Chronicles Of a International Nigerian Student (Part 3) The Audacity

Here I was looking stupid, trying not to make eye contact with this very cute, short guy, which was hard, very hard, since we were the only ones in the room. I was sitting down in a class, at my school, waiting for the African Student Association meeting to begin, which couldn't, because the very important members of this so called meeting, were yet to arrive. The ASA meeting started at 3:15 p.m, and I painfully arrived early at 3:30 p.m. walking as fast as I could, I met an empty classroom, except for the cute, short guy standing at the door. I let out what could pass for a murmur,

Here I was looking stupid, trying not to make eye contact with this very cute, short guy, which was hard, very hard, since we were the only ones in the room. I was sitting down in a class, at my school, waiting for the African Student Association meeting to begin, which couldn't, because the very important members of this so called meeting, were yet to arrive. The ASA meeting started at 3:15 p.m, and I painfully arrived early at 3:30 p.m. walking as fast as I could, I met an empty classroom, except for the cute, short guy standing at the door. I let out what could pass for a murmur,
"Is this the room for the ASA meeting?"
 "Yes it is," he smiled.



Excusing the door, I entered to a room with a bunch of desks, a computer by the side and a projector, it was an average sized class. I took a seat at the back of the class, close to the wall.

Still waiting, a girl walked in with a confidence that could have only be birthed by familiarity,
"Hey Amos, there's no one here yet?" she screamed as she passed the door"
"Yeah you know your people" he replied.
"Wow Africans," she laughed
"Yeah Temi, like you" he said sarcastically.

 There was something very familiar about those two, she met my eyes quickly and it was gone.
"Hi," Temi said dryly to me. I suddenly had the urge to be absorbed into the wall, anything to excuse myself from the awkwardness.
After a few minutes, students trickled into the room. The cool kids reuniting with friends, making sure to isolate the other not so cool people. First timers like myself sitting at the back of the room, hoping no one would notice our presence, as our eyes searched to find a comfort zone, that was not on the floor, the ceiling or on the cool people showcasing their social dominance.

The meeting began, Amos, Temi and about two other people assumed their position on the what i'd later know to be the E-board table. The meeting soon faded into symbols, that reminded me of how unhappy I was with being the stranger in situations repeatedly. I wanted my life back, the one I had left, the one that I thought was very difficult to live, but yet, one I was never ungrateful for because it was...... my life, mine.

"What's your name?" had snapped me into my reality,
"Ohhh, Precious" I replied with a confused smile, that was wiped clean with fright, as soon as I realized I was supposed to be introducing myself to the group, as a first timer in the meeting.
"It's okay, we don't bite" Amos said to me from the front of the class, as he smiled... Hmnn, he had big eyes, big twinkly eye, I smiled back and introduced myself. Suddenly my interest was stirred...

Amos was quiet for a Yoruba boy, i'll say. There was something crisped about the way he looked, I couldn't place my finger on it, but all I know is I liked the way he looked at me. He made me jittery. He made me smile. He gave me a mission to seduce and I wanted in. He regularly checked on me with his eyes and with the same audacity I would break eye contact with him to let him know he didn't exist..... to me.  The conversation around us and the occasional laughter made the perfect sound track to our movie scene, but of course reality couldn't stand to be upstaged, a buzz from my phone.

"IDIOT, I CAN'T FIND THE PLACE" plastered on the screen on my phone. I'd never met anyone who made me want to punch him so much in life,than King! He was going to hear it from me for keeping me stranded without any friend in this meeting. He was my only friend, but wouldn't be for so long if he thought it was okay to leave me at the mouth of the shark, and come rescue when I was already swallowed. He ain't God, The Audacity!