Unsolicited Offers
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The air is cool and still as Linda, G-Ben, and I make our way through the deserted parking lot, painted in patches of light from the streetlamps. It’s past 2:00 AM, and the once lively event has dwindled to a scattering of lingering attendees—the downside of having a connection with an event’s organizer is the obligation to stay till the very end.
Adding to the mix, Special borrowed G-Ben’s car earlier to pick up Ella, and now we have to borrow G-Ben Linda’s car so he can get home. But not before he drops us off. That’s another factor in this late-night departure.
Earlier during the event, Ekene had sent a text saying she was leaving with Joyce and Yinka. I can’t blame them; rumours of rowdiness in the regular section of the party had circulated, quite expected in a university where the male-to-female ratio is a staggering four to one.
G-Ben pauses when a voice calls out from the shadows. He excuses himself, trotting toward the source.
The silence between Linda and I is heavy, our footsteps echoing against the concrete as I remember her disappointment when I didn’t engage with her friend at the party. The late hour adds an eerie quality to our surroundings, casting long shadows that dance with the darkness.
Smiling in the darkness, I glance at Linda before attempting to lighten the mood as we reach the car. “It’s strange how the night seems to amplify our thoughts, isn’t it?”
“True... Did you enjoy yourself?” she asks.
I shrug and reply, “Yeah.”
Leaning on the car’s bonnet, I swipe through my phone, zooming in and out of pictures I took earlier. I find one where I’m making a face at a joke Special cracked, and it’s a good shot. Despite the strange energy between us tonight, I was genuinely enjoying myself with him before that text message or whatever it was that prompted him to act like he was indulging in a forbidden snack.
Tsk. Tsk.
Shifting my attention to Linda, I tease, “And you? Don’t think I didn’t see you talking to that guy in black jacket.”
Linda chuckles merrily. “I had fun tonight.” Then she hesitates for a moment, before lowering her voice. “And… I couldn’t help but notice a shift in your mood when someone left the party.”
Although we’re standing about two feet apart, I lean closer, an attempt to keep our conversation discreet as gossip travels faster than wildfire. I whisper, “What are you getting at?”
She meets my gaze, her eyes searching mine, her tone cautious yet probing. “Is something already going on between you and Special?”
My heart skips a beat, surprised by her directness. Then it resumes beating while pressing against my chest, making it difficult to respond. It’s as though my heart is in my ears. We didn’t do anything. Why am I scared?
I scoff and stand upright. “What are you implying? Just like you, he’s my friend. A close friend.”
“Fii, this guy has a girlfriend, and you’re G-Ben’s sister. No don’t dispute it,” she tells me before I can interrupt her. “Me, I’ve always just seen you two as friends. Even when you guys do that, ‘he said I should come over or I’m going to his place because he’s helping me with schoolwork,’” she says mimicking me. “Friends. That’s all I saw both of you as. But tonight… it felt different. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Her words fly through my head as I try to sort my feelings and my response.
Linda’s eyes narrow, her voice tinged with concern. “I know how these things work. Special is not that type of guy, but body no be firewood—even good people make mistakes. Do you want him and G-Ben having a misunderstanding because of you?”
“Eiss, please. You’re having wild imaginations about things.”
“It’s just that I can sense when something is not right. You’ve been holding a candle for Special for far too long,” she states firmly, and I don’t dispute her claim. “Okay, let me give you a chance to speak. Do you like him?”
“Who doesn’t?”
She raises her brows, then stamps her foot in frustration. “You know the type of like I’m talking about. Do you like-like him?”
I look around to confirm no one is within earshot. My brows furrow as I nod a hesitant yes. I don’t do it intentionally, but subconsciously, I instinctively cross my arms defensively. “So?”
She lets out a deep sigh. “That’s what Joyce was trying to say earlier. I’ve been telling them to keep quiet about it, but it seems like with every passing day, it’s getting worse. You can’t even hide it.”
“Am I doing anything about it? We’re fine. Everything is fine. We know where the boundaries lie. No one is trying to steal anybody’s person.”
“I know you’re not that type of person.” She places her palm on the car’s bonnet while I lean back. “But people will talk, and you’ll be the wicked one. Don’t let this water pass garri. Because if it does, you are not the only one that would drink it. I need you to move on. Let him go.”
