Chapter 4 Another Encounter.

IF I HAD KNOWN

The whole story and my life change didn't start until the second week of my teaching in the university.

The second week of resumption was when we actually had an encounter

The second week was where everything began to change.

The second week Is that moment of my life when I still blame myself and think that if I'd watched where I was going, maybe I would still have a great name.

Just if I had known. . . I would have watched where I was going.

|TUESDAY 29TH SEPTEMBER 2020|

TWO WEEKS LATER. . .

The sun was out at full force as I ran over to my office. I shielded my face away from the sun using a book in my hand as I kept on running still I finally got to the administrative building. Though that didn't mean I was relieved because I still had a flight of stairs to climb, and honestly, those stairs could drain one of their energy.

After I'd successfully climbed the stairs all the way to the third floor, I ran straight into my office and I met Paul.

Paul was my office mate - meaning we shared an office together, well, technically since I joined him last it would be more right to say, I shared an office with him. He was also an assistant lecturer of philosophy and I must say that the guy did know a lot about life and book's, there was a time I even had to doubt my own abilities. He was also only planning to use up a year in the university before proceeding further to get his master's in philosophy and a PhD.

His thick figure sat on his seat, going through some textbooks which were sitting on his desk. His left hand laid on his book, whilst his right hand was on the tip of his recommended lens. I was so sure that he didn't even notice me as I entered the office, because he looked really engrossed in whatever he was doing.

"Hey Paul," I sat on my chair, placed my bag on my table. He looked up, smiled and waved. "I'm back."

"Isn't it obvious?" I smiled because I myself didn't even know why I'd said that, when he could see me. "So how was work today?"

He removed his lens and kept it in the case which lay on his table, whilst I gave him an answer, saying; "It wasn't bad, just Normal as usual. At least the students are warming up to me, apart from those final year students."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, be happy,

In every life we have some trouble

When you worry you make it double.

Don't worry, be happy. Don't worry, be happy now."

"Is that a line from a song I can't, and can never remember?"

"I am impressed, at least you know it's music, actually it's my favorite song."

Surprise clouded my face as I stared at Paul, absolutely speechless. Out of the billions of songs in the world he only had one song, a 'be happy' song as his favourite.

"You're joking right," I had to ask, because honestly there were lots of better songs than that. "Be serious Paul, is that really your favorite song?"

He nodded and smiled widely. "Sometimes, it doesn't necessarily have to do with the beat or anything, why I chose that song is because of the lyrics, the feel good lyrics and it's really gentle to the ear, also Bobby McFerrin is a legend."

"Okay then, be happy now."

He laughed and waved it off then silence engulfed the whole office, Paul didn't say anything again as he just sat looking out through the window. I brought out my phone from my bag in order to check the time, since there wasn't a wall clock in our office, yet. I had just five minutes before I could finally call it a day. I packed all my stuff into my bags and just when I was about to stand up, Paul's voice aborted me.

"What's your favorite song?" He had asked and I looked at him with a smile marrying my face.

"Well. . ." I trailed off as I tried to think about my favorite song, because I had a lot of them. "Can I just make it five?"

"Yes, sure. Go ahead."

"I like sacrifice by John Elton, You're not alone by Micheal Jackson, Alive by Celine Deon, Vibration by fireboy DML, Mama by kizz Daniel, Billie jean by Micheal Jackson, ilomilo by Billie eilish, Melo by Liya. . ."

"Okay, that's enough," I was caught off my Paul and I looked up at him and saw him with a huge grin on his face. "You said five, but you were already saying up to a hundred."

"A hundred? Seriously Paul? You're exaggerating," I laughed. "I just have a problem choosing a favourite, unlike you. Be happy now."

"I get. . ." I looked down at my time and saw that it was already five minutes past, so I was done for the day.

"I should get going now Paul," I said to Paul as I picked up my bag and stood up from my seat. "Are you not going home also?" I asked when I saw he wasn't standing up from his seat.

"I have an evening class to take today, so I am just going to wait until then."

I nodded, waved at him and he waved back at me. I walked out of the office and out of the building. Climbing the stairs back wasn't much of a hassle for me. I brought out my phone from my bag as I decided to order an Uber. I continued walking towards the gate, trying to order an Uber at the same time, so I wasn't looking where I was going. Then I bumped my body into someone else's by mistake, but thankfully my phone didn't fall from my hand.

"Can't you see?!"

The tone at which that question was asked didn't sound friendly at all.

"I'm sorry," I said as I tried regaining my balance, then I looked up at the person. It was him and his face. . . it looked really familiar, but I couldn't figure it out. "I'm really sorry."

"I don't need your sorry," he yelled out, taking me off guard. "And I'm pretty sure you bumped into me purposely."

"What?" I asked with a little bit of annoyance laced in my voice, and I wasn't the type to get annoyed easily.

He rolled his eyes away from me then placed it back at me, and for some reason I felt intimidated by the deep brown orbs, so I looked away. "Shut up! Look at my face properly, I am not someone you attention seekers should mess with."

I looked at his face, but I avoided his eyes. "Ehmmm, excuse me! Who are you calling attention seekers? And who are you telling shut up to?"

"Stop pretending, and stop acting like you don't know me when I am pretty sure that you bumped into me purposely, so you can get my attention," he grinned, and at that moment I felt like slapping him, tearing my fingers across his face, scream profanities at him, but I couldn't, because I wasn't the violent type and also, we were in the school vicinity. "Well sorry to break your fragile heart, but I'm not interested in excrete's like you."

