MY FIRST UNDERGRADUATE KISSES

Nobody ever told me that a kiss is an intentional exchange of saliva between two willing mouths.And that love is a force that is not by force.

In my penultimate year, I'd just stepped out of the exam venue, a classroom at Faculty Building 2(FB 2), after writing a Research Methodology Exam which ended at 1pm when my phone began to ring.

It was an exam I'd used two days and two nights to prepare for because it was a course taught by a principality in the Department of Accounting.

When my phone rang at first, I didn't pick cos I was discussing with my coursemates who had finished the same exam.

We examined the answers we'd provided for the compulsory question of number one. It turned out that we'd written the same answers which made my mind calm.

My phone rang the second time, I picked it up and it this amazing lady in her sophomore year in the department of English & Communication Studies.

Our path crossed three months earlier on a Thursday afternoon at the school library when I'd gone to scan for textbooks on Advanced Auditing.

I'd finished my assignment centered on "Auditing & SMEs" at 3pm when I decided to check out the English section for a novel to occupy myself before leaving the library at 5pm for my hostel at the Skills Acquisition Center.

At the English section of the library, I was scanning through many of the novels while she too was doing the same.

I picked a novel written by Ngugi Wa Thiongo titled Matigari, stood there to savour it in bid to know whether this will be okay when she looked up at me and said that she'd been looking all around for the same novel.

I'd wanted to let go by releasing it to her but my inner man prompted that this would be a channel to exchange kernels of intimacies with a lady whose perfect figure proclaimed the artistic dexterity of the Almighty.

'Please,I've been looking for this novel. I know you picked it first but ehn,can you let go?'

While she pleaded, a fair weather smile ran across her face.

Such a smile wasn't enough to give her a novel so I clicked some buttons for intense conversation.

'I also needed it and that's why I came here for it.'

'Yeah, I know. I want to read it for an assignment.'

That excuse got me but I didn't want to let go.

I took a comprehensive look at her. She has an angelic smiling face,long athletic legs, a high feminine waist and the dress she wore sat queenly on her.

'You're a student of English, right?'

'Yeah! Can I have it now?'

She pleaded and smiled.

Her voice excited my ears like a piece of instrumental music.

'What's your name?'

She answered.

'What level?'

'200L.'

She said thank you while I surrendered the book to her and when she was about to leave, her feet got stuck to the earth.

'You didn't tell me your name, level and department.'

I'd wanted to prove a macho guy that that wasn't necessary but I discarded that thought seeing a beautiful lady standing before me to ask for my details with no harm but keen interest. And I also thought to myself that what shall it profit a young guy if he refuses to tell a young beautiful lady his name.

'I'm Alfred. A third year accounting student.'

'Alright. And what are you doing in the English section of the library?'

I smiled.

'Can we talk about this over a drink?'

She looked at me in two shakes of an eye before turning her eyes to the novel.

'I know my request is sudden but it'd be a delight for me to have you as a friend with good understanding.'

That was the event that led to our becoming closer, and full buckets of emotions always pour over when we're together.

And as my phone began to ring, it was the English damsel whose love had found a resting place in me.

'Alfred, good afternoon. Are you through with your papers?'

'Yeah! I just finished.'

'Oh! That's great.'

'What about you?'

'I finished at 11am.'

'Do you still have more papers to write?'

'All papers gone. You?'

'All papers gone as well.'

We both laughed.

'Will you be coming over to my place this evening?'

'Hmmmm! I'm not sure.'

'Why? Nothing.'

'Come over joorr.'

Her off campus hostel was far beyond the Otuoke Bridge, almost at the outskirts of Otuoke where legs hardly trod anytime darkness had soothed the contours of the world.

'Okay. I will come.'

I left for my hostel but met a friend of mine at the school gate who called my attention.

'Guy, how far that exam na?'

'The exam go well.'

'Eehn, we need to pray over our exams. And there's this prayer meeting organised by my church this evening at 6pm to 8pm. I'm inviting you. Will you come?'

When he asked if I'd honor the invitation for the prayer meeting, the invitation of my female English friend swung in my head like a pendulum of a thousand years.

And I remembered the Bible verse which says,'Seek first the kingdom of God and it's righteousness.'

Going for a prayer meeting is better jare, I said within my soul.

'Alright, I'll come.'

He told me the venue and even gave me #200 for transport fare.

I got to the hostel,bathed and slept off like a precocious child who has been fed to optimum by his maternal grandmother who has a pot of goodness and mercy planted deep down in the chamber of her soul.

