Happy children’s day y’all!
Here’s a beautiful, romantic but hilarious story of how a Nigerian guy, Bidemi, met the love of his life on children’s day while he was still a teenager in secondary school.
He had gone with his school mates to march in one of the stadiums in Lagos that day….enjoy!
I will always remember May 27, 2003…my classmates and I converged at the stadium for fun.
After
some minutes, one of my naughty friends asked me: Who is your
girlfriend? I answered: don’t worry, I have not seen my taste. They all
booed at me and said that’s what I say all the time.
They all decided
to test whether I was man enough 2 approach a girl or not. I was
frightened coz I was such a shy person. I pleaded against the idea that
next time, I would surprise them but they insisted.
One of them, Deji went into d midst of where many
students gathered and came back with a dark skinned lady.
Guess what I
said as excuse? I said “I hate dark girls…they remind of the devil” but they pushed me out saying “you see one, you dey complain…If you
can talk to this one, then we believe you are man enough.”
Anyway, I
summoned up courage because if I ddn’t, class would be very hot for me d
next day. I attended a boys only secondary school and they really knew how to make jest of
someone until you cry and beg 4 mercy.
I moved closer to this dark girl with one thing in my
mind. *It won’t pass slap now*. I didn’t know what to say
and how, I spoke with fidgety at last. “My name is Saheed Bidemi” she
replied: *I am Fatima Bidemi*.
I was so happy cos we were name sakes!
I couldn’t say much, except to ask for the school she was attending and her class
and she replied in good manner.
Now what else…Hmmmmmm. No
word to use and infact, one mind was telling me to just tell her that’s
all.
Another said, say it anyhow. Then I followed my 2nd mind and said
“Can we be close friends? Using my hands to gesticulate d word *close*
by locking my 2 index fingers against each other because she could
hardly hear d word *close* from my mouth.
Immediately I said
that, my heart was already in my throat. She paused for 3seconds and
said: “No, am not interested”.
In the corner of my left eye, I could see
my friends, Deji, Isa and Alonge charging me up by signalling thumps up.
After her response, I said thank you, and kept quiet. After some seconds
of silence, she asked me “can I go please?” With all the joy from my
heart, I smiled and said Yes. I was happy for two things:
1. I won against my friends.
2. I broke the deadlock of How to Approach a lady.
I
ddn’t even care about her response. She left and I returned to my fwends
with a very huge smile. They all ran towards me and hug me. Now you are
a man they said. I even told them she said YES (Students’ things now).
They said that was rehearsal 4 me that for them to believe am a man, I
must go 2nd round. I almost fainted. With reluctance and argument,
another girl was brought.
This one was taller than me. I feared. Whew!!! I
summoned up courage. I have done this once, so I could go again. I
repeated the same process as that of the first approach but this girl
seemed to *sabi* English than I did then.
Many questions I
couldn’t answer coz I ddnt knw what to say. I was new in the game. I
only took up academic challenge then but this challenge seemed like wall
of Jericho. I hurriedly discharged her before she disgrace me. I went
with my head up to my friends and they saluted me. They said “Now,we are
friends and we believe you be baba”.
The second day at school,
rumour travels faster than plane. Some were hailing me and some were
asking questions how did it go? I replied with great smile,as usual now.
I was so happy. I gained respect from this guys. Hey!!! that was d last
time I saw the 2 girls nor write to them. Only our parents were using
phones then. So, no way to contact.
After a year and some
months, I heard that the “My dark skinned girl* was attending my former
lesson center…so I wrote to her many times but she never replied. She finally replied once so that I could let her
rest. She wrote me a 4 page long letter tilled with questions, questions of my plans for her, why I wanted her, if she could trust me, bla bla. Anyway I sat after school with my
friends and we did justice to the questions.
I guess she was impressed with my answers so she later invited
me to check her p in her school. I went to see her after school and I took along 2 greeting
cards; success in exam card and I love you card.
That was how I became a
lover and that *Dark skinned girl that looks like devil* then, is my
very beautiful wife and divine companion today.
So, at every children’s day celebration, I always
remember that funny day and laugh out loud!