My Instagram Love

Episode 15

Permit me to steal the spotlight from Tunde’s point of view. Kindly focus on mine for the time being.

Jessie was fast asleep already. She had somehow managed to talk me into coming for Tunde’s impromptu hook up which I actually never wanted to turn up for. We were both sitting in a cab, stuck in the intense Lagos traffic. The Uber driver’s name was Kennedy. He was a ‘Chatty Cathy’ and I enjoyed his company all through the ride even until we got hooked in traffic. Although I was still very worried about what Tunde’s opinion about me would be when he finally gets to see me in person, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it anymore. I could only bask in my thought and make mental predictions about what might happen.

What would he think? How would he feel? Would he take me the way I am or leave me to rot in my misery just the same way the other potential admirers I had fallen for did to me some years ago?

There was only one way to find out what fate had in store for me—and I was more than prepared to discover the truth tonight, no matter what happens.

Kennedy and I were still ‘cracking’ jokes together when a message popped into my mobile phone. I excused myself and picked it up from Jessica’s handbag, clicked on the screen and opened the SMS which reads thus:
“You are late.”

I figured it was definitely from Tunde, so I replied back immediately: “I’m on my way.”

Under 3 minutes, his text message came in again: “What’s taking you so long? I was starting to think you’d never come.”
Truly, I never wanted to go there at all but now, here I was, sitting in a taxicab, heading right to the popular Camelo Mall of all places I detested most in Banana Island. So much for my strong-will and determination not to live in reality, though.

“I’m in a taxi—stuck in traffic. Give me a few more minutes. I’ll soon be there.” I sent mine too.

In less than 2 minutes, another SMS popped into my phone: “Alright. I’ll be waiting patiently for you. Please, hurry up. The ladies here are killing me with their persistent stares. Even married women with babies are hitting on me. I don’t want to fall into temptation.”

I laughed so hard even till the point that the Uber driver had to look back at me, probably wondering if I had developed mental issues. After having a good fit, I started to type another message for Tunde.
“Please, don’t fall. Take your eyes away from them. Remember you still have a beautiful daughter to care for. Besides, I want to warn you about something very important.”

I clicked on ‘send.’ I had barely even blinked my eyes when his response came in right away: “What’s up? Tell me. I’m all eyes.”

I felt my hands quivering as I struggled to pour out the contents of my heart in a simple SMS:
“Tunde, I’m not exactly what you expect to see in real life. Please, don’t get your hopes up, ’cause I’m terrified to let you down.”

After managing to send the message, I waited for close to 5 minutes before his message came in again:
“The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice.”