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Long Distance Relationship –Episode 1

It is one thing to be cheated and know it, but it is another thing to be cheated and not know it. Tobi had been cheated of a husband and his name was Mayowa. It did not matter that they were just dating when they parted ways. She knew they were headed for the altar.

Tobi and Mayowa had known each other for five years, with four of those years spent together in the same university, before Folake came into the picture. Tobi still could not believe that Folake, her best friend, was the reason she and Mayowa were no longer together. Folake the go-between, who Tobi had sent as an emissary to Paul in Abuja to give him letters, had stolen her man from her.

If Tobi was going to be honest, she would acknowledge that things between her and Mayowa had been rocky for months before Folake came fully into the picture.

Tobi’s friendship with Folake dated all the way back to their university days, even though they went to different schools: Tobi went to the University of Lagos (UNILAG), while Folake attended Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ogun State (OOU). Folake had met Mayowa on different occasions and was informed to all the details that best friends typically share with each other.

After graduation, Mayowa had moved to Ogun State for his youth service, while Tobi stayed in Lagos. Folake also served in Lagos. However, it was after their youth service that the strain on their relationship became obvious.

Almost immediately after completing his youth service, Mayowa had gotten a job working as an Auditor at FBN Insurance in Abuja. If the National Youth Service had made their long-distance relationship seem like a temporary thing, this new job in Abuja made it indefinite. Tobi did all she could to find a job in Abuja, all to no avail. Even the job applications she sent to companies and organizations in Lagos and other parts of the country were rejected. It seemed like the whole universe had conspired to keep them apart, but Tobi was determined to make things work with Mayowa.

She pressed on in spite of Mayowa’s non-challant attitude to the situation at hand. He called less often and blamed it on work, and Tobi, willing to believe anything took him at his word.

During that period, Folake was offered a job with a marketing firm in Abuja, which required frequent travel from Lagos to Abuja. So, she was in Lagos every other week. Tobi, who saw this as an opportunity to communicate with her passive boyfriend, began writing love letters to Mayowa.

She wrote almost every day, pouring out her heart to Mayowa, updating him on what was going on at home and telling him how much she missed him. How she was able to do this on several sheets of paper every single day, without boring herself was amazing. But with all the free time she had on her hands, coupled with the fact that she expressed herself better on paper, it was effortless.

So Tobi wrote, and Folake delivered these handwritten epistles to Mayowa whenever she was in Abuja. Sometimes Mayowa wrote back, and other times, he was ‘too busy’ to reply. But, he always managed to tell Folake to say hello to Tobi.

It was around this time that Folake told Tobi that she was seeing a guy called Jide. And that was all she told Tobi. No amount of persuading and begging for more details could make Folake part with more information on this mystery man.

“This guy sha … I will meet him one day.” That was what Tobi always ended those sessions with whenever Jide’s name was mentioned.

The strangest thing was that she finally met him, a few days shy of the 6-month mark of Mayowa’s relocation to Abuja. During the Eid-el-Fitr holiday, when Mayowa finally got a few days off from work, he came to Lagos. Tobi was of course, excited and had prepared in advance to see him. She had wanted to throw him a mini-party and cook for him, but he had coldly turned down her offer when she told him over the phone.

They had agreed to meet at Tantalizers for lunch, with Mayowa refusing every attempt of Tobi to come and visit him at his house. She had actually tried to visit but he was not at home. Or at least, that was what the gateman told her.

Tobi was the first to arrive at the restaurant, and she waited for almost an hour past the time they had agreed to meet. Mayowa eventually showed up and apologized for keeping her waiting. And then, without even sitting down, he gave her a one-sentence break-up speech.

“I’m not feeling this anymore and I think we should go our separate ways.”

Tobi asked him over and over again for an explanation, wanting to know what was going on. The only response Mayowa gave her was “I met someone.” He left Tobi standing there and went back to his car, supposedly to fetch the “someone.” He returned less than two minutes later, with Folake in his arm.

Tobi almost fainted. The rest was a blur, but she remembered Folake saying she did not plan to hurt Tobi, and Mayowa telling Folake to stop being apologetic for their relationship. That was the last time she laid eyes on both of them.