At 6:10pm, the ringtone of my phone woke me up.

It was my female friend whose beauty shines brighter than the northern star.

'Aren't you coming again?'

'Ouchhh! I forgot.'

'You sound sleepy.'

'Yeah. Your call woke me up.'

I bathed again and wore a round neck and a jean trouser.

At 6:25pm, I was at the gate of the Skills Acquisition Center flagging down a bike when my friend's call came in.

'Alfred, where are you? The program has started o. Hurry.'

'Ohhhh! I forgot. Thanks for reminding me.'

He ended the call.

The bikeman that I'd flagged down was waiting.

'Oga, no vex. I no dey go again.'

He looked at with a wounded glance and was a out to speed off when another student called his attention.

I had to discard the bikeman because I was confused about whose invitation to honor: going to a prayer meeting or going to a girl's house.

I stood there for a few minutes thinking about this.

And that's how life is.

Life is a decision which is instigated by values oftentimes but at certain times, we tend to play according to opposite values we've held on for a very long time.

Is this temptation? Temptation, the devil's by-product? I asked myself.

Her call came in again.

'Are you on your way?'

'Kind of.'

'I'm waiting.'

'Ok.'

I said to myself: I'd go to a prayer meeting another day jare. God understands.

I flagged down another bike at 6:40pm and off I went to her place.

I alighted at the junction, brought out the #200 note my male friend had given me to come over to the program, paid the bike man and collected a change of #100.

I swaggered on the dusty road leading to her house.

I stood at her doorpost with a ranging thought that I should have gone to the prayer meeting instead of coming over to a lady's house.

I'd wanted to turn back but was held back when my phone rang; it was her.

I didn't pick.

She looked through the window, the ringing tone of my phone must have alerted her about my presence.

The door was opened and the Son of Alfred was ushered in like the way a new King is ushered into his domain when enthroned at first.

I sat on the chair.

She sat on the bedside.

At this time, it was 7pm, the moon was already up like a bug saucer in the sky bathing everything underneath in a pale silvery night.

I took a good look at her again.

She is beautiful from top to toe. Her eyes full of passion, the spaghetti top she wore revealed a large chunk of her b.oob.s which stood straight and erect like shining swords of Sophocles, making her ni.pp.les evident like pink rosebubds. The bumbshort she wore had her flesh revealed. Ohhh! Assuming, Joseph of the Bible saw this part of Mrs Potiphar, I don't think he'd have run outside.

She knew my attention was on her which made her ask an integer question at such a time when the stars were thousand witnesses in the sky above.

'What are you looking at?'

Her eyes were full of passion, and you know all men oftentimes respond to such.

'Nothing.'

I smiled.

'You're sure it's nothing?'

She spoke with inclusive familiarity.

She stood up from where she sat and came over to where I was seated.

She bent over to pick a paper from the floor, my eyes saw the package of flesh behind the spaghetti top.

Lo and behold, my body caught fire, a glowing fire spread rapidly all over my body but it wasn't the kind of fire that Elijah called from heaven when he was battling with his enemies.

She stood straight up again.

And placed his hands on my shoulder, looking straight into my eyes.

I understood the language of things not said in words.

I stood up, facing her, more composed and assured.

She drew me closer, both of us pouring out affection mixed with uncontrollable rising emotions saying nothing.

Silence filled the room and stretched to a breaking point

Admiration showed like stars on her face and finally she said those magical words.

'I love you.'

Those words triggered more emotions in me.

With uncluttered simplicity, I reciprocated.

'I've always loved you. Since the day I saw you at the library, your love is deeply seated in my heart.'

She pulled me closer to herself and spoke faintly in my ears while feigning shyness.

'You can't love me without taking me to Jerusalem tonight.'

I,too, feigned ignorance like a village elder who doesn't know the difference between palm wine and Ekpeteshi.

To pretend I do not understand what she said is to leave Hamlet out of the play and pretend that other characters matter more.

Once again,she looked at me wanting to exude her love like a heavy perfume, moved her lips closer to mine to seal it with a kiss which will sound 'muah.' That was when my phone rang. It was my male friend.

I took the phone from the table where I'd placed it and switched it off.

Let me seek the kingdom of God here and now. Who says she and I can't fellowship in this room? I thought and asked myself.

I pulled her closer once again.

Friends,you want to know what happened next?

Sometimes, Wednesday isn't a good day for some of these stories.

Connect with me on FB & IG @T.D.Alfred.

©✍️✍️✍️T.D.Alfred(July,2021)
Storyteller•Writing Instructor

Fascinating and intriguing.