Her words strike a nerve, igniting a spark of frustration within me. How can she expect me to just move on, to disregard the intensity of my feelings? Not everything should be labelled romantic feelings.
“You can’t possibly understand what I feel. It’s not as simple as letting go. And really, I’m not doing anything about it. Calm down.”
Linda’s eyes flash as she throws her hands up in an ‘I give up’ gesture.
“What?”
“That’s exactly the problem, Fifi!” She struggles to tone down her voice. “You’re holding on to something that’s not meant for you. You deserve someone who can give you their full attention, someone who doesn’t come with the baggage of a living, breathing long-distance relationship. You’re a great friend, I don’t want someone like Special breaking your heart.”
Holding on to something? What could I possibly be holding on to? Memories of Special preparing lunch for me when I went to study at his? Him playfully telling G-Ben that he’ll cover my tab if I go above budget? Or him asking me for gift store suggestions where he could purchase something for Ella?
Linda’s words hang in the air, building tension and stretching the silence between us. We remain like this for a while, my mind running through multiple scenarios. Linda is the biological sister I never had. I am grateful she’s looking out for me, but on this one, she’s overthinking it.
“He won’t. Special won’t break my heart,” I blurt out, breaking the suffocating stillness, just as someone clears their throat.
Swivelling my head toward the sound, I realize G-Ben is studying me, his head tilted to the side. “Don’t tell me what I’ve been suspecting is real?”
Linda and I exchange a quick glance, choosing to seal our lips in an unspoken agreement. But there’s a lingering heaviness in the air, a rift that has formed between us, yet we choose to bury it beneath forced smiles and hollow words.
“Ehn? What have you been noticing?” Have I been so obvious with my crush on Special? Pining after him? Tah! I doubt anyone would believe it. He has a girlfriend. A rich girlfriend for that matter. Lord knows how much Chevron is paying her. I’m just G-Ben’s younger sister, with a bag of dreams and no job. Nothing more.
G-Ben shakes his head. “I don’t want to assume, you tell me.”
I pout. ”I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
We hold gazes until we both start smiling.
”Okay okay… Special is fine. Maybe I like him.”
“Maybe ehn?” Linda chimes.
I shoot her a murderous glance. Such a traitor. “Okay, I like him.”
”Ehen?” G-Ben unlocks the car doors, and I open the door, settling into the passenger seat. Linda sits behind me. “You like him?”
“Yes.” When he does nothing but stare in disbelief, I reaffirm, “Yes now. Is it a crime to like someone again?”
“He is with Ella, oh.”
My shoulders sag, and I roll my eyes. “I honestly don’t know what they are doing together.”
“It’s none of your business.”
“Really, why are they together if they fight and make up every other day?” I continue, ignoring G-Ben’s suggestion.
“I’m seconding G-Ben on this—it’s none of your business.” Linda parrots the moment G-Ben revs up the engine.
“Tell her o.” G-Ben says as he pulls the car into the empty street. “I have told her times without number. She no dey hear word.”
I can feel Linda smile as she says, “She should listen to you more than she listens to me.”
Because he’s my brother? Yinmu. “Left to me I would break them up.”
“You better mind your business and leave them alone.”
“I’m not saying I want to break them up, up. I’m just… never mind. Ignore I said that.”
“Honestly, you need to watch the things you say.”
Turning my head to the back seat, I announce again, “I said I’m done talking about it.”
“I just want you to—”
“Linda, let it rest.” My tone is harsh, but it does the trick.
She twitches her face and looks out into the dark night.
I pout, keeping my gaze fixed ahead.
G-Ben reaches out to flick on the radio. Positive FM’s jingle fills the car before transitioning to late-night blues. You can cut the tension in the car with a knife.
When G-Ben drops us off at our hostel building, his gaze lingers on me, his eyes filled with warning, but he doesn’t say anything, respecting our sibling boundaries. I don’t talk about his shenanigans on and off campus, so he better mind his business.
“You ladies good?”
I force a smile. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just a little tired, that’s all. Please let me know when you’re dropping it off.” I tap the side of the car.
“Thanks Linda.”
“Don’t mention,” Linda says.
With a nod, he pulls away, leaving Linda and me alone once more.
As we make our way back to the hostel, silence envelops us, suffocating any attempts at conversation.
She had no right...