"Be My Val?"
I walked out of class not ready for the ruckus they were about to start in there. They were complaining about how this was our final year as students and we had never done anything together as a class and as such, they were going to do Valentine’s day as a class and the first step in doing that was pairing two people together specifically a boy and a girl and we were supposed to exchange gifts on February, the 14th.
It wouldn’t have bothered me on a normal day, but I didn’t have time for random things these days, and especially didn’t want to spend a weekend with someone I barely knew all because we decided to do something as a class.
“Jere,” I heard my name and turned to who was interrupting my perfect plan to leave without a fuss. It was Longji, my course mate. We had been cordial ever since we came to uni and had to do our registration together, but other than that, nothing joined us together.
“Hey,” I said in way of greeting, hoping that my face conveyed that I didn’t want anyone to ask me why I left.
He smiled, revealing a dimple I was just now noticing, “You don’t have to look so annoyed, what’s up? Why’re you leaving?”
Didn’t he get the memo? “Because I don’t want to be part of whatever you guys are planning?” I answered, hoping this wasn’t where he tried to convince me to go back. I had been told time and time again, that I had a sharp mouth. It was still one of the areas the Holy Spirit was helping me in.
“Why? Why don’t you want to be part of it?” He looked genuinely curious, and I hated that I was forced to calm down and just answer. It would have been better if he was rude.
“I just don’t want to do it. First of all, Valentine’s day is on Saturday, I had planned and still plan to sleep the entire day, this school cannot be the end of me. The other thing is that no one even asked if we have the excess money to spare, they just assumed. Who told them I have money to be buying gifts when I’ve not finished taking care of my brothers, abeg jor, just leave me out of the entire thing.”
I couldn’t differentiate if it was compassion or pity in his eyes, but I hated them both, hated even more that I had just spilled my guts to a stranger, all because he gave a listening ear.
“Alright, are you in a hurry, or do you want to sit?”
“I’m in a hurry,” I answered, without missing a beat. It was a lie, and I felt bad that I was lying, but I just wanted to be left alone, and not feel as if I had to micromanage myself in order to exist in this world.
“That’s a lie, you just don’t want to talk to me, but I’m persistent. What will make you give me thirty minutes of our time?”
I looked at him long and hard, pondering in my head what he wanted to talk about that was going to take thirty minutes. “What is it?”
“Can we at least sit?” I shook my head and the dimple was back. I looked away, wondering why I noticed such detail, and the way his eyes lit up when he smiled. “Okay, so here goes nothing,” he paused for a while, as if for dramatic effect before he blurted out words I wasn’t expecting to hear, at least not for the next three years. “Be my Val?”
I was sure I looked like a fish in water with how my mouth opened and closed without words coming out. “Excuse me?” I asked, sure I hadn’t heard him correctly.
“Be my Valentine, Jere. I know it seems strange and out of the blue, but that was the whole reason I was in support of the Valentine’s exchange in the first place. If you’re not participating, then there’s no need for me to be there either.”
“But I’m not participating, clearly,” I pointed out the obvious, not liking the way my heart had in increased it’s pace. This was definitely not good.
“Yeah, and that was why I followed you here and I’ve heard your reasons, but what if you could still sleep in the entire day and I just steal a little bit of your evening, let’s say two to three hours, and you don’t have to get me anything, you don’t even have to leave our house. I can come to your place, if you don’t mind.”
He was serious, I realized, even more than that, he was nervous, wringing his hands together and swaying from side to side. Hmm…
“Okay first of all, is that how they thought you in secondary school to ask a girl? ‘Be my Val?’ I need to know the secondary school you went to because that’s not a polite way of asking at allll,” I smiled as I delivered my statement and he laughed, clearly not expecting me to come for him like that.
“That’s all you have to say? Okay, how would you have liked me to ask you?”
He was staring intently at me now, and I wondered if this was how it felt when a crush was beginning to bud. God, it had been so long!
