Sinmi and Adeife 4

Sinmi leans back, looks into space and begins...

'He can’t be regarded as tall, or heavily built, or dashingly handsome; but his carriage, demeanour and easy smile more often than not exude the aura of a man with those 3 physical qualities.' 

'Hmmmmn...' her audience of one, her friend and confidant, Toju hums. She nods knowingly and encourages her on. 'Continue please, am all eyes and ears' 

'Although, I didn’t think much of it then....' Sinmi continues '...I recall his composed walk towards us that day. He was clutching a book as usual. He seems to be unable to leave his hands free or without a book, the few times I had seen him before then, he was always seen with one form of reading material or the other. That day, he had looked around intently and nodded a silent greeting towards us as his gaze fell on our group and finally rested on Bro. Victor. ‘Do you know she can hardly speak in pidgin and her primary school was in the Army Barracks and the high school she finished from was also very close to a police baracks’ Bro Victor directed at him, in obvious confirmation of their being close pals. His face had metamorphosed into a trio of emotions in a few seconds: first was amused surprise, then a questioning raised brow, and then a complicit smile at me with the words ‘don’t worry, I will teach you’ His response was however barged by Bro. Victor’s loud sarcastic laughter, that took my attention off him and successfully saved me a response to him. He however didn’t wait for any as the last of him I saw that day was his retreating back with that book clamped under his arm as he walked briskly away. He probably planted something in my heart that day without my knowledge as I would realize a few years later, but several encounters, both sole and mutual followed afterwards. Got to check what am cooking, friend. You too like gist.