Later, she received an invitation card from Folake, asking for her presence at her wedding. Beforehand, she had sent a text message begging Tobi to attend her bridal shower. She really had the gut!

Tobi had ignored that text, just like she had ignored all of Folake’s calls, texts, emails and other efforts at reconciliation. Now, it was the day before the bridal shower, and Tobi was at home battling serious depression. As she slipped in and out of a period of despair, she thought up different ways to pay Folake back for her betrayal.

“I am sure there is a special place in hell for best friends who steal their friends’ boyfriends. You’ll go there soon enough,” Tobi muttered to herself. Ironically, she did not extend the same ill wishes to Mayowa who was at the center of the whole affair. (Love has blindfolded her eyes)

Just then, someone knocked on the door, prematurely halting her unforgiving thoughts.

Episode 2

It was her father who called….“Look Tobi, it is taking too long to get a job here in Lagos. Your mother and I have discussed this. Go to Asaba and stay with your uncle, Fashola. He has connections there and might be able to get you a job. At least, you won’t be among strangers. I know you don’t want to leave Lagos because of your friends, but you can–“

“Papa, I’ll go to Asaba. When can I leave?”

“Ah, I’m surprised o. I thought you didn’t want to leave Lagos.”

“There is nothing left for me in Lagos, Papa. I’m ready to leave.”

“Okay then, you can go tomorrow.”

That was how Tobi left for Asaba on the day Folake was having her bridal shower.

Tobi’s uncle, Chief Fashola, was a kind-hearted person, with a face that matched his heart. He believed that life was to be enjoyed in the company of others. So, he surrounded himself with people, and was well-connected and well-known in Asaba. He had worked at the Delta State Ministry of Works and Housing for almost ten years, rising through the ranks.

But his ambition outgrew the civil service, and he left to devote himself full-time to the business he had been partially devoted to: importing and exporting Italian furniture. His wife, Priscillia, was a former beauty queen, having won the Miss Delta State title at one time. Although the title was in the past, that youthful beauty was barely touched by time, and she looked just as radiant as she did back then.

Her uncle had told Tobi’s father that Auntie Priscillia would meet Tobi at the motor park. So, Tobi had taken an early bus, leaving Lagos at around 7 am, and arrived in Asaba just a few minutes shy of 3 p.m. The journey had taken almost 8 hours.

As soon as the bus arrived in Asaba and after Tobi had secured the single travelling bag she brought with her, she went in search of a light snack. There was a woman selling Plantain Chips close to where the luxury buses were parked. Tobi approached her and asked how much she sold her Plantain Chips. The woman looked at her like she had just uttered a curse word, and Tobi quickly corrected herself.

“Madam, well done ma! How much is your Plantain Chips?”

That did the trick. She paid 50 naira and sat on a bench beside the plantain chips seller, munching away. She had just put another slice of chips in her mouth when a newspaper vendor walked past her carrying some bunch of newspaper. Maybe it was the bright red t-shirt the vendor was carrying or just the need to fix her gaze on something other than the typical motor park regulars. Whatever it was, Tobi caught sight of the newspaper headlines, which read:

ABA RAPIST BELIEVED TO BE IN ASABA

“You must be kidding me,” Tobi thought to herself. “Of all the times for a rapist to be in town, it had to be when I was visiting.”

Turning to the woman who sold the chips to her, she proceeded to pump her for more information. The woman did not seem in the least bit interested in chatting about criminals, and made her reluctance obvious. Tobi gave up after two failed attempts, and decided that she would buy a copy of the paper herself. No sooner had she decided on this, than she heard a familiar voice shouting her name:

“Tobi! Tobi!”

It was Auntie Priscillia who had spotted her and was briskly making her way to Tobi. At this point, she knew her short stay at the motor park was over. She gathered her belongings, got up and was about to leave. Suddenly, seized with an unexplainable boldness, she turned to the chips seller, said in a low tone:

“The chip no sweet sef! Mtcheww!”

