked a connection.
Before we knew what was happening, our casual encounter blossomed into a romantic relationship.
We shared a special bond, and our relationship was thriving.
Despite being from different departments, we were inseparable, spending all our time together and exploring every experience as a team.
My encounter with Evelyn in the second semester of our first year served as a catalyst for change, and soon the harmony between Mirabel and I began to unravel.
Initially, Mirabel seemed unaffected, but over time, I noticed a subtle yet unmistakable shift, as she began to pull away from me, creating a growing distance between us.
Being around Evelyn made Mirabel increasingly hesitant to spend time at my place, and this growing unease eventually boiled over into a significant source of tension in our relationship.
The situation reached a breaking point when Mirabel started ignoring my calls, leaving me perplexed and frustrated by her actions. Unable to cope with the emotional turmoil, I ultimately suggested we go our separate ways, which she agreed.
I was taken aback when, instead of resistance or even a hint of sadness, Mirabel readily agreed to the breakup, almost as if she had been expecting it, or had already emotionally checked out of the relationship.
The irony was that, despite calling it quits, our breakup didn't quite play out as expected.
Instead of distance or tension, Mirabel's demeanor softened, and we surprisingly slid back into a familiar closeness, as if the breakup had never occurred.
Ironically, our breakup led to a newfound physical connection, and we shared our first intimate experience just before the end of our first year.
Yet, this brief spark was short lived, as Evelyn soon stepped into the picture, taking center stage in my life from the beginning of our second year.
In a stunning revelation, the Mirabel I believed I had ended things with, shockingly confessed to me today that it was actually she who had initiated the breakup, completely flipping my understanding of our past.
The truth hit me like a ton of bricks, demolishing my long held assumption that I was the one who initiated the breakup.
Now, I'm consumed by several questions running through my mind.
“Did she upgrade to someone she deemed superior? And if so, why did she warm up to me again, even going as far as sharing a moment of intimacy?”........I thought deeply.
The more I think about it, the more it seems like a puzzle with missing pieces, and I become more confused.
As I wrapped up my introspection, a singular conviction emerged, there's more to the story of Mirabel and I than meets the eye.
I've resolved to dig deeper, driven by an insatiable need to unravel the mystery, confront the unknowns, and finally uncover the truth that has been eluding me.
To Be Continued..............
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