COMING HOME

Chapter 18

~~He who diligently seeks good finds favour, but trouble will come to him who seeks evil.
                       Proverbs 11:27(NKJV)~~

'Chris!' The caller sounded impatient. Christopher turned happily giving his full attention to Tobi as she took hurried steps to meet him. When she got close to him, she swung him into her arms for a tight embrace. 'We're now graduates.' She said planting light kisses on different parts of his face.

'Yeah, we're officially out of camp and now into the wild.' He said holding her face between his hands and kissing her firmly on her lips.

He heard some jests from around them and released her lips. 'Where should we go to celebrate?'

'Anywhere is fine with me. As far as you're there, I'll be okay.' Her swollen lips and already pink face held so much excitement.

'Chris, can you believe it?' Thick veins pooped from the sides of her face. Cars and troops of people emerged and they sought the crowd for whoever they came to meet. Students were screaming and running around trying to avoid what was being thrown at them. People kept coming and soon the place was overcrowded.

'Tobi?' Chris called out to her as she moved into the crowd. 'Come on babe, I don't want to lose sight of you.'

Splashes of water touched him as he passed a couple of students. Someone ran passed him and hid behind him. He laughed and carefully shifted to avoid the sachets of water aimed at him. 'Sorry Lizzy, I can't take that much for you.'

'And where do you think you're going?' She asked with her hands on her hips bracing herself as the group of junior students raced with more bags of water. 'Please, pour a lot on him too.'

The students didn't waste time obliging as this was a custom they'd prepared for. Chris stood taking as much as he could.

'Incoming!' A student shouted. Chris backed the direction the voice had come from as three sachet water hit him squarely on his back and on his neck. His eyes shut instantly and his hands went straight to where the impact had been pulling at his skin.

'Haha...' That was Tobi's voice. He opened his wet eyes and went to look for her.

'Wow! Here you are.' Today, his usually filled classroom was empty. Everybody was  outside getting soaked with whatever liquid friends and well wishers could come across. He tucked his wet hands strolling to where Tobi was sitting. A large bouquet of flowers stood gigantic on the table. Varieties of fruit snacks and chocolate cookies sat on the farthest corner of the tray, the centre was filled with coconut rice, jollof rice and fried rice. He couldn't guess what the others were. His eyes softened when he saw a cake covered with chocolate dressing holding his and her name. He raised his head seeing her tongue in cheek.

She stood up knowing he'd hug her, he pulled her close over the desk separating them, buried his head in her neck and sobbed. She held him for awhile before releasing him.

'I also have something for you.' The tears dried. A small pink box with with a white bird appeared. 'Tobi,' she shifted but was pushed to her initial stance because of the enclosed space she was standing in. Her hands went straight to her gaping mouth, she blinked severally avoiding the tears that threatened to shred her make-up. 'I've wanted to do this for five long years. We've come a long way and I'm certain that you love me just as much as I love you. I was going to do this at our party this evening but I know you hate public proposal. So,' his entire weight fell to the floor.

She released her hands and went to him trying to get him back on his feet noticing the people entering the classroom.

'Will you marry me?'

'Oh Chris, please get up, people are coming into the classroom.'

He shook his head smiling. 'Say yes then I'd stand up.'

'Okay, y....'

'Chris?' The hand that was tapping his shoulder did so without sympathy for him. 'Wake up!' Chai! You too dey sleep. It's passed five. We have to revise for our final exam.' Sean swung sheets of paper across his face severally.

'I'm awake.'

'Good. What were you dreaming of?' Sean asked but was already on his way to the living room. 'You seemed happy and I know it wasn't the joy of writing jurisprudence exam.' He coughed and sat down on the sofa.

Sammy walked into the room and sat opposite Chris. Things hadn't settled between them since the four months Tobi left school. Christopher knew they were trying very hard not to blame him and bring it up but Sammy didn't waste time showing him he was the person to be blamed. Sean remained their only plug.

He was grateful for Elizabeth as he started spending his free time with her. Sean hadn't liked the idea. Reconciliation was what he tried to do but they both knew Sammy wasn't ready to open up. On the morning of two weeks to their exams, Sean and Sammy had stopped him from leaving. They'd sounded really desperate and convinced him they needed him to continue reading with them. A glance at Sammy and it was obvious it was a pressured decision.

He knew everyday that Sammy still called Tobi's number and it never went through. Few times, he'd catch Sammy staring at him and on those few moments, he'd look deep into Sammy's eyes and realize something he'd never known before. Sammy by nature knew how to hide his feelings about anything and everything so it was usually very hard to know what he was thinking but on those days, his eyes would soften and he'd throw his head back using his hand as shield. Sammy was in love with Tobi. Knowing that hadn't helped him feel any better because unlike him, he'd carefully bottled up those feelings to prevent himself from hurting her. He regretted messing everything up. The love that Sammy possessed was the selfless kind. He knew how well his feelings would be unwelcome and he kept them to himself.

Shame wasn't accurate enough to describe how he felt everyday realizing that they might never see her and with time she'd become just like the other memories he blocked, at the bottom of his mind.

He hoped she was fine. Few days before she'd left, he'd seen how much she'd tried to pick her life back. He knew how much she wanted to be able to smile again without a reminder of what she'd been through.
Her giving them the car wasn't out of love only, she'd wanted to forget but being the idiotic person he was, he carefully extracted those memories and placed them on her table. They'd lost a friend solely because of him.

God was the only person he could still talk to. He dropped all his complaints and fears before God admitting that he was wrong and helpless. Expecting the same outburst and condemnation he'd received from others, his eyes were opened and he realized that it wasn't God's plan for things to end that way but it didn't mean He wouldn't look after Tobi to ensure she got better. She was safer in His hands than she'd ever be.

Finally coming to his senses, he surrendered everything to God and then, his own healing started. His only wish was for him to meet Tobi in future and tell her how sorry he was. He also needed to set things straight with Sammy and Sean then maybe they too could begin healing.

'Sammy?' Sammy raised his head but didn't look at him. 'We need to talk.'

'You're right Chris, I agree with you but I don't think the morning to the hardest paper and our final exam as undergraduates is the right time to have this discussion. We'll be done in at least eight hours, why not let it wait until then?'

'No Sean, I want to hear what he has to say!' Sammy looked Chris straight in the eyes straightening his position on the chair.

Having the discussion didn't sound right anymore. His legs shook without saying anything. 'I could use a little help Jesus.' He mumbled under his breath and sat up straight to face Sammy.

Sean sighed and placed the cup of hot coffee on the centre table, folded his arms and relaxed against the chair.

'We're all ears Chris but make it brief.' Chris faced Sean with a small smile as if to say "Thank you man!" then faced Sammy again.