The Fan!

The Fan!

I hurriedly jumped into the bus, beating other desperate and ambitious looking Nigerians, smartly dressed and eager to get to their places of work.

In Lagos, getting a bus every morning was a dog eat dog affair.

Survival of the fittest.

You either kill or get killed.

And the battle doesn't stop there, it continues in the night too.

But that is a story for another day.

I remember when I first moved to Lagos, I got to the bus stop and was forming gentleman, I wouldn't fight and drag for bus, especially with children, women and the elderly. I ended up getting to work in the afternoon and had to answer a query for coming late.

No kidding!

Well...Never again!

Ok, back to the present.

As I sat in the bus, after stepping on a child in uniform and pushing an elderly woman who was bent on scratching my eyes out. I realized I had lost my earpiece in the struggle to win a seat in the rickety looking bus. I panicked and quickly checked my pockets to make sure my wallet and phone was intact.

Thank Got it was!

My earpiece had fallen in the battle to get to work on time. I will mourn the loss for some minutes and get a new one immediately I alighted. The shop was just at the bustop. I was angry, this was extra N250 (equivalent 2 eggrolls and one zobo) I didn't plan for this morning.

So with nothing to listen to my new CeFlix Tunes playlist, I decided to write instead.

I had gone three quick chapters when I heard a voice next to me say, ''Not so fast please, I don't read as fast as you write.''

The way she said it was magical.

Anyone could have said that but it would never have sounded like hers did.

It was spiritual.

Her smile infused in the voice gave the bus a holy feeling. I felt like I was in church.

So I paused, and smiled too.

She smiled again and peered into my phone, reading and as she did, I took in the sight.

I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of her hair, I almost very nearly touched it, she was on natural and it was as long as the smooth pure running stream that flowed in Elysium.

At that moment, I could drink it and drink in the feel and smell.

Then she gasped, held her chest and everything in me reached out to try and save her, then I realized the chapter ended in suspense and that was why she reacted the way she did.

''Please more.'' she begged with so much genuine interest, I wanted to swear to her that for her I would never give up writing and will finish what I have started.

''Berger dey?'' The conductor spoiled the mood with his ugly hoarse cracked weed laced voice.

''Owa o!'' she said together with two other passengers.

She must have seen the dejectedness in my eyes, she quickly touched my hands, smiled like Venus and spoke like Athena, her words were poetry and soothed me immediately.

''You are the Authorpreneur, right.''

''Yes, yess, yes I am'' I stuttered.

I would have been anything at that moment, had she asked...even Lucifer.

She laughed and quickly took my phone from my hands and dialled her number.

''I'm Luciana and I'm a fan.''

For the first time, I prayed for traffic, over heating or even accident, just anything to delay us that morning so I could get to know my fan better.

For this fan blew warmth into my heart.

The bus stopped and she alighted while my eyes teared up and followed her, promising to call and keep in touch with calculated winks.

Her heart understood my blinks and then, she raised her finger and showed me her wedding ring, then mounted the words...''I'm married.''

My eyes widened in shock.

She smiled again upon seeing my reaction and said, ''Don't worry I'll still call you. Big fan!!!''

At that moment....time stopped as she mouthed those words and it took eternity for the bus to move while I drowned in sorrow and pain.

For the second time that morning, I mourned. First my earpiece now my fan.

''Hello Authorpreneur,'' a male voice broke into my thoughts after she had dropped from the bus.

''I'm Julius and I'm not married.''

He smiled and showed an ugly gap tooth, probably it looked ugly to me because firstly, the joke if it was one, wasn't funny and secondly, he interrupted my mourning for Luciana and spoiled my moment of loss and pain. I wanted to punch him as everything about this fine gentleman appeared ugly in that instant.

''I'm a fan too.'' He smiled and showed his ugly open teeth again. ''May I have your number?''

''Ojota dey!''

Saved by the conductor!!!

I turned sharply at him. My name is not Authorpreneur and thank you fan, but I'm cold enough already.

I don't need more fans this morning, Luciana is all the cold and warmth I needed. I muttered as I climbed down and walked away to work, knowing I had just lost one fan.

Good riddance!!!

Julius, if it was a joke, it was a poor one and I'm sorry, but this is Lagos and we all are mad in this country.

The End.


Kingdavid Chinaeke Ofunne
Authorpreneur
www.ofunneceo.blogspot.com