(Episode 32) LOVE AFFAIRS | A novel of the OmidanWURA_files By Segun Alonge Jr

Ayomi, why not just talk to Olaide about her relocation once and for all?’

‘I can’t. I don’t want it to appear like I chased her out of my apartment.’

‘But that’s what your actions say now,’ dear

‘Ademi, I can’t. I would not mind if you can help.’

‘Help you order her out of your room?’ That’s impossible. Come to think of it, has she offended you in anyway?

No! Not at all! I just need some privacy. I also noticed that I have not been growing up spiritually lately. All we do together is chat about irrelevant matters.

Spiritual growth! How do you measure that? You guys had been together for years now and here you are talking about not growing up spiritually because of her presence.

Sure! We’ve been friends but we have not been living together – except for frequent visits to each other’s hostels and joint preparation for exams.

‘So, what makes the difference?’

‘The difference is that she has her own apartment. I don’t mind her staying with me for weeks provided she has her own room.’

Later that day, I went over to their place to maintain peace and tranquility. I knew what Ayomi wanted as well as her lack of courage to make it known to Olaide. But I was not ready to let it proceed out of my mouth. O n d’ewaju dejo.
I sat between both of them as I pressured Ayomi to let Olaide know what she had done wrong so she can apologize and they move on. At least, that was all she requested of me.

‘She has not offended me,’ she insisted

‘Then why are you acting as though I have?’ Olaide blurted out.

There was no response from any angle. I quickly recalled a poetic work that Ayomi came up with sometimes back to appreciate Olaide’s long lasting friendship with her. I flipped through the photos on my phone to locate the file. I had a screenshot of the words from the social media site Ayomi posted it. I made sure they were both listening while I read out the words of the poem with a touch of passion.

A line struck her and she commented thus:
‘Maybe I am still growing into that’

‘Still growing into loving her wholeheartedly?’ I sighed
I felt really concerned about the turnout of events. It was barely two weeks that I had been invited to play the role of a peacemaker between two very good friends too – a very similar case.

They both have been good friends for years only to now decide on living together for that session. It wouldn’t be long before complaints started pouring in from both sides. Things got really dirty that they shouted out on each other – almost resulting into a physical combat – if not for the quick intervention of neighbours.

When I questioned both of them, I found out that they still cared for each other but they both insisted that they cannot live together anymore. The question was now who was going to leave for the other. They had both paid the rent at the beginning of the session. So, if one would be leaving, duty demands that the other staying back would have to remit a percentage – if not half – of the rent for the new apartment.

None of them was willing to quit.
I could not bear but ask if both of them ever wanted to get married and the chorus answer was; of course! And there they were finding it difficult to live with a same sex partner – how much more a man – with all his idiosyncrasies.

I found that the issue was not the absence of love or affection but their inability to see from each other’s perspectives.

So many marriages are in a similar mess. You would ask the husband:
‘Do you still love her?’
Yes, but I cannot put up with her anymore’

The wife would reply to the same question thus:
‘Yes, but he irritates me often’

That’s the reason why I admonish aspiring lovers to be friends first. It would help them in their eventual decision making.

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