Without turning back to watch the woman’s reaction, she quickly ran towards her Auntie. Something about this city was excite.

Auntie Priscillia was the first person to meet Tobi at the motor park when she arrived in Asaba. After exchanging pleasantries and greeting her warmly, they entered the green Toyota Land cruiser that had conveyed Auntie Priscillia to the motor park, and left to go home. Auntie was chatting excitedly, telling Tobi about the many pranks of her two youngest daughters, who were still in secondary school, and lived at home.

“Can you imagine? We caught Mary jumping the fence, the other day! Your cousin, Mary now sneaks off to parties at night. Her sister, Chikodi … Ahn ahn! Tobi, why are you crying?” Auntie Priscillia asked in alarm.

“It’s nothing, Auntie,” Tobi lied. Just mentioning the word ‘party’ triggered off a boat-load of memories of the ones she and Mayowa attended together. They were almost inseparable. And now …

“Come on, Tobi. It’s me now. You know you can tell me anything,” Auntie Priscillia cooled. Tobi was not sure about that. If her cousins felt like they could not approach their mother to ask for permission to go to a party, then what on earth made the same woman approachable on the issue of relationships? Tobi dried her tears and kept quiet.

“You don’t want to tell me, abi? Or are you shy because of Godwin? He’s just the driver. What can he do? Shebi it’s between you and me?” Auntie Priscillia continued. Tobi knew her aunt very well. She would not drop the matter, but would persist till she got the answers she wanted. So, she finally gave in.

“Mayowa broke up with me. He left me for Folake. She was my best friend, and … and … they’re getting married!” Tobi broke down crying again. Her aunt pulled her close and comforted her.

“It’s okay, my dear,” Auntie said. “It might seem like it’s the end of the world, but it isn’t. If he left you for another person, he wasn’t really yours in the first place.”

Tobi kept crying, and Auntie continued her counseling.

“But he left you for your best friend? That is wickedness. In fact, both of them are wicked. Oya stop crying now, stop crying. Another man will come–“

“No, Auntie. I don’t want another man. I want Mayowa!” Tobi moaned, in between her tears. This was the first time she had allowed herself to grieve openly since Mayowa left her. She had put up a front for so long. But now, it felt good to just let it all out and cry.

Tobi cried for a few more minutes, during which time Auntie Priscillia promised her that things would work out for her good. Maybe coming to Asaba was a setup for a new chapter in her life, Auntie reasoned. By the time they reached the house, Tobi had started to believe her.

Episode 3

In less than 40 minutes, the SUV had pulled into an impressive, but modest two-storey house on Okpannam road. Her uncle, Chief Fashola was not at home when they got back, but her cousins, Mary and Chikodi were present at home.

With just two years between them, they could be mistaken for twins. They looked so much alike, but they were very different.

Mary, the 17-year old was tall, skinny with a figure that resembled a coke bottle � She was in SS2, and was the more daring of the two. Chikodi was 15 years old, and was in SS1. She was almost as tall as Amaka, but not as shapely. She had more of a boyish figure with smaller hips. She was more laid back, and not as adventurous as her sister, but hers was usually the voice of reason.

Both girls had inherited their mother’s beauty, but not her grace, evidenced by the noticeable akwardness in their steps. Graceful or not, both girls were excited to see their cousin, Tobi, and nearly fell over each other trying to hug her.

“Tobi, Tobi! We have missed you o! Welcome! Let me carry your bag.” That was Chikodi speaking for both of them. Mary was busy going through her purse to see what Tobi could dash her, like she said jokingly. Finding nothing she particularly liked, she handed Tobi’s purse back to her and told her to be ready to give them gist from Lagos.

“Haba! Won’t you let her rest?” their mother scolded. “And why are you calling her by her name? Does she look like your mate? You should be calling her ‘Sister Tobi.’ “

“Ah, no Auntie. That won’t be necessary. That will make me feel really old,” Tobi said laughing.

“Okay then. At least I tried. Okay girls, I hope you’ve set the table. We need to eat.”

