TIDES OF LUST (Episode 46)

After the skills lecture had concluded, we decided to head to Mami Market to grab some lunch and unwind a bit.

As we strolled along, chatting about the session and making plans for the rest of the day, Daisy suddenly interrupted our conversation.

With a slight nudge and a nod, she directed our attention to a girl nearby. According to her, it is the very same girl who had been the subject of countless conversations and whispers throughout the camp.

“Look at the girl that was called up to the stage by that famous artist last night”.........she announced.

As I lifted my gaze and looked ahead, my heart skipped a beat. There, right in front of me, stood the very person I had unconsciously been searching for all over the camp without even realizing it.

It felt almost surreal, like a scene from a dream materializing before my eyes. Of all the faces and names etched in my memory over the past weeks, it was hers that lingered the most. And now, here she was in the flesh it was no one else but Evelyn.

“That face looks familiar”........Sandra muttered, and then she turned to me, and she saw me gazing absentmindedly at Evelyn.

Sandra gently nudged me with her elbow, breaking through the haze of my thoughts and pulling me back to the present moment. I blinked, realizing I had been momentarily lost in my own world.

Turning to look at Sandra, I caught the knowing expression on her face, a mix of disappointment and curiosity. Gathering my composure, I shifted my attention back to Evelyn, who was standing just a short distance away.

After taking a deep breath, I took a step forward, feeling Sandra fall into step beside me, her quiet presence a steady reassurance as we walked toward Evelyn together.

“Who am I seeing here? Evelyn”........I said playfully, then she turned to look at me, and our gazes intertwined effortlessly.

Evelyn stood rooted to the spot, her expression frozen in shock, as if the world around her had stopped spinning. It was as though time itself had paused, leaving just the two of us in that still, surreal moment.

I could see the mix of disbelief and emotion flicker across her face as she tried to process what was happening. For a heartbeat, neither of us moved, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken emotion.

Then, suddenly, it was as if a switch flipped, and she came back to life. A bright, joyful energy lit up her face as she let out a loud, ecstatic shout.

Without a second thought, she ran toward me and jumped, throwing her arms around me in an embrace so full of warmth and excitement that it felt like the rest of the world had melted away.

Everyone was taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. I quickly steadied myself, my arms holding her as she clung tightly to me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the look of clear disapproval on Sandra's face, her expression hardened with dissatisfaction.

“I must be dreaming, is this really you Pascal?”........she said happily, while disentangling herself from me.

“No you are not dreaming, this is me flesh and blood”........I replied to her, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“What are you doing here? Though it was Abuja you worked your posting to”.........she inquired.

“Yes, I wanted Abuja but it did not work, that’s how I got myself here”........I replied, I couldn't bring myself to tell her the main truth.

“Wow, I guess fate wanted us to meet again, and be together”.........she whispered, looking deep into my eyes.

“I sent a message to you about being redeployed to akwaibom, but it seems you never got my message”.........I replied, trying to change the topic.

Evelyn didn’t reply to my last remark; instead, she seemed to be gazing at me absentmindedly, her focus unshifting.

Her intense stare made me uneasy, and the longer it lingered, the more uncomfortable I became. In an attempt to break the tension, I subtly pulled Sandra closer to me and introduced her to Evelyn.

“Errrmmm Evelyn, meet my babe Sandra, Daisy our friend and Yamani my bunk mate.......And Sandra, this is my very good friend Evelyn”........I introduced.

“Nawa oh, just like that? Just a very good friend you said?”.........she asked sarcastically, with a mischievous smile on her face.

She made sure to greet Yamani and Daisy with a bright smile and a casual wave, the kind of greeting that suggested familiarity and comfort.

However, when it came to Sandra, there was no acknowledgement, she simply ignored her, as if Sandra wasn’t even there. It was an uncomfortable moment, the kind where the unspoken tension seemed to hang thick in the air.

After a brief pause, Evelyn turned her attention back to her group of friends. With a gleam in her eye and a tone that suggested she was eager to share some memory, she proceeded to introduce her friends to us.

When introducing me, Evelyn’s voice took on a playful, almost teasing quality as she stated, “This is him, my pet boy from school that I have been telling you all about, and also my......”.........letting the words hang in the air for a brief moment.

There was an unexpected and strange note of affection in the way she said it, but then, as if caught in a fleeting thought, her sentence trailed off abruptly.

