...The story continues: Ogechi & I- EPISODE 4

The evening met us eating vegetable soup together
 which she had prepared on her return from the market.
 While eating, we discussed about many things. My eyes
 were fixed on her face, as her smile made me want to
 tell all the jokes in the world. She treated me like a
 brother. She had no fear of me and attended to me as
 though it was her obligation to do so. I had never been
 in that position before. I only imagined it. Right then I
 found that there was a remarkable difference between
 imagination and reality. We finished eating and she
 took the plates away. The TV set was on, the sound of
 the ceiling fan could be heard clearly, and she was
 talking to me and laughing all the while. She was a very
 joyful being. But in all that made sounds in that room,
 all I could here was echoes of angelic voices miming to
 heavenly songs as she was talking. I wasn’t listening to
 her. I could only see her lips moving. The allurements
 of her lips almost led me to overcome my conscience
 and fears. Just then, my phone rang, and my brief mind
 travel ceased. I answered the call. It was my mother
 calling to check up on me. I told her everything I hadn’t
 told her yet except that I shared the same room with a
 girl. A very pretty one at that. After the call, Ogechi and
 I conversed a whole lot. I told her about myself and
 she did same. It continued until about 10pm when she
 asked me to join her in prayer, after which we retired to
 bed. (On the same bed)
 The next day was a Sunday. We prayed and prepared
 for church service. She was a member of Christ’s
 Embassy. I followed her there. On arrival, almost
 everyone we came across stopped her to say a thing or
 two before letting her proceed. I became more like a
 bodyguard, having to wait until she was done with
 whoever she stopped to converse with. It seemed to me
 like she was really popular there. When we got to the
 main building of the church, she handed me over to a
 pretty female usher who took me in and gave me a
 seat. I didn’t know where Ogechi had gone to. I
 expected her to sit right next to me in that church.
 Soon enough, the chairs in my row was filled and she
 still hadn’t come. I got my mind off that and
 concentrated on the brother who was taking the
 opening prayer. Midway into the service I couldn’t still
 lay my eyes on Ogechi anywhere in the auditorium.
 When the choir was called out to minister their song, I
 looked, and there she was among them. She hadn’t
 told me she was a chorister. The choir director
 introduced the song and handed the mike over to
 guess who; Ogechi. She was the lead singer. When she
 started singing, first thing that stood out was her
 angelic voice which made its way at once to my body
 system to awaken sleeping cells and tissues. While the
 congregation was getting blessed by the lyrics of the
 song, I was all the while admiring and adoring Ogechi.
 She was simply awesome. Her uniqueness kept
 unfolding as the days passed. After service, almost
 everyone complemented her for her performance during
 the choir ministration. I had to wait until all that was
 over. She introduced me to a couple of the brethren
 there as Jesusboy. They kind of marveled at me for
 bearing such name. And whenever any of them asked
 why I beard that name, I would say; because Jesus is
 the one I claim. Some of them would laugh to that
 while some others got short of words. However, they
 would all call me Jesusboy afterwards. They asked
 Ogechi how she got to know me, and she said; I met
 him two nights ago under an unseemly circumstance
 and he turned out to be a good acquaintance. I know
 that in no distant time he’ll be up and serving in one of
 the units here in church. She turned to me and said;
 right Jesusboy? Definitely! I replied. It will be my
 pleasure to make myself useful to the Lord in this great
 house of worship. They were all glad to hear me say
 that, and they commended her for bringing me to
 church. To some extent, I felt she was proud of me
 because of the speech I just made. I wouldn’t know
 since I never inquired.
 In the evening that day, I wanted to hang out a little
 since I was already used to doing so every evening
 before I met her. I asked her if she had anything doing
 that evening and she said no. why? She asked.
‘I want to hang out a little. I was wondering if you
 would join me’
 ‘N..a..h., I’ll just stay at home’
 ‘Look, I know you’re reserved and all that. I also am,
 but once in a while you need to loosen up. And in case
 you’re afraid ‘What happened on Friday night might
 repeat itself, don’t be. I’ll be there to protect you if it
 does’
 ‘(She lay there on the bed looking at me without saying
 a word, probably wondering what made me think I
 could save her from the police) Don’t worry. Go ahead.
 I’ll join you some other time’
 ‘Come on Oge, it will only take a while. I’ll be so bored
 hanging out all alone’
 ‘Then find some girl out there to keep you company.
 Like you said, it’ll only take a while’
 ‘That would have been a good idea if there was some
 girl out there as beautiful as you are. A pretty girl like
 you by my side will give me a memory to hold on to.
 You never know what you might derive from this time
 out. Just come with me, I beg you’
She still didn’t yield to my plea, but as soon as I went
 on my knees, it was like I had cast a spell on her. I
 couldn’t believe that the girl I had spent quite some
 time trying to persuade to hang out with me just
 consented helplessly. As soon as I knelt down, she
 immediately jumped from the bed and said; I WILL
 COME WITH YOU. She said that three times without me
 saying anything. I was greatly amazed! I kept that in
 mind. That seemed to me like her soft spot, and I
 planned that I would use it whenever she grew tough.
