DEAR
JOCELYN
Episode 23
By: Faith Lucky.
Audrey’s Pov:
I dropped the two plates of slurpy pasta on the table and took my seat, opposite Rodney.
Rodney took one of the plates while I took the other and we got re-ady to eat.
“How am I sure this will be as tasty as it looks?” Rodney asked, staring keenly at the food.
“Well, just give it a try” I replied and watched him put a little quantity on the fork.
“Why is it too long?” He asked and put it into his mouth, cutting it into two.
“No, no, no, Mr Rodney; don’t eat it that way. It isn’t fun, not at all.” I said immediately and he flin-ched.
“What do you mean?”
“Look Mr Rodney; when I was in North America, my friends and I enjoyed our pasta this way: we’d make our pasta this long and eat it without cutting it into two. That way, your life span will be long. But if you end up cutting it into two, your life span will be short” I enthused.
“Huh? That’s ridiculous. I thought that was something practiced by the Asians or something?” he asked.
“Yes. But we also enjoy it and decided to practice it. It’s more like a game Mr Rodney. So, are you in?”
“I…”
“You can’t say no, Mr Rodney.”
“Oh, really? Is it a covenant or something?” He asked and I laughed.
I took some pasta in and he watched as I successfully took all the pasta without cutting it into two.
“Whatever” he mouthed and tried doing it
He took some pasta in but couldn’t do what I said. He had to cut it into two.
I laughed and hit his hand with my fork and he looked at me with surprise.
“Oh! Didn’t I tell you? My friends and I created a little rule of our own. We decided if someone failed to eat all the pasta completely, he or she will get sp@ñked on the hand” I explained, trying to clear the surprise on his face.
“Oh!” Rodney exclaimed.
“So, I’m the one who gets to live a short life and I’m still the one who gets punished?”
“Well, yes. That’s just how it goes”.
He hesitated for a while before eating it again. He tired doing it but couldn’t. It cut into two.
I sp@ñked him on the hand again and he laughed.
Wow! Watching him laugh again.
“But how come you don’t cut yours into two?” He asked with a pla-yful frustrated look.
“Well, I’m an expert at it” I replied.
“Hm. So, you want to live older than Methuselat, huh?”
“How did you know Methuselat?”
“What are you trying to say? Don’t I go to church?”
We continued eating and this time around, Rodney was able to take in the pasta without cutting it. He gulped down water after it and cl@pped for himself and I laughed.
He tried doing It again but failed and I sp@ñked his hand. He looked at me painfully and I could tell he was wishing I’d fail, even if it was just once.
“Mr Rodney; um…I want to ask you a question” I said and took in some water.
“What is it?” He asked.
Am I doing the right thing?
I felt this way the right time to ask him about our friendsh!p. I wanted to know if he saw me as a friend.
“Um…Mr Rodney; what am I to you? Are we friends?” I asked nervously and Rodney looked a little surprised.
“Why asking?” He inquired.
“I um…just wanted to know”.
He didn’t say anything immediately but only took in some pasta and it cut into two.
He grinned and expected me to hit his hand as usual; but I didn’t. I just kept staring at him.
“Well, of course we’re friends” he replied and pla-yed with my hair.
I smiled.
We continued eating and he cut the pasta into two again and this time around, I didn’t hesitate to sp@ñk his hand.
“Arrgh! When will this ever st©p?” He grouse and I laughed at him.
At a point, he st©pped eating and just watched me eat, hoping I’d make a mistake.
Just a mistake.
After watching me for some minutes, he felt it was hopeless and just continued eating.
“By the way, Mr Rodney” I said and paused to sp@ñk his hand.
“I’m sorry if you’re a little bored over here. The TV got burnt not long ago and my aunty has plans of fixing it next month”.
“Next month?” He asked and laughed.
“Well, there’s no nee-d to apologise. I’m about leaving anyway”.
I was trying to take in pasta and immediately, It cut into two.
“Yes!” Rodney jumped up and shouted as if he had won the lottery.
He returned to his seat and laughed so ha-rd while I smiled shyly.
“Kindly stretch out your palm miss” he said with jest and I stretched out the back of my palm
He k!$$£d the fork before using it to hit me and we both ended up laughing.
