UNEXPECTED VISITOR

Staring at Chijioke on this fateful afternoon, I just didn't know what to feel or say.

Was I supposed to jump and hug him in excitement and gush out how I have missed his presence in my life? Or Was I supposed to bang the door on his face, glue my back to the door and wonder how the hell he knew my neighborhood and even my damn exact door?!

That moment when it seems like time has paused and everything is on stand still, that was how it was this fateful afternoon as I stared at the human version of a ball of vibrant energy.

It was two days after Christmas. In as much as 'people' made Christmas such a big deal by buying new clothes and shoes and making new hair and stuff like that Christmas was like every other day from me. One, for the fact that I wasn't Christian and two, for the fact that Christmas had never been a day of celebration for me, ever since I knew what Christmas was. Richard just called me that day, sang me a Christmas carol and told me what he and his colleagues would be up to that day. He was really enjoying Abuja and I couldn't help but feel happy for him and sad for me.

So two days after 'Christmas', I was studying while Dinma painted her face in preparation to see a man. I couldn't be more happy. She had been throwing me mocking comments and witchy looks since I started studying.

Someone knocked on the door making both of us pause in what we were doing. The thing about the knock was that it was soft which was unusual. The abnormal people in my neighborhood knocked like they wanted to bring down the sorry excuse of a door. The person who knocked knocked like he was feeling compassion for the sorry door.

"Who's there?" I had asked and was stricken when I heard a very familiar unmistakable voice ask for NAIROBI. I just sat on the floor watching the door in horror like a monster was going to crash in and rip my head from my body.

"Shey you no go check who dey knock for my door?" Dinma asked eyeing me. I scrambled up from the floor and walked cautiously to the door.

Please. Please.

Who was I kidding? Who the hell was I kidding? My prayers were never listened to. And the universe just hated me with serious passion.

I unbolted the door and boom! There was Chijioke with a lit up face like he had just unwrapped the most awesome present ever.

I didn't go with either of my options. I could only ask. "What on earth are you doing here Chijioke?"

A grin curved on his lips and he pulled in for a hug which I fought against vehemently. "CHIJIOKE!"

"Naya, I've missed you o," he said as he sized me up with amused eyes. I wished the ground would just open up and swallow me without mercy. I was so embarrassed.

Chijioke was in my slum of a neighborhood. In my pig sty of a house and in front of my extremely shabby room. What did I even look like at the moment?

Then Dinma emerged.

"Fine bobo how far?" I don't know why but I jumped at the sound of Dinma's voice.

"I'm good. Good afternoon."

Dinma pushed me aside so that she was occupying my previous position in front of Chijioke. "Na me you come find?". I covered my eyes. The hell, Chijioke was not more than eighteen or nineteenth and she was like thirty seven or something?

Chijioke rubbed his neck nervously and craned his neck to look at me inside the room. I expected a look of disgust or something related but he gave me nothing but a small smile. " N-No. I came to see Naya actually."

"You dey knack am?" I felt my face turn red in utter embarrassment. I had been trying so hard not to be embarrassed of Dinma but she just had to fuck up.

"No! I just-"

Dinma turned away and walked back into the room. "No need to disguise abeg." She pick up her fake fendi handbag and checked herself once again on the cracked mirror. She added more lipstick to her wine red lips before adding, "Pay her well sha. You look capable." With those last words, she stylishly walked out of the room not without whispering something to Chijioke making him pass a look I couldn't interpret to me. I turned away from him and rubbed my a hand up and down the other. Have I been this nervous, stranded, embarrassed and trapped in my whole life? Probably.

I let my mind wander. Wheels turned aggressively in my head. What could he be thinking? What would be going on in his mind? Again, how was he here?!

"Can I come in?"

I turned sharply at the sound of Chijioke's voice. He stood awkwardly at the threshold hands in his goddamn pocket.

"What on earth are you doing here Chijioke?" I asked for the second time with a high pitched voice that didn't sound anything like my voice.

"Just let me in," Chijioke said, stressing each words.

Did he think I was joking? I needed to know how on earth he knew my exact location. It was creepy, disturbing and I didn't fancy the fact that he encroached into my private life I was trying so hard to hide

"Chijioke answer me!"

I saw Chijioke slightly jump at my tone. "I followed you after the incident at Constance party."

"Why would you do that? I'm very protective of my private life why would you decide to stalk me? Great!" I threw my hands up. "Now take pictures, post them and let the whole of Regal high that their favorite scholarship student lives in a slum. I'm very sure that would put you in Olamide's good book."

"Nairobi don't talk like that. I've never tried to kiss Mide's ass. I just wanted to know something!" He shrugged clearly short of words.

"Know what eh?" I didn't wait for him to answer. I stepped forward and closer to him. "You don't know because I don't want you to. Respect that!"

"Nairobi I don't know anything about you. How are we supposed to be friends?"

We are no longer friends! I wanted to scream but instead I asked, "Did you ask me anything?"

"Yes Nairobi. A million times."

"You-" I paused and thought for a millisecond. In so many ways, Chijioke had tried to penetrate my walls but I never really let him. But yet. . . "you shouldn't have come here. I'm not happy. Now go home." I wanted to close the door but he wedged it with his sneakers clad foot.

"I'm sorry Naya. I thought I could surprise you at least."

"You did. And I'm reeaaallyy surprised."

