Chapter 3 Jeremy

"You swim so well."

Someone said in English as I lifted myself out of the water and walked towards the bank where my friends were waiting for me.

It was the Christmas holiday, and the stream was flooded, as it usually was by this time of the year, with people, mostly city people who came to swim or take pictures. As I turned around to see who had talked to me, I knew it was a city person because he spoke in good English, but I didn't expect him to be so heart stopping handsome! He was wearing nothing but thigh hugging shorts and some kind of weird tight cap, the kind city people wore when they went to swim. He was smiling at me and my heart stopped. He had these beautiful long lashes that should be a waste on any man, but on him, it was perfect, and his dimples dipped as he smiled. His skin was so smooth, like a baby's. Like a constantly oiled surface, bright as olive. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Do you swim for sport or just for fun?" He asked still smiling. I couldn't speak English well, but I was better than my mates at understanding it. Yet, at that moment, I couldn't comprehend what he was saying. I heard the words, I knew them well, but I couldn't understand their placement in that context. Why was he asking me about sport and fun and swimming? I was at a loss, so I just said,

"Yes."

"Yes? Like, you swim for your school swimming team?" He asked enthusiastically.

I was lost again. I didn't know what swimming team was, and if he was asking me if my school had one, I knew we didn't. But I didn't know how to put that in English. So, again I simply said

"No."

He looked at me thoughtfully. I think he figured out at that moment that I was hopeless at English.

"Errrrrrr, uhm. You don't understand me." He said apologetically.

"No, I understand." I bluffed. His eyes lit with joy and his smile returned.

"But you don't speak much?" He asked. I shook my head in response. He didn't seem put off by that. His smile broadened even.

"So, you didn't come for the holiday, you live here?" He asked again. I nodded.

"Wow! If you were out there, your skill in these waters would win any school a gold medal!" He smiled. I watched him with keen attention so that I wouldn't miss anything he said. His English sounded very polished, he must have been born and raised in the city or, he must have lived there for a very long time. I smiled in response to his smile.

"I swim for my school team, not the best sport for a boy my age in a school like mine. In my school, If you're not on the basketball team, you're practically invisible and irrelevant. But I love swimming and some highschools and colleges actually appreciate swimming. It's only a matter of time." He said. I wasn't getting every word he said, but listening to his voice was too precious too miss. So I listened on, with an exaggerated understanding smile and momentary nods.

"If we had someone like you on our girls water polo team, we'll be sure to get two gold medals next season. You're pretty good, trust me."

He stopped talking and I realized I was supposed to say something at this point.

"OK." I said, unsure. He laughed out loud then. Not in disdain, frustration or irritation. He actually seemed pleased. I must have said the right thing, I thought.

"Are you sure you understand anything I have been saying?" He asked trying to control his laughter.

"Yes." I nodded. He laughed again.

"It's just cute watching you try to reply correctly." He smiled. I smiled too. He laughed again.

"I'm Jeremy. Jeremiah." He said, holding out his hand.

"I am Regina." I said, taking his hand.

"Regina. Gina." He tried the name as if he were tasting it. "Gina, pleasure to meet you." He said, squeezing my hand gently. It felt so pleasant, I didn't want to let go. And I didn't even realize he was saying my name, the short form. No one had ever called me that. Gina.

Regina was my grandmother's name, my mum's mum that is. My mum named me after her because she thought we shared an uncanny resemblance. I never knew my inherited name could sound so good, until Jeremy, Jeremiah, said it like that.

"So, you're still around Gina? I'll like to talk some more after I've taken a dip." He asked. I nodded and he smiled. "I'll be a minute then." He said and reluctantly let go of my hand, then he went towards the water and did some kind of fancy dip, the kind that city people did, only with more flare and style. I stood there for a moment, forgetting everything as I watched him swim further into the water. He moved with the speed of a fish! He had said he went to a swimming school, maybe that was why he seemed so good as he swam, I reasoned.

"Regina!" I heard my sister Uloma howl at me, and I realized I had been standing fixed to the spot he left me. I turned around and hurried towards them. They were all grinning as I approached them.

"What did he tell you?" Uju asked curiously.

"Who?" I asked.

"Don't pretend. We saw you standing there with the Americana. What did you people talk about?" Uloma said, she too was curious. "You talked for very long, what did you talk about?"

"Americana?" I asked, confused.

"Ehen now. That's Jeremiah, Jeremy as they like to call him now. He is the son of Dede Maduka. You know, the doctor that lives in Baltimore, USA." Uju explained, but seeing that I still looked lost, she continued.

"They live close to that hill if you're going towards Eke Uruala. By St Peters, that big white house. The biggest house in Uruala. Maduka road na. He sponsored the construction of the Uruala to Oriama express."

"Okay!" I squealed. I remembered him. Doctor Paul Maduka. A few years ago, every mouth in the community was full of his praise for his chivalrous act of singlehandedly fixing the express that linked the two main markets in our community.

"I remember him now!" I said. "That's his son?" I asked.

"Yes. Jeremy Maduka." Uju said.

"But I've never seen him before." I said

"That's because he was born and raised in America. This is his first time of coming to Nigeria." My sister Uloma provided.

I fell quiet and processed the information that had just been revealed to me. When I talked to Jeremy as a stranger, the conversation came so naturally and I didn't want it to end. But now that I knew who he was, the son of one of one of the most powerful men in our community, Paul Maduka, that road was named after them! I wasn't sure how I would react to him anymore. I wasn't sure I wanted to continue our conversation from where we left off either.

"So, what did you two talk about for so long?" Uloma asked.

"Nothing, he was just asking me about the water." I said.

"For 100 hours?" Uju asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" I answered disinterested. "Are you people ready to go home? I want to go now." I said, gathering up my clothes.

"Where are you running off to." Uloma asked. "We just got here!"

I looked over my shoulder. Jeremy was emerging out of the water and heading towards shore. I knew I had to get out then before he caught sight of me.

"I think I might have a running stomach... I suddenly feel an ache." I said, gathering the last of my belongings, and without waiting for their response, I dashed towards the road.

"I'll come with you, wait for me!" I heard Uju call after me as I walked away. I didn't look back, I didn't wait. I just kept walking. I heard her racing towards me a few moments later. Even then, I didn't look back. I just wanted to get away before Jeremy noticed.