Chapter 5 It Gets Interesting

Nicole has enjoyed almost some days without emotional break down, she had consistently gotten up grateful to God that she moved from where she was living, it was as though depression was hanging in the ceiling of her former room, she could go to work and come back to the room depressed but to the new apartment, it was not so, it could be that the event that happened few days ago left her in awe to the point she forgets her depressed state and her emotional anxiety that has haunted her for months since moving to Paris the city of love.

On a fateful evening, when the weather was a little cold than the usual day Nicole came out of her house to the garage where she was supposed to play with shark (her cat ), she sat and saw people from afar walking to their destination and she saw many couples taking romantic walk at the cool of that evening then she got lost in thoughts and she started having flash backs, not her Qatar flashback but her experience with the black guy fee days ago, turns out she has not been able to accept that the relationship she had with the guy was professional hit and move, she started thinking about him and how she would openly confess her feelings to him If they were to ever meet again, she felt so stupid that she never told him how sweet he was, felt even terrible that she did not hold him so tight to stop him from moving , she started imagining her having a kid with him same imagination that led to her catastrophic condition and emotional break down in Qatar. While she was thinking deeply about him, a voice came from behind and said " hello, I am here ",

Nicole's heart jumped because he came, but not the guy she was thinking about but the neighbour who stays about 300 metres away from her. He had promised to visit her after helping her out to unpack her things into the new house.

He was quite a cute young but dramatic guy, he loves to talk and probably won't be a listener. Nicole had lied to him that she doesn't have a phone to avoid giving him his number but such lies doesn't last because eventually, he would find out that it was all a lie. But who cares if he finds out? Nicole asked herself and signed grieving. Nicole Turned to him and smiled before beckoning on him to enter the garage where she was seated with Shark. He walked in calmly but with a bold resolute face, then made his way to Nicole's face to give her a side kiss as form of greeting, he had explained one time that side hug and side kiss is a form of greeting in his country, but who cares about his country and tradition? Nicole would ask herself.

In her defence she would argue that if mediocrity is part of what a country celebrates, it cannot be brought down to another country and it cannot be obtainable. At top of her voice, she would scream in silence saying "I'm not your country woman !!! ".

They got talking about different things from the nature of the neighbourhood, to food, down to clothing , likes and dislikes. It was important because they were just trying to get to know each other as neighbours. Nicole asked him his name because she had forgotten and he politely told him " Smith".

It was interesting to hold a conversation with him but she knew were this might end up, she was scared of any form of commitment with any guy but the guy had assured her from the beginning that he just want to be a good neighbour or friend nothing more attached to it. Turns out that Smith was heartbroken and emotionally unstable too, so he was just trying to get someone to talk to, so Nicole had to be very careful to avoid them having anything.

At dawn, Smith suggested that they hang out and eat local road side dinner, he had explained that the meal hits differently when you try it for the first time, that the taste would apparently change her taste bud forever. Nicole agreed because she would atleast distract herself from what is going on in her head by talking with him and taking a long walk which by no means isn't a romantic walk or a date.

One sweet thing about Smith is that he is a hypeman, and he knows how to sweeten talks to suit his narrative. He would just scream at the middle of the road and say something like "Damm Nicole, you look so sweet" maybe that's his way of been romantic or expressive but Nicole finds it to be objectifying but in a sweet way. They walked fod about one kilometre to the junction of the dood vendor where they sat and got some local food. Smith was specific about a meal he had tried sometime back and he loved it, he told Nicole that he even learnt how to make the meal but the one they make at the street always taste better. When the meal was served, it was a local grilled rice with shredded pork and a sauce with " Yaji ". Yaji is a local mixture in one of African countries which was used to make some delicacies. Nicole tried the food and said wow, not an awesome wow but a random wow.

The food does not beautiful aa Smith has described it but in order not to hurt his feelings, she told him that the food was perfect. The food was not bad, but Nicole was expecting to taste heaven from the food but was disappointed by what happened, she told Smith thank you for showing her the spot for getting food and they ate discussing about random things like their profession and work they do.