"Nairobi," his voice dropped to a melancholic tone making me pause my attempts at pushing the door close. "I just wanted to hang out with you today. I know we didn't part ways last session on good terms and I just wished to fix it up because I missed you. I'm deeply sorry that I offended you by coming over to this place. I didn't know you would be offended. Please just please don't push me out."

I sighed deeply. I missed him too and truly, I needed to hang around him for the sake of my mental health because the break had not been good to me at all but why did it have to be like this, in this conditions? As much as I wanted push him away, I didn't want to. I couldn't. I wanted to feel his energy again. I wanted to soak in it at the moment. It's been so long. I pushed my weight off the door and slowly pulled the door open.

Chijioke rushed into a hug I couldn't prevent and wasn't even expecting. "Stop hugging me!"

He pulled away from the hug and sized me up like he hadn't before. "You got taller!" I rolled my eyes at the way he transformed from the sad boy who wanted to see his long lost friend to his chirpy vibrant self which I've never fully understood.

How can a human be so. . .happy?

Apart from that day at Constance birthday, I don't think I had ever seen Chijioke so sad or something in that line. He always overflowing with positive energy that could drown any living being within his radii.

Aliyah was insecure about her weight.

Jessica hated her stepsister and had a jealousy issue.

Amanda was very emotional of her grades.

Vincent was hurting. He was pain in and out and unfortunately didn't know how to keep his pain to himself. He probably didn't know but he wanted or wished everyone to be pained too.

And Stephen was a big jerk. I thought he was good especially because of the way he cared for Vincent but he was good to a fault, if that was even possible. It baffled me how he moved from clinging to me to giving me a good distance and telling me how much he detested me with his eyes.

But there was Chijioke.

I couldn't find any fault in Chijioke Abel and it freaked me. He was all rainbows and sunshine how? Maybe the universe, life and every other powers that existed outside the sphere of human existence was in love with him. I needed more Chijiokes in my life for real. Maybe then I would find favor in the eyes of those powers.

I went to sit on the bed and he came to join me. I noticed he hesitated before sitting on the dirty bed.

"How have you been?"

I shrugged. "I've been how I'm supposed to be."

Chijioke bit his lip in thought. "See, I'm sorry about everything last semester. On behalf of Stephen and Vincent, I'm sorry."

"How are they? How is Constance?" I missed them and seeing Chijioke here reminded me of them especially Constance. They were so identical in personality.

He sighed. "Constance and Vincent are going for therapy. Constance is actually not improving. She won't communicate with anyone. It's terrible. I'm even beginning to question the therapy sessions. It's not changing anything."

The news broke my heart into some many pieces. I couldn't imagine how she would look and be now. She had been like Chijioke, a vibrant being filled with positive energy and even better. What had I done? Now I was blaming myself too, just like everyone else.

"What happened to Vincent?"

"He didn't complete his therapy session for his. . .mother's. . ." Chijioke spluttered.

"I get," I offered immediately.

"Good. So Stephen found out he sneaked to the gym instead of going for therapy and forced him back with his mother's help."

Stephen really cared. But he didn't have to make me feel terrible to show that.

"If only I had stayed home that day."

Chijioke scoffed. "Pfft. Come off it. It was bound to happen one way or the other."

Yeah. Right. Fate was that wicked.

"Merry Christmas in arrears!" Chijioke said. He looked at me expectantly and I could only raise a questioning brow. "You're supposed to wish me back!"

"Oh." My Christmas wasn't merry. It was the exact opposite.

"Are you not a Christian?" He asked. He sounded judgmental or maybe I was being paranoid.

"I'm not."

I noticed Chijioke's countenance change. He looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. "You're not Muslim so you're an atheist." It was a question but a statement. And I didn't like that Chijioke stated it like he just revealed an abomination.

"I'm not an atheist. That's just the highest form of folly." That's my opinion. How could someone just decide to believe that there wasn't a supernatural power or some supernatural powers responsible for many things on earth and in our world? "I'm just not a Christ follower."

"Why?"

I was confused at his question. "Is there usually a reason?" I shook my head. "You know what let's just not delve into religion right now."

Chijioke seemed like he wanted to say something but decided not to. We stayed in awkward silence for a while before Chijioke broke the silence.

"You're studying already?" He asked hopping to my open books on the floor. I was glad the floor was neat at least. He flipped through my notes. "Woah! You're almost done with physics' outline for next semester." He looked up at me. "Lady boss!"

I chuckled lightly. "I didn't have anything to do so I decided to marry my physics and mathematics."

He jumped up from the floor. "Ow!"

"What?" I asked shooting up from the bed in panic.

Chijioke closed his eyes as if in pain then opened them while rubbing his hand. "One stupid ant bit me. Damn! It's mandibles are really topnotch."

"Oh. Sorry."

He looked around the floor before looking back at me. "You have nothing doing right?"

I nodded, while making sure to pass a confused look.

"Good. Let's go out."

I don't know why but I panicked. "Out? Out where?"

"To someplace nice. Let's catch up on everything. It's not a date and you're not permitted to say no. So dress cute and let's head out."

A lips tilted at the corners. "Silly boy."

Chijioke clapped his hand. "Come on. Dress up."

I hesitated. "You have to go out."

Chijioke gave me something that was supposed to be a puppy look making me shake with laugh.

"Get out you pervert!"

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