BETROTHAL

"I... I am enga...ged to... to be mar...ried soon", Fola stammered.

Ire's grin disappeared and he uttered. "What?"

"Yeah", she replied.

"Wao! That's good news."

"Is it?"

"What is the problem?" Ire peered at her closely before asking "You don't love the man you are engaged to right?"

"Why would you say that?", she questioned. "Whether I do love him or not doesn't matter, the fact is that I am getting married."

"Of course it does matter who you love, and whether you love him or not. It is obvious you don't love that man", he replied but was met with silence.

Ire continued. "We are in the 21st century for crying out loud, why can't you marry the man you love?"

"Because I don't love anyone but myself", she retorted.

"And that is because you have no idea what love is and true love hasn't found you yet", he blurted.

Trying to change the topic, Fola said, "I told them I want the wedding to be next year so I can have time to......"

"Elope?", he interrupted.

Fola gave a short laugh and replied. "Elope to where? I can't run away from my father and not from Mr. Garba. My mum doesn't seem to like the idea but she wants me to respect my father's decision."

"Why are they doing this to you?"

Fola sighed softly. "Long story I guess."

"So what do you intend to do now?", he asked her.

She shrugged and replied. "I will just let fate take its course. I have no power whatsoever over myself or my life."

"Can't you just go against your parent's wishes? I am totally against a loveless marriage. Tell your parents that you don't love him and you are not yet ready for marriage."

Fola smiled and remained silent for a while. "What difference does that make? You said earlier that I don't know what love is, so how sure are we that I don't love him" She uttered with humour.

"Do you know if he loves you?"

Fola scoffed and blurted out of frustration. "Do I look like someone who cares about what he feels?"

Ire sighed and said. "I thought matchmaking is a thing of the past. Now I know better."

"It is not matchmaking."

He looked up sharply and out of curiosity, he questioned. "Then what is it?"

"Betrothal", she answered looking down.

"What the hell!!!"

"Yes, I, Folakemi Obed is betrothed to Olamide Garba."

The watch on her wrist ticked signifying 8 a.m as she suppressed a sigh and increased her pace.

'I'm late already', she said to herself.

She got to the bus stop to see a large crowd waiting for commercial buses to their various destinations.

'Oh God, not today!', she lamented to herself out of frustration.

She joined the restless crowd and waited patiently. Every single bus zooming past them was filled to the brim and she looked at her wristwatch again, it was 17 minutes past the hour of 8.

'I can't escape being late today', she thought.

"E be like say dem dey fight for town ne o, dat na why motor no dey", a woman beside Fola said in pidgin english to the lady opposite her.

"No be so, na fuel scarcity cause am. Some drivers no gree comot and some dey protest, na wetin cause am be dat", the lady replied.

"Na wa o, na where our country dey go so. Wetin we go do now", the woman asked again, to the irritation of Fola.

"My sister, na to wait na maybe our luck go shine, abi you wan trek go central market?", the lady asked back as two more buses zoomed past them.

"Ogini, I no fit, na wait we go wait", the woman replied as she continued chewing on a kolanut.

A day before, it was announced that the prices of fuel had increased and commercial drivers who were not content the huge increment of fuel refused to go out for their usual activities.

The few that were out decided to take advantage of the situation and started billing their passengers twice the normal fare.

Fola was becoming impatient as she realized it was already half past 8 a.m.

She thought of taking a bike but quickly waved the thoughts away as she remembered her father's word about the high risk of taking a bike on the express road.

Unable to wait any longer, she started trekking.

"I can't afford to get to work after my madam because I will be in for a serious nagging", she soliloquized while looking for her mobile phone in her bag to give her madam, Mrs. B, a call.

Just then, a car brushed past her and stopped at a distance.

Fola was oblivious to the presence of the car as she kept on searching for Mrs. B's number on her phone. She saw the number and hurriedly dialed it putting the phone to her ear but the number was unreachable.

As soon as she was close to the car, a guy came out, leaning on the bonnet of the car and said. Hello", catching her unawares.

"Hi", she replied and walked past the car to continue her journey.

"Come on dear", the strange guy said, sauntering to her side. "Let me give you a ride. I can see there are no available commercial buses at the moment. I mean no harm whatsoever, I just want to help a friend in need."

Fola stopped walking and looked back at him. She noticed he was a very young guy and he looked sincere.

Not willing to let go of her pride, she replied. "I am sorry to disappoint you sir but I don't accept free rides from strangers. I like to pay for services rendered to me."