I was fuming with rage at the words he had thrown at me. He called me an excrete - a waste product. He simply implied that I was useless and unimportant. A trash.

"Excretes? Did you just call me excretes?" I kissed my teeth – which I rarely do. "Do you know who I am? also where Is your respect?".

Some students on the road had started gathering, waiting for a fight, I guess. He pointed his right hand at me and said; "Look, I don't care who you are, more so, why do I need to respect you? And if you even know who I am, I promise you would have just cowered."

He frowned, confidence oozing in his voice as he spoke, but I wasn't bothered about his threat. Fine, I was bothered.

"Well young man, I work in this school as an assistant mathematics lecturer," I snapped, because I wasn't having any of it any longer. "And you need to respect me because I'm sure that I am older than you. I mean you are probably my younger brother's age."

I didn't fail to look into his eyes whilst I spoke and his eyes. . . I recognized them. It was him, the same guy that I'd seen on the first day of my resumption in the final year class, the one who was without a book nor a pen. He was the one, the handsome one - apparently with a stinking rude attitude. Also, I couldn't help but wonder how I could have missed his face.

"Oooooh, it's you again," he also recognized me. "Next time just stay out of my lane. Lecturer or not, I don't care, because I promise you. . . You don't want to mess with me."

He had a smirk on his face as he spoke, then he pointed two of his fingers at me, then pointed to his eyes. A way of saying he had his eyes on me, but I only shrugged and shook it off. Though I was still a bit angry at his rude way of speaking, I decided to just forget it and pretend as if it never happened.

That was another part of my superpowers, apart from being a genius in mathematics, of course; forgiveness and not being able to hold grudges for long.

People were still lurking around but I didn't care. I continued my walk to the gate and finally ordered a Uber.

After waiting for some minutes outside the school gate, the Uber driver eventually arrived and I left the school premises.

I arrived home pretty late on that day, due to the heavy traffic on the road. I was tired and aweary as I walked out of the Uber after paying the driver her money. I walked into my compound and met one of my neighbors, Mrs Katie. She was an older woman who stayed at a flat at the back of the house. I passed my greetings to her and she responded cheerfully, as always.

I lazily pushed myself to my flat and knocked on the door. "I'm coming!" Sewa's voice could be heard from behind the door. I stood outside, waiting for her for almost a minute before she opened up.

"Thank God!" I said as I rushed into the house. "I thought I was going to spend the rest of the day outside."

"Sorry, I was cooking." She smiled.

I sat on the three seater couch feeling tired and hungry, at least Sewa was cooking. I took off my shoe's and massaged my feet, then sewa sat next to me and asked; "So how was school today? Hope it wasn't that stressful?"

"Believe me it was not fine," I had told her, remembering every incident that occurred between me and that dude - Denola. "One person - I mean someone kind of got on my nerves today".

"Oh really, tell me what happened!" she asked eagerly.

"I'm tired now, please later, but first let me have my bath and eat then I will gist you."

"Okay." I was a little bit surprised that she didn't persist, but I won't lie, I was way too tired to talk. Even moving my lips was a skirmish.

I had my bath, then ate the meal Sewa had cooked – yam and scrambled eggs – After eating, I laid on my bed, wanting to take a little nap, at the same time I was expecting Sewa.

"I was just thinking about you." I said as sewa sauntered into my room.

"Good thing," She laid next to me on the bed. "So, spill the gist."

I told Sewa about everything that had happened between me and Denola, not leaving out any details.

"What!" She got off the bed, stood and said; "That bastard called you an excrete? Who the hell does he think he is?"

I didn't say anything in response, because I knew at the end of all her vexing, she definitely would turn on me and blame me.

"It's all your fault too!" like I'd said, I knew she'd blame it all on me.

"How?" I asked. "I even said sorry".

"You should have slapped him, he thinks he has a craze?"

"I can't, and you know that. Also you know I'm not the violent type, I don't like to engage in physical brawls. I don't even hold grudges." I told her.

She shook her head, saying; "Then you shouldn't have given him an audience."

"Yeah, I guess that's true, " I responded, already getting tired of Sewa 'over dramatic acts. "Next time."

She looked at me, shook her head then sat on the bed. "There would be no next time."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Because tomorrow once you get to school, you would look for that bastard, give him a piece of your mind, show him who is boss and who is older."

I laughed, no I really had to laugh because what she'd said was funny. She wanted me to. . . to do all she'd really said.

Was she joking?_ I'd asked myself.

"I'm not joking, Tiwa," she had said with a serious expression on her face. "I'm really serious, if you don't confront him he'll think you're scared of him, or he might think you're a weakling. Please do it, or should I come and do it myself?"

I shook my head, and knowing Sewa, it was something she could do, so at that moment I made up my mind to do as she had said and confront the guy. Give him a piece of my mind. I promised myself that I could do it, because I wasn't a 'weakling' nor an 'excrete' so I faced Sewa and told her; "I'll do it."

"Promise me," She held out her pinky finger. "Pinky swear?".

I did the pinky swear with her and smiled. "I love that you are concerned."

"Why wouldn't I?" She held my left hand between her hands. "You're my best friend, so surely I'll be concerned about you."

"Thank you!" She smiled, and left my room afterwards.

Once I was alone, I laid on my side and stared out of the window. I couldn't help but think about where life was directing me too, and what lay ahead of me.

Just if I had known. . .