This is the concluding part of Monday’s story. Click here to read the first part.

Nege had pushed off going to Kaduna till the following day, since he had worked late. He decided to have some friends over at his house to hangout and just have a relaxing evening. He had told two of them who had closed early to head to his flat if they wanted to. He hardly locked his room anyway. This particularl Friday night, was the one Adunni decided to go out with her colleagues to have drinks. She was never the type to fraternise, and they had been inviting her to join them for quite some time now. She decided to oblige them this one time. She was worn out and yawning by 10pm but for her colleagues the night had just begun.

They made her stay a little longer. She did. All the while promising herself it will ever happen again. She allowed herself this one night, and stayed till 11, then 12, then 1am. And that was it. She had had enough. She called a cab and went straight home. She didn’t inform any of her colleagues she was finally leaving. She didn’t even see the point. They were all high and dancing like a certain spirit had come upon them.

As she came off the taxi, she noticed from what sipped out of her partly opened curtain that her room light was on. She always made sure to turn it off in the mornings. Must have been an oversight she thought, as she entered through the door and climbed up a poorly lit staircase to their flat. Then she heard music. It wasn’t over bearingly loud but it was loud for mid night and very weird to hear music from any of the flats. When she was certain the music was from her flat she didn’t bother using her key to let herself in. She knocked. Nege had to be up for music to be playing. After a few minutes of knocking she tried her key but it wouldn’t unlock. There was still Nege’s key on the other end. Meaning again that he was in. She continued to knock. Each knock more desperate than the previous. She brought out her phone to call Nege but her battery was long dead. By now she was getting slightly upset. She changed from knocking to banging at the same time shouting Nege’s name as loud as she thought was safe enough to not disturb the other tenants. Then she heard the door unlock very slowly. She put a straight face on to show her disgust at Nege, but the door swang open only half way. Adunni peeped in to see that it was not Nege that opened the door. It was the back view of a tall skinny lady walking towards the kitchen. Her kitchen. She thought she looked slightly like her friend Jane. Slightly. She shut the door gently behind her to soak in the chaos of her living room. A male body sprung out on one sofa, another safely perched on the centre rug. An empty green bottle each by their heads, some other more on the table and surrounding stools. Another guy had his head on the dining table, drooling away. She turned off the volume of the music. The remote control felt different. Obviously there had been a crazy party. Not with all the empty bottles and red cups scattered all over. The entire house smelled of smoke. Thick smoke, mixed with a whip of menthol, or was it alcohol? She couldn’t quite tell. It was just different from regular cigarette smoke.

As she made for the kitchen, she knew that this was the beginning of a dwindling friendship between her and Nege. She knew she never wanted a male flat mate. She couldn’t wait to call Audu and give him details about the almighty flatmate he had found her. This was certainly unacceptable, no matter what his explanation would be by morning. Miss Tall and Skinny was drinking water and fanning herself with her hand. Adunni gave her a very quizzical look hoping for answers without questions. But she dropped the glass cup and started to saunter away… And who are you? Adunni asked, stopping her in her tracks. Me? She looked back asking. Adunni’s face scanned the room in a Yes, you manner. There was no one else in there with them anyway. Funny I was gonna ask you same, Miss Tall and Skinny replied. This is my house, Adunni said, stressing the MY. Her statement was met with an extremely puzzled look. Your house? Like you live here? Miss tall and skinny wanted to laugh but controlled herself. Adunni shook her head in the affirmative. How can it be your house? Nege lives alone. His sister sometimes comes to crash with him but he has never said anything about living with anyone. Besides, in all my days of coming here, I have never seen you. I am his girlfriend. I just assumed you were friends with them. She pointed in the direction of the guys snoring in the living room. They are Nege’s friend’s from school, they have been tight from like way back. He rolls with them all the time, so again I just assumed you were their person.

Adunni was bewildered, then furious. Was she dreaming? Why was everything happening so fast. She went straight to Nege’s door, Nege! Nege!! she cried, miss tall and skinny following behind, perhaps trying to stop her from disturbing her boyfriend’s peaceful sleep. Stop shouting abeg, she said. Adunni ignored her. You have to come out o. Nege!!! She walked to her own room. It was familiar but different, and it was unlocked. It suddenly looked a little like her room in her uncle’s house. It was smaller and hotter, and her shoe rack was by the window, not against the wall. She heard Nege’s door slam. It felt like the sound came from a far distance away.
Then there was a really loud knock. She woke up. Eyes widely open, slightly confused.

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What kind of silly dream was that? She thought in her native language. The knock continued, and irritatingly so. She went towards the door, her shoe rack was by the window and the room was indeed very hot. She opened the door to boisterous Audu. Na wa o. You are still sleeping? Some of us have been busy looking for flatmate for you on a saturday and you are here sleeping ehn. She looked at the clock on the wall. It was 8;15. AM, not PM
She needed a minute to process everything.
She was still in her uncle’s house… She had no flat yet… let alone flatmate… and she had just had a dream about having a male flatmate… and Audu was here this saturday morning to help her with finding a house and a girl that wasn’t Igbo… Ok. She suddenly felt warm inside. She yawned.
That was such a deep friday night sleep. Didn’t realise it was even 8 yet. Audu rolled his eyes, and told her she had 30 minutes to get ready. He went to wait for her in the living room.
She dressed up very slowly. It was the only pace she could function at. Was the thought of living with a guy so terrifying she had to dream about it?

She was ready in an hour. She and Audu spent the entire day talking to landlords, agencies and youth corpers. As usual any landlord’s didn’t want single girls, others wanted two years rent, and the female, non Igbo youth corpers already had friends they planned on sharing a house with after Camp.

When they stopped to eat at the Sounthern fried chicken in Wuse2, she was almost loosing it. Audu did all he could to cheer her up. He told her he’ll find an elderly woman who would possibly cook for her on the weekends and that he’ll even stand by the entrance of a bank one day to hand out handbills for decent but not igbo female flatmates. I’ll do that if i have to, he winked at her. She managed a smile. Her phone rang. It was one of the corper girls they had spoken too. She had spoken about her to someone else and the person wanted to meet up. Her smile broadened further at the prospect of meeting a potential flatmate. She finished her drink quickly and told Audu to hurry. As they walked outside, Audu said quietly. So what if you don’t like this person or she’s igbo or very wild and not your type, do you maybe think we can try for male flatmates? She thought about it for a second, and just like she had said the previous day, her answer was another vehement NO.

The End.

Editor’s Note; See the Nollywood I played on you guys there. Looool. Sorry. Once it hit me, I just couldn’t resist. hehehe
Have a great weekend. 😉