She was about to continue her journey when he replied. "You seem to be in a hurry, that's why I am offering to help. Just tell me where you are headed to and I will drop you there. If you insist on paying, you can pay me when we get there. Are you ok with that?"

His persistence was getting on her nerves. "Even with that sir, I........."

"Come on", he interrupted. "Don't be stubborn, I mean no harm young lady. I am neither a kidnapper nor an assassin."

"Your face won't betray you if you are one", she retorted with hands akimbo.

"What?", he questioned, not comprehending what she meant.

"I mean if you are a kidnapper or an assassin, it won't show on your face, or would it?", she repeated.

He got the message and smiled. "Where are you heading to?"

"Kurmin Mashi."

He nodded. "That's my way, I work at Governor's road", he muttered and remained silent. Fola was also silent too before he spoke up again with impatience. "Are you coming with me or not? I'm beginning to get late for work."

Fola stood helplessly and was confused on what to do. 'If I let him go, I will have to trek all the way to work. I think I will just have to trust this man. Besides, he doesn't look like someone who bites', she thought to herself.

She muttered a few prayers to herself before walking towards the car. They both entered the car and he zoomed off.

There was complete silence as he drove before he broke the silence. "May I know your name Miss?"

"Me?" She asked back pretending not to know the question was directed at her.

The young man looked up at her and amused at her question, replied "Yes."

"Oh!.. I don't have a name", Fola said unsmilingly.

He frowned. "You don't have a name? How is that even possible? Ok, what do people call you then or perhaps what do you want me to call you? You don't expect me to continue calling you 'Miss' do you?"

"I don't mind sir."

'What a strange girl, he thought to himself. "As I said earlier, I mean no harm. I can see you are finding it difficult to interact with me. I just want to know your name, that's all", he said with all seriousness.

Fola looked at him and saw that he was serious. "I am Zahara", she blurted out and was surprised to see him smiling. 'What a strange man, this man is beginning to scare me. Oh Lord, let me arrive at my destination safely.'

"What a beautiful name for a beautiful lady. Well...my name is Olamide so may I know more about you? Like what you do, where you stay, your favorite food and others", he said trying to overtake a car in front of him. They were now on the express road.

"I thought you said you only want to know my name?"

"Yes, I did but it won't be bad to know more about you", he said grinning

"I am an aspirant....."

"Oh really? You are a small girl then", he cut her short and smiled sinisterly which Fola found annoying. "Go on please", he continued.

"That's all you need to know sir", she said angrily. They were almost close to Kurmin Mashi junction.

"But why?", he asked, surprised at the sudden behavior change.

"Because I wish to keep them anonymous", she looked at him, angrily.

"Please drop me here", she continued, dipping her hand into her bag to pay him as they agreed.

Olamide was enraged and he kept mute as he slowed down.

When he stopped the car, Fola stretched a #200 notes to him which he refused to take from her.

"Miss, I asked those questions because I feel we should become friends but since you don't want my friendship, then so be it. As for the money, I don't need it, so goodbye and take care", he blurted out and looked away waiting for her to go out.

Fola nodded guiltily and alighted from his car. Immediately she dropped, he drove off without sparing her a glance.

On her way home the next day, Folake saw Olamide in his car looking sideways. She had a hunch that he saw her but chose to ignore her.

She also tried shunning him but couldn't as the guilt was eating her up.

She then decided within herself to apologize to him for being rude and harsh.

The next morning, she saw him drive past the bus she boarded and began to wonder why their path seemed to always cross. She then remembered he said he works at Governor's road which was more like a stone throw from the junction where she usually alight from.

Throughout the week, Fola was not opportune to approach him as she intended.

On the first day of the following week, luck was on her side. She saw his car parked at the junction where she was supposed to alight from but noticed he wasn't inside the car. She then decided to wait for him.

After a few minutes of waiting, she heard his voice from behind and almost jumped up out of fright.

"Hello, how can I help you?", he asked, politely.

Fola was dumbfounded at his behaviour. 'Is this not the same man I chatted with a week ago?', she asked no one in particular.

He was looking at her as if they were meeting for the first time.

'Is he trying to put up an act or what?', she asked herself again. She couldn't utter a word as she kept looking at him.

"Hello, how can I help you?", he asked again

"Are you an actor?", Fola finally asked, unable to contain the rage within her.

Olamide smiled and questioned, "Why did you ask?"

"Just answer me", she almost yelled.