“Wow! This feels real good” he said and took in a de-ep breath.
“Come on Mr Rodney. You just got lucky” I said and continued eating but mistakenly cut it again and he laughed and didn’t hesitate to sp@ñk my hand.
But why am I suddenly losing it? Is it because I heard he was about leaving?
He took in his pasta successfully but the next one he took cut.
He awaited me to sp@ñk him as well, but I didn’t. I was just staring at my food.
“Audrey?” He called and t©uçhed my hand and I shrugged out of my thoughts.
“Oh! I’m fine” I replied hastily the continued eating.
“By the way, your food is delicious” he said and I smiled.
“Well, I told you didn’t I? I’m a good cook” .
“Yeah. Whatever” he said and shook his head.
*
After a while, we were done eating and Rodney left to stay outside.
I cleared the table and took the plates to the kitchen. I held the kitchen table and bent my head In sombre. That was when I noticed a tear streaming down my cheek.
Another followed immediately and I wiped it off. Why was I even crying?
Immediately I heard Rodney was about leaving, I suddenly felt bittered. I was kind of enjoying his company and had forgotten it wouldn’t last forever.
That was the first time I had been so close to a guy and maybe that was why it felt special. I’ve never been in a relationsh!pbefore and being with Rodney for the last few days, made me have a taste of what it felt like. Somehow, I wanted to be with him forever, even if it was just as friends.
And there was something else I was scared of. I was scared our friendsh!pmight end the moment he leaves.
In here, we were friends, but out there, he’s a moody wealthy guy who’s approaching his precious Jocelyn, while I’m just a h0tel attendant.
I’m scared he might be go back to being grumpy and disregard me like he used .
But that wasn’t what I wanted. I didn’t want our friendsh!pto end.
DEAR
JOCELYN
Episode 24
By: Faith Lucky.
Audrey’s Pov:
I cleaned my eyes completely and left the kitchen to meet him outside. He was packing flowers when I reached and he squ-atted, backing me.
When he noticed I was behind him, he turned to look at me.
“Oh! You’re here” he said warmly and turned back to the flowers.
He was picking and putting them in a bowl.
“Mr Rodney, what do you nee-d the flowers for?” I asked still standing behind him.
“Nothing really. But don’t you think they can be used as decorations?” He replied.
He was slow in picking the flowers as he’d t©uçh, admire and perceive it before pu-lling it out.
“Um…Mr Rodney, when exactly are you leaving?” I asked after a short while.
“Don’t really know. Maybe tonight or first thing in the morning. Why?” He replied and asked.
“Nothing. Just wanted to know.”
Hm. So I only had few hours to spend with him. I wish it could be extended to morning.
“Can I ask you a question?” Rodney said and for an unknown reason, I felt nervous again.
“Y…Yes?” I stuttered a little
“Why did you cut the pasta when you heard I was about leaving?” He asked and turned to look at me.
Oh, God! What do I say?
I bec@m£ twitchy and stuttered for words and to make it worst, he was staring directly into my face.
“I uhm…its…” I paused and sighed.
“Actually, the…the cutting of the pasta was a mistake. Th…There was nothing attached to it.” I replied.
He turned back to the flowers and laughed silently and I had a feeling he knew I was lying.
He stood up with the bowl of flowers and walked towards me. My heart gave a leap as he drew closer and stood in front of me.
He brou-ght out a purple flower from the bowl and fixed it in my hair.
I smiled and tried tou-ching it but he st©pped me, bringing down my hand.
“Let it be” he said.
“it’s beautiful”.
I smiled again as he backed me and kept the flowers on a stool.
“The song you sang in the club last night, was it for me?,” he asked as he sat on a long bench that was kept outside.
“Um…kind of . but not all the lyrics were for you” I replied and he chuckled.
“Come on; come and have a seat” he told me and adjusted for me to sit next to him on the bench and I did.
“So, what p@rt of the lyrics wasn’t meant for me?” He asked and I bit myl-ips.
“Is it the p@rt about being my weakness, being the one I’d die for and doing the things I thought I’d never do?” He asked again and I laughed.
“Well maybe. Kind of” I replied.
He smiled and we both stared into space.
“So you could use the Nigerian local language?” He asked.
“Well, I just tried. I was in love with the song so I had to learn. But how was it?”
