Betrayed, But I Still Want Her

Note to readers -- as mentioned in a few of my previous stories, this contains some lingo from my native country. It may read a bit strange to some. I've translated it as much as I can to make it understandable.

Thanks.

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I met this very young and cute girl sometimes in 2011 when I was a 400 level(fourth year) undergad student in my university. I met her late one night when I went to study in one of the large halls on campus. I had taken a break to grab a sachet of water and stretch my legs for a bit, and by the time I got back about thirty minutes later, there was this young, big-eyed girl in my spot. Back then getting a spot for night reading was like searching for treasure -- you had to be fast, accurate, and very precise, particularly during the examination period. I asked her why she had pushed my books aside and she told me she thought the owner(me) would not be around for a while. You see, people were fond of saving spots for themselves ahead of time, and as such many seats could contain books with no one reading there for hours on end. I told her I had just stepped out for about thirty minutes and was back. With a babyish whimper and frown, she began packing her books. I told her that if it wasn't going to be too late for her, I was going to finish what I was reading in about an hour as I had an early lecture the following morning, and as it was already going to around midnight then, I could keep the seat for her if she wished. She smiled and gave me one of her books to place there when I left.

I ran into her(literally) again two weeks later at an eatery. I had entirely forgotten about the encounter we had, so you can imagine my surprise when, upon paying for the food I had purchased, I turned around and almost bulldozed into the person walking by behind me. She almost spilled the contents of the tray she was carrying and I quickly grabbed the drink and glass cup she had balanced along with the plate of food before the tray came tumbling out of her arms. I began to apologize for my clumsiness, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the girl from the other night. She at first didn't remember who I was, but after reminding her of the events of the night in class, her frown melted away. I picked up my tray of food and led her to an empty table at the far corner of the cafeteria.

Over our meal I got to know she was a 100-level (first year) student. She told me her name was Yewande. We talked about several things, and when we were about to leave, I asked if she wouldn't mind giving me her number, that I would love to talk to her again. She hesitated at first, but eventually shrugged. I asked if I could come visit her sometime (her hostel was not that far from mine) and she replied with a maybe. At least I had her number.

Through the rest of the school year, I got to know her better. I learned she lived in the same town I was from. I once playfully told her I would visit her at home whenever school was closed, but she refused. She did eventually invite me to her room which she shared with two other fresh 100-level students like her. All of them were youthful kids. I was sure the oldest among them was not more than nineteen. Yewande in particular was a very playful girl, and coupled with her babyish looking face and playful demeanour, one would assume she was much younger than her eighteen years. As she became more comfortable with me, she really showed me that side of her playfulness. She also had a very sharp tongue.

I didn't want to, but as a 23-year-old guy with raging hormones back then, it was only a matter of time before I began to notice other things than her youthful face. She was a bit on the busty side, and her slim waist complemented her curvy hips and lovely figure. She filled anything she wore nicely. I began having thoughts of asking her out, but considering she was that young, I wasn't sure it was a good idea.

Her roommates and friends soon began to tease her that she now had a boyfriend, which she always vehemently denied, but she did not really help matters as she was always "gumming body" to me all the time. She had no qualms parking her pert bum in my laps even when her roomies were around. They all told me I was all she kept talking about every day. I remember one particular night I was in her room. I had chatted her up during the evening (BlackBerry Messenger was still a thing) and along the line, had told her that I wanted to find something to eat but all the eateries in school had closed. I told her I was going to head to town. She told me that I should come over and eat at her place instead. I told her no wahala(no problem) and I really appreciated it. She said she would start preparing right away and should come by seven.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it until much later. I didn't get to her place until around eight-thirty. By then, she had almost thought I was not coming anymore. Her friends told me that they were just making fun of her as she shook and pranced all over the place, angrily wondering why I hadn't arrived or why I was not responding to her messages and calls. She almost bit my head off when I got in, but I could see the relief on her face. I apologized, stating that a last-minute issue had come up and I had to stay back on campus for a while. She eventually calmed down and reluctantly dished me my meal, only after her friends had begged on my behalf.

Another thing that attracted me to this young girl was her cooking. Even my roommate attested to that. The semolina and efo riro(vegetables) she made for us all that evening was so delicious, I ended up eating more than I should have. I decided to rest and let my food digest a bit before leaving, so I reclined on her bed. She came to join me after clearing the dishes, and to my pleasant surprise she coiled herself around me like a snake. I was half-reclined, half lying down and she just cuddled up to me, her head resting against my chest. In that position, she was literally lying on top of me with her body pressed tightly into mine. Her friends began to tease her again. The loudest among them (I think her name was Simi -- I heard she passed away a few years ago, may God rest her soul) said I must have done something to their roommate; she had heard her murmuring my name in her sleep on several occasions. Yewande kept denying all this, saying it was all a lie. Aijay then quipped that if she kept denying, then she should have no qualms if she showed her interest to me.