"No, I am not", he said coolly.

"Good, why then did you behave like one just now?"

'Who the hell is this girl who thinks she can intimidate me?', Olamide thought to himself.

Fola on the other was looking him straight in the eye while he smiled mischievously without uttering a word.

"Do you know me?", she questioned again

"Yes, I do and no, I don't", he replied sharply, seemingly ready for the question.

Fola smiled to herself and put her arm across her chest. 'This man doesn't seem to know who he is dealing with', she muttered to herself.

"I know your name is Zahara, an aspirant and nothing more", he concluded.

"So?", she said screwing up her face.

"I wanted to know you more and if possible become your friend but your behavior was not encouraging. You were acting as if I was asking for something more than that. With your mode of dressing, I thought you were religious, kind and well behaved but I am beginning to have my doubts. That is why I concluded within myself never to budge you again. After all, it won't cost you anything but rather for you to benefit from me. I was not............"

"Stop right there", Fola interrupted him in fury and this startled Olamide. "I think I now know the kind of person you are. For your information, giving someone my friendship costs a lot, so you are wrong by saying it won't cost a thing. You have no idea what friendship is. You can insult and shun me all you want, I don't care. Initially, I wanted to apologize for the other day, but now I think it is no longer necessary. I can't afford to give my friendship to someone this pompous because I don't take friendship for granted. I don't need anything from you so get lost", she said in one breath and walked away.

Olamide was speechless. "This little girl just called me pompous? Who does she think she is, I am going to deal with her", he said getting into his car.

Fola kept fuming all the way to work. "How dare he say those trash to me? Who does he think he is? He is such an arrogant man."

She was still battling with the anger within her when she got to work and freeted the cleaners at the entrance before proceeding to enter the inner office. Just a few distances away from her little cubicle, she heard whispers and giggles behind her.

Fola was always minding her business and doesn't associate with any of the girls at work because of their indecency and behavior. The other girls call her all sorts of names because of that.

Fola knew immediately that the laughter was directed at her but like every other day, she wasn't ready to ignore them.

She turned back and saw Rachel standing with a mischievous smile on her face. Behind Rachel we're Bisola and Jummy who took orders from Rachel.

Out of anger, Fola kept her bag behind the partition dividing her cubicle from others, and approached the three girls.

When Bisola and Jummy saw Fola coming towards them, they stopped laughing and became agitated.

Fola came face to face with Rachel and ignored the other two. "Were you by chance referring to me?", she asked her.

"No, I was talking to your shadow", Rachel answered with hands akimbo and a sly smile.

"That's better", replied Fola while nodding her head and folding her arms across her bosom.

She continued: "Rachel, you know so well that I have always let you have your way with me. Just because I don't respond to any of your silly and childish comments towards me doesn't mean I am daft or stupid."

She dropped her arms from her bosom.

"Now let me make things clearer, don't you ever call me names again from today onwards till I leave this place or else I will show you the real Fola. You should let me continue being the good girl that I have always been", she completed and gave a fake smile, then turned to go when Rachel pulled her back grazing Fola's shoulder with her long manicured fingers.

"Where do you think you are going, you foolish girl? You think you can come here and intimidate me abi", Rachel said pulling her back.

With rage, Fola gave her a resounding slap on the cheek which made her fall to her side. The other two girls gasped out of surprise. Fola pulled Rachel back up from the floor and gave her another slap on the left cheek. Rachel whimpered as she fell to the ground once again.

One of the cleaners at the entrance of the building hurriedly rushed in to separate the girls.

The woman whom Fola usually calls grandma was surprised at Fola's action and she quickly led her back to her cubicle.

Rachel on the other handd bursted into tears. "You foolish girl, I will deal with you. You think you can slap me and go scot-free abi? You will surely suffer for what you have done", she ranted.

Bisola and Jummy who were more of spectators during the fight rushed to Rachel's side to help her up but she pushed them away.

"Let go of me stupid girls. You let her slap me without standing up for me yet you are asking if I am ok. You two are nothing but cowards, foolish girls", she said to them and ran to the washroom.

The cleaner asked Fola for the full details when they were inside the office and Fola narrated everything to her. The cleaner told Fola that Rachel got what she deserved which made Fola smile.

The woman spent another 30 minutes with Fola to cheer her up before going back to her duty post.

Rachel and her clique avoided Fola and kept to their corner throughout the day.

"The arrogant bastard has helped me earn the respect I deserved from these stupid girls", she said to herself with a satisfied smile.