“Well, coming from you, it was funny”.
I frowned.
“No, no; I mean the p@rt of the local language was funny. But the song itself was beautiful. You were amazingly great” he added and I smiled.
“I’m just surprised you could make use of the pidin or whatever it’s called”.
“It’s called pidgin” I ch!pped in and he nods.
“By the way, you’re a great dancer. I never knew that” he said and I blu-shed.
“Thanks” I replied childishly
“I also love dancing but, bad news is; I’m not a good dancer. It’s not like I can’t dance, the problem is, I’ve never wasted to learn. Even when I was with Jocelyn, she always got mad at me because I wouldn’t learn how to dance.
“But I think I’m suddenly interested. Why don’t you teach me?”
“Me?” I asked and pointed to myself.
“Well, yes. You. Is there something wrong?”
“Um…I…”
“Come on Audrey; it’s going to be easy. We can use the High School Musical song – Can I have this dance”.
“High School Musical? B…But some of the lyrics are…”
“I know. It’s just practice. Besides, why are you even considering the lyrics? I guess you don’t know what you did last night”.
I flin-ched.
“What did I do Mr Rodney?” I asked.
“Well, I’ll tell you after the dance. Deal?” He asked and I rolled my eyes and replied:
“Deal”.
“Good. And I’ll give you a hint bonus. This was p@rt of what you did to me last night” he said and pu-ll-ed my nose and I laughed, but still looked surprised.
“Mr Rodney! Don’t tell me I did that?” I asked as we both stood up, still laughing.
“Of course, you did. And they’re crazy more to be told of” he replied and also laughed.
“So, do you know the full song?” He asked and I nodded.
“What about you?” I asked
“Mmm…not really. But I’m a fast learner” he replied and turned on the music on his phone.
It was just the instrumental; so we had to do the main singing.
“Hm. I just pray you don’t peel my toes” I said as we waited for the intro to pas-s.
He laughed again.
“Don’t worry; I’ll try not to” he replied.
Soon, it was time for the singing and I cleared my throat and started.
We were still standing ap@rt, but we followed the lyrics of the song and did as it was required.
Take my hand
Take a breath
pu-ll me close
And take one step
Keep your eyes
Locked on mine
And let the music
Be Your guide…
We went on singing and dancing to the song and it was so beautiful.
My right hand was holding his left hand while my left hand was on his shoulder and his right hand on my w@!st.
At first, his hand on my w@!st had s£nt shivers down my spine, but I later bec@m£ comfortable with it.
Indeed, he was a fast learner; just like he claimed.
There was a place in the song that had required him to make me think I’d fall but catch me and he did it.
I had screamed, thinking I’d fall, but he caught me by the w@!st and turned me around. It was so much fun and I wished the song never had to end.
Oh! Mr Rodney; how I wanted this friendsh!pto last forever.
But what if today might be the last day we get to be so happy together? What if he changes the moment he leaves?
What if…
Oh! If only miracles could happen.
No mountain’s too high
And no oceans to wi-de
Cause together all night
Our dance won’t st©p
Let it rain
Let it pour
What we have is worth fighting for
You know I believe
That we were meant to be…
It was so much and I could tell even Rodney wished it never had to end in a hurry.
We did the dance so perfectly and finally concluded the song, breathing intensely.
My hand was still on his shoulder and his hand was still on my w@!st and we were staring into each other’s eyes since the first p@rt of the song had requested our eyes to he interlocked.
At first, we were smiling; but our smiles faded as we both for no reason, still held onto each other.
I was twitchy and that was when I could fully feel his hand on my w@!st.
I couldn’t tell why he still held me and somehow, I couldn’t refrain myself.
Our faces started drawing near and we could feel each other’s breath.
Slowly, Rodney’s eyes left mine and looked downwards – at myl-ips.
Oh, no! What’s happening??
I nervously looked down at hisl-ips and I could hear the sound of my blood running throu-gh my veins.
Ourl-ips were alre-ady tou-ching each other’s when we heard a tearful voice call from behind:
“Rodney?”
It c@m£ out weak and shocked and a little betrayed.
We quic-kly dis£ntangled ourselves and turned to see whom it was and to my greatest surprise, it was Megan.
What???
Tbc