She didn’t complete the rest of what she had started to say, leaving the unfinished thought hanging between us like an unfinished puzzle, with everyone around trying to piece together what she had meant but too unsure to ask.

The silence that followed was heavy, and for a moment, the conversation stumbled as all attention shifted to the gap left by her unfinished remark.

The entire situation clearly didn’t sit well with Sandra, but she managed to maintain a forced smile, concealing her discomfort.

Evelyn politely told her friends to go ahead without her, assuring them she would catch up with them later, and then she rejoined us on our way back to Mami.

We made our orders at the café and found an empty table to sit at. As we settled in and waited for our food to arrive, Evelyn couldn’t help but gravitate towards me, her attention fully on me the entire time.

“Look at how fresh you look, what have you been eating?”........she asked playfully.

“Same thing you have been eating. Heard you are now the reigning celebrity in this place”..........I teased.

“Celebrity kooor, don’t mind that artists jaaree”.......she mumbled, hissing loudly.

“Heard he gave you his necklace, let me see it na”........I requested, then she sighed.

“I gave it to one of my friends oh.......Do I look like a celebrity freak? Can you imagine when I left the stage, one of his guys accosted me and told me to drop my contact that they will need to contact me after camp”.........she expressed in dissatisfaction.

“Maybe they want to add you to one of their vixens”........I teased, laughing loudly.

“I nearly pushed him off my way. He thought I’m one of those little girls they entice with all those shitty stuffs, because they are celebrities”..........she grumbled.

I had heard rumors about how some celebrities would call girls onto the stage during their shows, offering them an accessory as a prize, only to take their contact information and later sleep with them. At the time, I didn’t buy into it, but now, Evelyn has just proven those rumors true.

“So you don’t want to have something to do with a celebrity? You don miss am oh”.........I said playfully.

She glanced at me and dramatically rolled her eyes, pretending to be upset. We continued chatting, laughing, and carrying on with our conversation until our food was finally brought to the table.

Once we finished our meal, I grabbed a takeaway for Pascaline and passed it to her sister, Daisy, before we headed out.

Sandra was clearly uncomfortable with what was unfolding between Evelyn and I, but she managed to keep her feelings hidden.

Eventually, we went our separate ways. I headed out with Yamani, while the girls made their way back to the hostel.

I had only just made it halfway with Yamani to our hostel when Sandra called, asking me to meet her at the Pavilion. I quickly excused myself and told Yamani to continue on without me.

By the time I reached the pavilion, Sandra was already there. The look on her face was far from welcoming, and her expression left me feeling uneasy and a bit anxious.

“Did you know she was coming to this place?”........she retorted.

“No, I didn’t. I’m surprised to see her here just like you”.........I replied, as I sat beside her.

“But I heard her saying that she sent you a message or something”.......she said coldly.

“Babe believe me, I didn’t know she was coming to Akwa-Ibom. Back in school, after we agreed to work our service to Lagos, I told her that I will be working mine to Akwa-Ibom because I didn’t want her to know where I intend going. She in turn told me that she will work hers to Abuja and that was it”

 “Seeing her here was something I never expected and for the so-called message she said she sent to me, believe me, I never got any message from her”........I explained calmly to her.

“Ok, I just hope nothing is going to start off between you guys again”.........she said soberly.

“Come on, didn’t I introduce you to her as my girlfriend?”.......I muttered, feeling frustrated.

“You know little about girls. When they want you, some of them don’t mind if you are married so introducing me to her as your girlfriend doesn’t stop her from trying to reignite what you guys had back then in school. I’m just telling you beforehand to be careful with her”........she admonished.

“Nothing is ever going to happen between Evelyn and I again, I promise you that”.........I assured her.

“Okay, that aside.......I don’t like the fact that you keep buying food for Pascaline even when her own twin sister doesn’t care. If she can’t come with us to eat, then let her stay. I know you are just trying to be nice, but Sunshine please it makes me feel somehow at times”.........she complained.

“Okay no problems, the thing is that I don’t really know what is wrong with her......Earlier today before the SAED lecture, I went to talk to her to know what is wrong but she ignored me and walked out on me”.........I replied.

“Don’t worry, I will talk to her sister. But just stop it with all those niceties, if she is being rude to you, just mind your own business”..........she concluded.

“Yes ma’am”........I surrendered with a salute.

She scanned the area around us, and in an instant, she kissed me quickly before standing up. We then left the pavilion and headed back to our respective hostels.

To be continued..........