Tseju's Bayo

Chapter Seven

Bayo's POV

About a week ago, the University of Benin officially resumed for a new academic session and Tseju sadly had to go back to Benin. Less than a week later, Bayo made his first ever sojourn into the Ancient Kingdom of Benin heading straight towards the location of the girl whose face wouldn't let him read.

“I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer. For as long as I can remember, that’s been the ultimate goal. Finish sec school, pass JAMB with at least 270, ace POST-UME, get like eighty something, then buy tons and tons of black and white.” A small smile crept across her face, lighting up her eyes.

The evening sun glowed magnificently somewhere west of where they stood, the rays far enough that it did not distract the evening breeze from playing the role of a natural fan, its centrifugal force set at a normal speed so it wasn’t causing the sand particles lying lazily on the tarred road to find new accommodation on the bodies of people. Tseju said the place was called Capitol, and to the left side at the end of the road before a small rickety gate leading to what she claimed was an extension of the University, sat what she said was the Chancellor’s House.

Obviously, three years was enough time to discover the nooks and crannies of one’s University, and Tseju was more or less a walking talking beautiful Google Maps. Since picking her up that evening for the fourth date they would have since they met, she’d driven him through Gee Cee - the University of Benin Teaching Hospital Golf Course - Then they drove past DQ or Dentistry Quarters, the staff quarters of Dentistry, and then she’d parked the car at the end of the road, just right before a small road block, and then they continued on foot towards Capitol, their actual destination for the evening. She promised that on their next date, she’d take him to Blocks of Flats, what she called the end of Uniben, Uniben Moat; a deep gully - probably the baby of an undocumented earthquake - that opened up separating Uniben from Ekosodin, behind Uniben Staff Club.

“So, what happened? How did you end up studying Isd?”

“Well, I aced all the exams, 256 in JAMB and 75 in Post-Ume, but Uniben had other plans for me. They threw me to Isd.”

“Didn’t you apply for a change of course or something?” Bayo asked.

“I did, nothing was done about it. I stayed at home one more year, reapplied the next year, aced both exams, but still got ISD.”

“So, why didn’t you apply at another school?” Bayo asked.

“Mom said Uniben or I was travelling out.” She shrugged, raising her left to adjust her glasses. “Back then, I didn’t want to be separated from my squad, that’s why I was so against the idea of travelling out, but man! My 22 year old self thinks my 18 year old self is stupid. Three of my friends relocated to the UK, Spain and SA. It’s just me and Ada now. I tried to talk to mom, but she said I’d made my bed, and I was gonna lie on it just like that.”

“I thought women didn’t like disclosing their age?” Bayo asked, one recently shaved brow raised in her direction, as if accenting his question.

“I’m not the average woman.” She retorted, a fake but still beautiful smile plastered across her caramel face.

Bayo could not help the smile that stretched across his face as an unspoken response to her declaration. Of course she wasn’t the average woman. The average woman wouldn’t have him shifting his busy work – school schedule just so his thirsty eyes could drink in her presence. The average woman was not the wisdom of a 45 year old, occasionally playing house swap with the wit, sarcasm and easy going airiness of an 18 year old, housed in the body of a 22 year old almost Diplomat.

The caramel colored woman that kept on popping up on the timeline of his work-school centric mind. The back to back calls and messaging was costing him. He knew sooner, rather than later he’d have to pay. But, he’d been unable to focus since she moved backed to Benin.