 So I rose to my feet and thanked her for agreeing to
 come with me. She told me to give her some minutes
 to change into something nice. She went into the
 bathroom and came out in a red gown that didn’t go
 down below her knee level, with precious stones
 glittering all over the gown.
‘You look extra ordinarily gorgeous’ I remarked.
‘Thank you’ she replied blushing
 I stood there for 30 seconds staring at her with a grin
 without saying a word. I think she loved the way I was
 admiring her because she smiled all through the time.
 Then suddenly she raised her eyebrows, clapped her
 hands a few times and said; ‘HELLOO? CAN WE GO
 NOW?’ I gave her my hand, she took it, and we left.
 AT A SIT OUT
‘What do you care for?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know. Anything will do’
 ‘Okay. Waiter! Please get us two bottles of Legend Extra
 Stout’
 ‘Legend Extra Stout?’ She exclaimed.
‘Of cause! Thought you said anything?’
 ‘(Aggressively) Y..e..a..h.., but not alcohol’
 ‘Oh’ really? How was I supposed to know that? So
 now, what do you care for?’
 ‘You’re really crazy you know? I’ll take malt’
 ‘Waiter, please change of order. Two bottles of malt
 instead. And tell that mallam to bring suya worth
 N1,000
‘Okay Sir’ said the waiter
‘Thank you’
 ‘Why did you change your order too? Don’t you want to
 drink Legend again?’ she asked.
‘I will if you will’
 ‘I don’t take alcohol’
 ‘Well, same here’
 ‘Why then did you order for it in the first place?’
 ‘Because……..(waiter interrupts)
‘Here’s your order sir’ the waiter said as he dropped our
 order on the table.
‘Thank you. (Turn to Ogechi) So Oge, you never told
 me you were a chorister’
 ‘Yeah, it never crossed my mind to do so. But now you
 know. You have a problem with that?’
 ‘Absolutely not. On the contrary, I love music, as well
 as singers. Especially singers like you who can pitch
 high’
 ‘Great! Thank you. I wouldn’t be wrong to assume
 you’re a chorister would I?’
 ‘Not exactly. You see, I do music, but I’m not a
 chorister. I’ve never been in a church choir or music
 group before, but I’ve recorded quite a number of
 songs’ I said, feeling like a star.
‘Wow! You’re a musician! Small world! I’ve always
 dreamed of the day my church choir will start doing
 studio recordings. I look forward to the day our songs
 will go global and touch lives. We have so much to
 offer, and it has to go beyond the four walls of the
 church to the world at large. I just don’t know how
 soon that is going to happen. My choir director doesn’t
 seem to be as eager as I am to see that happen. And I’ll
 have to wait until he does’
 ‘You’re wrong. You must not be in a church choir to
 make that happen. You can always go solo if you are
 that eager to reach out to the world. Who knows if your
 choir director will ever buy the idea of getting your
 choir to record an album? Maybe all he wants is just to
 minister in church. I’m not certain about that anyway.
 But that’s a thought you should take to heart’
 ‘(Ogechi pondering on what I just said) It had crossed
 my mind to do so. I just didn’t find the right
 motivation’
 ‘It’s finally here isn’t it?’ I said confidently.
‘I guess it is. But I’ve never recorded a song before in a
 studio. It’s all going to be new to me’
 ‘There’s always a first time. Besides, that’s not what
 you should be worried about. You should be more
 concerned about the writing and composing aspect of
 it’
 ‘That’s the problem’ she said sadly.
‘What do you mean?’
 ‘Song writing is not really my thing. That’s the reason
 why I couldn’t do without my choir director. He writes
 our original songs, and I give melody to it’
 ‘That won’t be a problem. I’ll do the writing for you. It
 is a good thing you can create melody. And I’ll also
 assist in that, if at all you need my help at any point’
 ‘How come you can do all that when you’ve never
 joined a church choir or music group before?’
 ‘I’m sorry you may have to direct that question to
 G.O.D’ I said, feeling funky.
‘Are you serious about this or you’re just playing
 pranks on me like you did with the Legend Extra Stout
 thing?’
 ‘Of cause not! I’m serious. Like I said; I’ve recorded
 quite a number of songs’
 ‘I’d like to listen to your songs. If what you’re saying is
 true, then let me listen to them.
‘You still don’t believe me right? Okay doubting
 Thomas. My songs are all on the internet. I’ll give you
 a link to one of them. If you like them,
 I’ll give you links to the others. Are you ready for the
 link?’
 ‘Just a second. (She reaches for her pus and brings
 out her blackberry z10) Okay, go ahead’
 ‘Title is ‘RISE & SHINE’; http://m.naijapals.com/
 music.php?id=33247 That’s the link’
 ‘Okay Mister! I’ll do so before I retire to bed tonight.
 Let’s drink up and get going. It’s getting pretty late’
 ‘Alright Miss! Whatever you will, that shall I do’
 ‘You’re a really funny guy’
 ‘And you’re the cutest girl I’ve ever seen’
We stared firmly into each other’s eyes after I made that
 statement. It was as if I had dropped the bomb. The
 longer we looked each other right in the eye, the closer
 our faces got to each other’s. Oh’ my gosh!!! Was this
 really going to happen?
 ...To be continued!