I had been on the phone for over thirty minutes. I was only able to talk collectedly because I'd already made up my mind not to let Roy have the impression that I was still hurting. He called me several times the previous day but I didn't want to take his call. He seemed determined to call me until my phone ran out of battery, so I decided to take the call. He was asking about so many other things, but I didn't want him to have the impression that he still meant a thing. And I made it a point to ask him never to call me again. Of course, I took the step to bar his number on my phone.
I let him into my heart without recourse because I believed every sweet thing he told me. He was so good I never knew the day he would drop me like a sack of rotten potatoes would ever come. He was everything I thought I wanted in a man, and I was willing to go to the moon and back for his sake.
Roy and I met on our first day in the university. I had been admitted to study Law and him to study Medicine. It happened that we were given the same ticket number in error, by the clerical staff at the verification centre. We were just fated to meet.
When I arrived at the venue, I asked a particular lady that looked approachable how I could get a number tag for the screening exercise. She directed me to the staff in charge of number tags, and I was given mine.
I sat quietly in a corner waiting for my turn. It took over an hour before I heard my number called. I rushed down to get my documents checked and be done with the clearance process only to meet someone else already seated.
While I waited for my turn, I noticed a lot of my mates weren't patient enough to wait. Some manoeuvred their ways by speaking with people already at the front of the line to allow them go in, some just argued about having lost their tags but have been there since morning, others simply went in when they noticed no response for any number called.
I knew I didn't waste any time before going in after my number was called, why was this dude trying to outsmart me? I was boiling in anger as I walked in. I hadn't stayed patiently waiting for my turn for someone to take my turn without batting an eye.
"Hello mister, I think it'll be nicer if we all act civilly and wait our turn for things like this" I said trying so hard to euphemise the insult that my mind had prepared for him.
"You must be mistaken, my dear. I've been waiting patiently for my turn since I got here. I only came in the moment my number was called" he explained calmly as though he didn't notice the insult in my statement.
I got angrier with the fact that he was trying to act so cool when he was actually doing the wrong thing. What was it with people of this other gender? Did he have to pretend to be so calm when he wasn't a gentleman in any way?
The lady in charge of controlling the crowd came towards us to know what the bickering was all about. I explained in clear terms how this guy was gate-crashing, yet acting so cool like he was a perfect gentleman. She almost threw him out before he got a chance to speak.
"Would you at least allow me to explain ma'am?" he asked calmly. I was already pouting and waiting for the lame defence he had. 'I have been patiently waiting for my turn and only came in after my number was announced, but this lady here thinks I'm trying to cheat. he said. 'You lie and the truth is not in you!' I said outraged.
Then the woman asked us to present our tags. I didn't know where to hide my face when he pulled out his tag. There it was! The number I claimed to be mine was clearly written on his tag. I was shocked! How could this be? Did this boy perhaps steal my tag? I looked around for my tag and there it was, same number!
I didn't know how to tenderly apologize, I had been so sure he was one of those guys that wanted to play a fast one. How was he able to remain so calm while I accused him falsely? I was still lost in thought when the secretary asked me to step out to enable them attend to him since he got in first.
'Oh no ma'am, she can as well go on with hers, I'll be willing to wait for her' he offered sweetly. The secretary shrugged, and without another word, ushered me into the hall for the verification exercise. Some minutes later, I was done and on my way out. Roy was seated outside, waiting for me to come out.
He was called in for his own exercise, and I couldn't help but wait to get to know him. When he finished with the verification panel, he was shocked to find me waiting. I apologized for my behaviour earlier and felt a lot better that he didn't hold it against me. I even had to propose a lunch date to further show how sorry I was. The meal was nice, but I think the way he was stealing glances at me while we ate was nicer!
I was hoping he'd ask for my name and at least beg for my phone number, but he just sat there, eating and stealing glances every now and then.