Na so Yewande vex oh(she exploded in anger). She said she should not even think about it. Everyone was mildly surprised at her reaction. Susan asked her why she was acting out; shebi she said nothing dey(did she not deny there was something going on between us). She shouldn't be worried if Aijay or anyone else showed interest. Infact she was also throwing her hat into the ring. Yewande wrapped her arms and held onto me fiercely, saying no one was coming near me without seeing her red eyes(anger). I was mildly amused at I was witnessing. She then did something that caught me off-guard -- she grabbed my head in her hands and planted a long kiss on my lips. The other girls started hooting and shouting even before she broke off. I was more surprised, not believing what she had just done. I can still taste that kiss today -- the softness of her lips, the strawberry taste of her lip-gloss, the heat of her breath as she exhaled on my face. The rest of my time there was just a daze.

When she saw me off to the junction, I could feel the tenseness emanating from her. I wanted to ask her why she kissed me like that, but I just couldn't form the words. She turned to face me to say goodnight, and I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her into me. She gasped, and like she had done earlier, I returned the favor. I savoured the taste of her mouth, taking my time to run my tongue over her lower lip, and giving equal attention to her upper one. She literally melted into my arms, and I felt all the tenseness seep out of her. I kissed her for about two minutes before disengaging. She wobbled on her feet a bit, her eyes glazed and unfocused. She finally shook her head to clear the cobwebs that had crept in.

She began to talk -- or would I say, blab. Most of what she said didn't really make much sense. I attributed it to the effect the French kiss I gave her. She started saying she did not mean to kiss me in the room in front of her friends, but when they were threatening to steal me away from her, she didn't know what else to do. She only did the first thing that came to her mind. She was sorry that she led me on, and that she didn't mean for our friendship to become weird. I tried shutting her up by placing another kiss on her lips, but this time she pushed me back. She said she was sorry, but she couldn't do that again. I told her it was okay and bade her good night.

Later, after I got to my room, she sent a long message apologizing for the events of the evening. She then said something in the message that I can still remember --

"It is not that I don't like you Dimeji. I am just afraid I will fall for you and then lose you later. I think I already am, and it scares me. I am still eighteen."

This girl will definitely need working on, I told myself that night.

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The school year dragged on, and Yewande and I continued with our "relationship", if what we had could even count as a relationship. Since that night we kissed, things had at first been kind of weird between us, but we got past that. She would sometimes stay in my room overnight, and most of these nights I would be tempted to touch her. What mostly stopped me was the presence of my roommate, but the thought of not knowing how she would react often crept in my mind.

And then I introduced her to my brother, and things were not the same after then.

The charming younger brother every single damsel fell for in movies and love novels.

The brother who swoops in to capture the heart of the fair damsel after all the hard work of the "hero".

My brother was a medical student in another university and he had come around to spend a few days with me to let off some steam after writing his MBs(first medical exams). They both hit it off immediately, like they had known each other for a long time. I never took it for anything. Besides, I was very busy working on my final year project, so I was happy for him to help me distract her while I worked towards finishing and graduating. By then she was in 200 level(second year). I never took any sort of meaning from their sudden closeness, and even when he left after two weeks, she always inqured about him any time I spoke to her. She kept asking when next I would invite him over, that she missed speaking with him, and so on. Warning alarms started ringing in my head, but I often dismissed them. My brother knew I had this girl at heart, and will never betray me by going after a girl he knew I was interested in. Or so I thought.

All of this changed about five weeks to the end of my final year. I hadn't seen Yewande for almost a whole week and she had not been happy about it. I decided to pay her a visit in her room one evening after I had left my project supervisor's office. I didn't call her before going as I wanted to make it a surprise. I got to her room and met Aijay outside. From the look on her face, I guess she was shocked to see me. I asked if Yewande was in. She hesitated at first, then said a reluctant yes.

I was stunned upon entering to find my brother there. They were both lying on her bed, and when they saw me, they disentangled from the embrace they were in. I stared at my brother, asking what the hell he was doing. Why didn't he tell me he was around? He stated that he had tried to call me all day but my phone had not been reachable. I didn't want to have an argument in front of Yewande or any of the other girls, so I told him to let's go to my room. All the while I hadn't said a word to Yewande. We both left and when we got to my room, I told him to stay away from Yewande. He had so many pretty girls falling for him already. Why add Yewande to the list when he knows how I felt about her? He started saying he hadn't done anything wrong, but I reminded him of the compromising position I found them when I walked in. He eventually apologized after my roommate told him what he did was wrong, and said it wouldn't happen again. I told him to head back to his school in the morning, which he reluctantly agreed to.

I saw Yewande in school the following afternoon, and rather than apologize, she demanded to know why I scolded my brother. Apparently, he had spoken to her before I did and had hinted her on what happened when we left her room the night before. She told me she owed me nothing, stating she was minding her own business before I decided to interfere with her life. That was my choice and not hers, she said. I couldn't dictate who she could or could not see.