“The way any normal person would have asked. Firstly, it’s supposed to be romantic you know, flowers or cake or a handwritten letter, all those shenanigans, but I can forgive you for that. We don’t necessarily know ourselves and this environment?” I gestured to the dusty weather and the worn out buildings all round us. “This environment doesn’t necessarily call for romance, but what happened to proper, ‘Jere, will you be my Valentine?’ That is the way we used to do it in those days.”
He was full-on smiling now, not hiding his dimple, nor the light in his eyes. “You sound like you have a lot of experience.”
“I mean, that time, me and my crush spent a lot of Valentine’s together.”
“And what happened to this crush?” I didn’t know when he had moved closer, but noticing it had me trying and failing to hide my own smile.
“Well, we ended things after secondary school. Why am I even telling you al this? We’re supposed to be focusing on your gentleman skills here.”
“Okay, my bad. Jere,” he paused for dramatic effect again. “Will you do me the honours of being my Valentine?” I was full on blushing now, especially with the way he was looking so closely at me, but I wasn’t so gone as to forget my reasons in the first place. I schooled my smile after much effort.
“Why though? We barely know each other.”
“True, but I like you, and I figured it was time to get to know you. Valentine’s day is just an excuse for me to do that without you being confused as to what my intentions are.”
I was lost for words. “So, what if I stayed back in class and you didn’t end up picking me?”
“That wasn’t going to happen. I had already made sure that they gave me your name when picking. Sneaky, yes I admit, but it would have been a waste of time otherwise.”
I was smiling again. “You’re really persistent.” I stalled.
“An you haven’t given me an answer yet.” He retorted.
“What if I say no?”
He thought for a while. “Then I would just have to try again after Valentine’s day, won’t I?”
“And what if I don’t want you to try at all?”
His face fell. “Then I would have to move on.” He turned to me. “Is it a no?”
I had to be honest with myself. I didn’t feel any apprehension towards him, and when I said a quick prayer, wondering if I was about to enter something I was going to regret, I didn’t feel any hesitation or warning. All I felt was a strange calm, but I was still aware that I had to be careful and I couldn’t just rush into things.
“It’s not a no,” he was already smiling without waiting for me to finish. “But, there’s something I need to ask first. How is your relationship with God?”
He smiled, but this time, it was a meaningful one, as if just by asking, I had given an answer to a million dollar question. “I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 100 level and haven’t turned back since, also don’t intend to. I would say that He’s the foundation of my life and everything I do revolves around Him. Does that answer your question or do you want to hear more?”
It was like the calm in my soul amplified on hearing his words, but I didn’t want to just go with his words alone, I needed to know what his life was like. “I do want to hear more, but I think we’ll leave that for later. I guess, it’s a yes then.” I answered, looking away.
“Now, that’s more like it.”
“Wait oo, before you get too excited. I want to take things slow though, not snail slow, but tortoise slow, if you get what I’m saying. There’s a lot going on in my life at the moment. If you don’t think we can go slowly, then I don’t think it’s going to work.”
“That is fine by me. It is something I would have brought up down the line, but since you’ve already brought it up, that is okay with me.”
I smiled and he did too, I was wondering who would break the lull in our conversation. “Okay, so I’ll text you.”
“Okay then,” I was waiting for him to ask for my number, but when he didn’t say anything, I raised a brow at him.
“I have your number,” he stated, answering the question in my head.
“And how do you have that mister?”
“Group chat,” he shrugged.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re such a smooth talker?”
He chuckled. “Yes, my mom.”
“Well, she didn’t lie to you. I’ll be going now. Take care.”
“Take care as well, Jere. See you on Monday.”
I turned away from him, wondering how I was leaving the school premises with a smile on my face when thirty minutes earlier, I was annoyed with everything and everyone. Oh well…
I love love 🤭
I have exams to prepare for though. I can't even sleep in 😩
God bless you Ma for this write up. More wisdom, knowledge and understanding in Jesus' Name 🙏
Too cute please 😍