The girls had not set the table. They had planned to dump it on Rita, the house girl, but their plan backfired. So, they were forced to set the table themselves and did it rather quickly. In no time at all, they were all downing large amounts of egusi with pounded yam. The soup was so good that Tobi asked her Auntie if she could eat the same thing for dinner.

“My dear, doesn’t your mother cook Egusi for you people at home?” Auntie Priscillia asked in wonder. She should know how to cook it.”

“Auntie, she does. But your own tastes very different from my mother’s own. I don’t think my husband would complain if I cook two different types of Egusi for him. I want to learn how you make it too.”

Auntie Priscillia laughed. “It’s okay. I will teach you. As long as it’s not ogbono soup sha,” she said.

“Oh, don’t worry, Auntie. Mummy makes ogbono soup all the time at home. But Egusi like yours is far superior.”

Auntie Priscillia stared at Tobi for one whole minute without saying a word, and then left her. As she walked away, Tobi could hear her muttering to herself:

“No wonder her boyfriend left her. When she eats ogbono soup. Tufia!”

Tobi did not know whether to be upset or let it go. She decided that she had shed enough Mayowa-related tears for one day. Auntie Priscillia was entitled to her opinion. She knew that it was Folake, not ogbono that had snatched Mayowa away from her. Besides, the pounded yam was working its magic, and combined with the fatigue of her journey, she fell asleep in Chikodi’s bed.

When she woke up, it was almost midnight. The whole house was quiet and Tobi concluded that everyone was asleep. Needing a little snack, she tip-toed downstairs and made herself some bread and butter and a cup of tea. As she dropped two cubes of sugar into her cup of tea, she remembered how Folake preferred to mix the powdered milk and milo together in a cup and munch it.

“How was this girl my friend, again? We were so different,” Tobi wondered. The thought of eating Folake’s milk and milo concoction was so off-putting that she hastily drank some of the hot beverage to wash away that memory.

As if …

Oddly enough, Folake was everything Tobi was not, which was partly why Mayowa had gone with her instead. But, Tobi could not understand what Paul saw in Folake. They were complete opposites alright: Folake was the unplanned, adventurous, disorganized, walking human experiment, who was obsessed with trying out different hairstyles almost every week. Her hairline told the story. Too many Ghana-weaving-like hairstyles had taken their toll on her hair, leaving her with a chop-chop hairline that was hard to miss. And yet, with her chop-chop hair, Mayowa had picked her, and told Tobi that she was boring.

Boring. Really?

So for five years he had endured boring Tobi, and had hopped on the Folake’s train at the slightest opportunity?

“Men are so inconsistent, and Mayowa is the most inconsistent of them all,”Tobi thought to herself. It was best to forget him.

“Well, so much for forgetting Mayowa … and Boluke. Every little thing seems to stir up memories of them in my mind.”

That night, Tobi decided that she would do everything possible to start afresh in Asaba. Little did she know that her resolve would be tested the very next day.

The following day was a Saturday. Tobi sat to eat breakfast with the family, and met her uncle for the first time since her arrival in Asaba. He was happy to see her, and told her that he would do his best to find her a suitable job very soon.

“It might not be as glamorous as Lagos, but I will find something for you, okay?” Chief Fashola promised. Tobi expressed her thanks and went off to help her auntie clean up.

Auntie Priscillia told Tobi that Rita and her daughters were able to handle most of the chores. But since Tobi pressed her for something to do, she told her to empty the kitchen dustbin. Tobi agreed.

As she carried the dustbin from the kitchen outside the gate to empty it into the larger trash can, she almost tripped and fell over one of the pavement stones that was out of place. She quickly regained her balance and continued on her mission.

Once outside the gate, she lifted the metal cover of the trash can. Something prompted her to look to her left, and as she did, she saw a young man standing outside the gate of a house, two doors down, about to do the same thing: empty the dustbin. As soon as he saw her, he paused and waved a greeting at her. Tobi eyed him, and simply turned away without responding.

Something must be wrong with me, she imagined

Is anything really wrong with her??

Click to read complete story: https://realmarriageclinic.com.ng/category/long-distance-relationship/