I stood there in total shock, not believing a word she was spewing. Remember when I said she had a sharp tongue? That was the day I found out. Here was a girl who knew how much I cared about her stabbing me right in the back. I finally asked her - even if she wanted to see someone else, why would it be my brother? She responded by saying it didn't matter, and besides we were not even dating, so why was I that bothered? It was none of my business who she wanted or did not want to be with. Those words really cut me deep. She eventually hissed and walked away.

I did not see Yewande for the next several weeks. I kept wondering - what happened? Could it be because I was going to graduate soon? No, if not she would have gone for a guy on campus rather than my brother who did not even attend school in the same state we were. Looking back, I realized that the signs were right there under my nose. I had simply refused to acknowledge them. It was the typical play for my brother; he was the ladies' man among the three of our parents' sons. I should have been more cautious about him and Yewande. But why should I have been? Her words were nothing but the truth; we were not dating. I had no right to stop her from dating whoever she wanted to date. I hadn't even kissed her since that last time. I won't lie, it hurt badly, but what was I to do? I focused all my energy and attention to completing my project, defending it, and graduating with the 2:1(second-class upper(more like a cum laude)) I was trying to maintain.

After all the hard work and effort I put into my project, I was able to defend successfully. All that was left for me was one last paper to write, which to me was an easy A, and I was free!!! Finally, after weathering the tough courses, lecturers, sleepless nights, sometimes unending ASUU strikes and all that stress, I was almost a graduate.

The night before my final exam, as I was heading up the stairs into the study hall for the last time, I heard a voice coming down. I would recognize that voice anywhere, even in my sleep. She and two other girls were walking down towards me. There was no way I could avoid them. She looked up and saw me, and her voiced died midsentence. She looked like she had seen a ghost. I simply ignored her and walked pass. I could feel her gaze burning the back of my head, but I did not turn around.

Several hours later, I decided to pack my stuff and head to my room for the night. While placing my books into my bag, I had a strange feeling of being watched. I looked up and noticed her peering at me from where she sat at the far end of the hall. I slung my bag over my shoulders and walked out of the hall without a second glance.

After my paper the following evening, I headed home. Just as I was pulling my shirt off, I heard a knock on the door. I opened it and was surprised to see Simi and Susan standing there. What did they want I wondered as I invited them in. The girls started begging me on their friend's behalf. I just laughed. Was she the one who put them up to this? They said no. So why were they begging me for? They told me Yewande had not been the same ever since. She had finally realized how much I meant to her, but was too ashamed and scared to come around. She always cried each time she remembered how she could rely on me to figure things out when she needed help. They went on and on about how important I was to her, that I should forgive her, she was just a kid who was carried away, and all that blah.

Finally, I told them to just stop. She made the decision she made, not me. They told me to at least hear her out, let her explain why she did what she did. I told them I was not interested. After begging me for more than an hour, I yielded. I told them to let her know that she could come see me, and we could talk. They said they would give her the message and they left.

I turned to my roommate who shrugged. Hear what she wants to say, he said. I don't think it was up to five minutes after they left that another knock sounded on the door. This time, it was Simi and Yewande. She still looked as beautiful as I remembered her to be. Her eyes were downcast and she couldn't meet my gaze. My roommate suddenly remembered he had a prior engagement, so he quietly took his leave. Simi mentioned she had an appointment with someone to make her hair, and she left as well. Yewande and I were the only ones left in the room.

I kept my gaze on her, but she refused to meet mine. I waited for her to speak, but she didn't. I asked her to sit down, but she shook her head. She began to sniffle, and I called her name. I told her to look at me, and she shook her head again. All of a sudden, she began to sob -- and I mean sob. She just let the waterworks loose. I stood up from the chair I sat, and she ran to me and wrapped her arms around me. She bawled like a baby. She kept saying she was sorry over and over again. I'm pretty sure she said so more than a hundred times. Pretty soon my shirt was soaked with her tears. I wanted to push her away, but I found myself hugging her in my arms. This made her cry even harder, and she held on to me fiercely. I must admit, her tears got to me too and I felt myself choke up and a few tears rolled down my cheek. I quickly wiped them away before she noticed.

I had to carry her -- as in lift her off her feet (I still remembered how light she felt whenever I lifted her playfully) -- and stumbled towards the mattress. I lay on the bed and lay her on me just like how we did in the past. For the next hour or so, I had to pet her, try to calm her down as she wept. I reassured her that I was no longer angry, and that everything would be okay.

She finally expended her grief and tears. Her eyes were red and swollen. The whole front of my shirt was wet and soaked wither tears. She wanted to talk, but her emotions were still too raw. I told her not to worry, that we had all the time to talk later. All she needed to do right now was calm herself down. She eventually fell asleep in my arms. My roommate returned much later, and was kind enough to sleep on the carpet while I stayed on the mattress with Yewande.

That was how she wept herself back into my heart. I thought she had learned her lesson, but boy, was I wrong.

End of part one.