Back then in Uni, I had this roommate who found love on Facebook. She's deceased now and her name was Eseosa.
Eseosa was intoxicated by this new-found man that every weekend, she's packing her bags to go spend it with him.
She would leave Friday morning to return probably Tuesday or Wednesday and then leave again Friday.
It became a routine, and I started wondering how flexible is her course work for her to be putting her education on the line like that.
One faithful day, I had just returned from lectures and I overheard her telling our roommate how she had such a swell time over the weekend.
As she was dishing out the gist, she was packing her bags for Friday movement. It was a Tuesday, and she had just returned on a Monday.
I went in for a cold shower as the temperature was really hot. Then climbed on my bed to try to get a shut-eye, but their conversation kept interrupting. So I listened anyway.
Then her phone rang….
It should be worthy to note that, Eseosa's call speaker is loud even when it's not on loudspeaker, and If you listen well, you can pick all what the caller at the other end is saying.
“Hey babe!” She called out in excitement, “I was just thinking about you”….
“Aww,” Fejiro and Evi chorused simultaneously, while smiling from ear to ear.
It was all love and mushy until she made mention of sending him money.
My brain ticked, and I sat up immediately, waiting for her to finish her call, so I could confirm what I heard.
“Don't worry babe if I can't send it I will give you cash when I come on Friday,” She said to him in an assuring tone, but he seemed not to be understanding and kept asking her to send something no matter how small.
Before we knew, her morale dropped and her voice became low and teary. The rest of my roommates also went from a smiley face to a straight face, and we were all agitated for her to end the call and tell us in details what happened.
The call finally ended and Fejiro went first with the inquiry since she was closest to her.
“Babe, are you ok?” Fejiro questioned, placing one hand on Eseosa's shoulder.
“What's wrong?” Evi was next to inquire as she shifted closer to Eseosa's corner, who by now has placed a hold on her packing for Friday.
Eseosa was obviously not ok as she seemed agitated and worked up, but then she faked a smile and went with “I am ok, everything is fine.”
I knew everything was not fine, but if she says everything is fine, who am to bother? So I mind my business. Since there was nothing left to discuss, Evi and Fejiro got dressed and went out for a stroll and then lunch.
I on the other hand finally got a shut-eye, but then it was soon cut short as Eseosa got on the phone with her mother.
“What is taking so long for you to arrange the payment? Is it until I die first before you know that I need to feed and survive in school?” Eseosa queried in a belligerent tone.
“I sent you Twenty thousand Naira just last Thursday Eseosa, today is Tuesday, how did you exhaust all that money?” The mother inquired.
“Mommy don't question me, please arrange the payment before Thursday because I really would need it, I am expecting it. Bye” She dropped the call.
Where I was sleeping like this, eh? All my body was peppering me (feeling irritated) because “why would she be putting the financial pressure of her boyfriend on her mother?” I questioned within me.
THURSDAY
The rest of our roommates had gone for lectures, leaving just me and Eseosa in the room.
“Hello Ruth, why is mommy not picking my call? What sort of nonsense is this? I told her I needed this money by Thursday, I still haven't received any alert…. What's going on, who is sending my money?” While Eseosa was busy hollering at her sister, the boyfriend's call came in, inquiring if they are still on for Friday.
“Yes we are, I'm just waiting for money, so I can come” Eseosa responded with an undertone of frustration.
She finished with her boyfriend, then went back to start pressing her sister's neck for the money since she couldn't get through to their mom. After several attempts and the money wasn't forthcoming, as her sister told her to hang on until the end of the day, she screamed out loud in frustration then collapsed on her bed.
At that point, I felt I should come in….
“Don't you have lectures today?” I inquired, trying to start up a conversation.
“You, don't you have classes too? Your mates are in class, and you are here asking me useless question”.
I understood her frustration and wasn't going to be my usual self and snap back at her. Instead, I smiled and told her the lecturer cancelled. I was expecting a follow-up response from her, but she ignored me.
I knew if I am to get through to her, I have to meet her in the middle where her interest lies.
“You know, you could always ask your boyfriend to send you some money for transport since you are expecting money. That way you can always withdraw when you get to his end and do whatever.” I saw her sit up and giving deep thought to what I just said.
“Abi (like)?” She muttered with her fingers curved on her lips, she continued with a creased brow, “I should ask him right?”
“Yes! You should, If he really wants to see you, he will transfer the amount knowing you are expectant and have no other means of coming”.
“Hmm mm…. You are right, let me call him.”
Eseosa got on the phone with her man and explained the situation of things to him, but she got the shocker of her life when her sweet boyfriend cancelled and said they should postpone until whenever the money comes. I heard everything and from her countenance I just respected myself and faced front.
The money did eventually come that day and Eseosa wanting to be a romantic girlfriend, paid her man a surprise visit on Friday morning.
By Monday, she was back. I could feel something was off, as she wasn't her usual cheerful self whenever she returns from her man's place.
TUESDAY
“What does it mean, when you go see your boyfriend, and you meet him eating from the same pot with another woman? He said she is his neighbor…” A question she threw when it was just me and her left in the room.
She continued, “What is most surprising is how he told me him and his brother were flat broke and had no Money but when I went to the house, I met different cooked delicacies and some food items I know I did not buy because when I left the last time, the house was almost empty”
I looked at her in pity, as I knew exactly what was happening, but I'm not sure if she's ready to hear it, so I asked her, “Do you want my honest opinion?”
She nodded her head in Yes, and then I explained to her how she's been used, and the boyfriend is just with her for her money.
I went further to inform her that the woman she saw with him was not just a neighbor, but his girlfriend whom he spends her money on.
I gave her instances of how he could not even send her Transport fare to come seeing him knowing the last visit she paid. She quickly cut in and said not just the last visit, that she has been the one paying her Fair to go see him and still spends money on their feeding and outing.
That even this last time they went out, she was the one who paid for all expenses, including that of the supposed neighbor. I was shocked because every time she talked about having a swell time, I used to think it was financed by the boyfriend.
I thought this girl was becoming wise as we were talking but then, foolishness sets in when she said, “regardless, I know he loves me”
I was weak, and then I asked her, almost raising my voice, “what part of all what you have experienced and that I have analyzed for you suggests that he loves you?”
I felt like opening her head and sharing some of my intelligence quotient with her. But I thought of something better.
I asked her to call him and inform him that her period was running late, so she used a PT strip to check and discovered she's pregnant.
She was hesitant at first, but then I told her, if you carry out this test on him, you'll know exactly where you stand in the relationship, and that was the push she needed. So she called, and the moment she told him she's been confirmed pregnant, he ended the call.
She dialed him back and he busied her number. Her eyes widened, brows creased and her mouth half closed…. Eventually, she managed to blurt out, “Ahn-ahn?? What's going on?”
As she held the phone, still maintaining the same surprise look, the phone beeped. She checked and saw it was an SMS from her man.
It read, “Congratulations on your pregnancy, I wish you the best in all your endeavors.” Immediately, she tried calling again, but all effort to reach him through a call proved abortive as he blocked her number.
She wanted to cry as she screamed, “ha! But I was just pulling his legs now, I even wanted to tell him it's a joke”.
I looked at this girl and shook my head. I was so irritated because she still doesn't get it.
“Let's assume you were really pregnant, is this how he would have treated you? Abandoning you to your faith? And yet, you said he loves you?” After saying these words to her, she became calm and just went to her bed to lie down.
