Chapter 12 Friendship with Mike

“Smallie, your pictures are ready, are you coming for them?” Mike asked. 

“Where are they?” Gabrielle asked. 

“They are with me. Would you go with me after the game?” Mike asked. Gabrielle kept quiet for a few seconds. She needed to see her matriculation pictures but she was scared of his girlfriend. 

“I can come with you if you are scared of….Mike, what’s her name?” Agatha asked. 

“Jane,” he responded. 

“Honestly, I’m scared of her. Brian also warned me to beware of her,” Gabrielle said. Mike frowned his brows and looked away. He did not want the girls to notice he was mad at Brian. 

“Mike, why is your face like this? Did you not see the way she attacked me the other day? Well, we will go with you, but you must promise us that no one will attack us,” Gabrielle said. Mike’s lips curved with a smile. 

“Trust me, no one would come close to you guys,” Mike said with a grin. 

Soon the game began and Agatha sat under the Dogo Yaro tree as usual watching them.  She wished she could play like her friends. 

Mike took the girls home when the game had ended. He had earlier told Jane that he would be in his friend’s lodge that evening, so he was not expecting her to come to his lodge. 

His room was quite simple and neat. He had a small tabletop fridge, a small-sized television, a small student mattress, and a wardrobe, where his books and clothes were carefully arranged. 

The small space he used as his kitchen was demarcated with curtains. Mike added some embellishments to the curtains to give it a funky look.  The curtain was very light and allowed light to pass through it. One could see everything he had in his Kitchen. 

He switched his television immediately after they got into the room. Gabrielle chose her favorite soap opera, she and her friend sat on the plastic chairs he had in his room. Mike tried to fix something for them as they fixed their attention on the television. 

They were enjoying themselves when Jane came in. Mike was very surprised to see her. Jane stood still and gawked at the two friends, issuing them a warning with her gaze. She walked straight to the television and changed the channel. She flung her shoes and climbed his bed. Gabrielle and her friend exchanged glances.

“Mike, would you help us with the picture?” Gabrielle asked. 

“Sh…sure,” Mike stammered as he began to walk towards his wardrobe. Gabrielle was so surprised. She wondered why he couldn’t reprimand his girlfriend for changing the television channel. 

Mike came back with the pictures. He grinned before giving it to her; however, Gabrielle was not smiling at all. She took the picture without going through it and stood up from the chair. Agatha stood up too. 

“Are you going already? Who is going to eat the food I’m cooking for both of you?” Mike asked with a sad face. Gabrielle was happy he was sad and nothing would ever make her stay. 

“Enjoy your food, Mike,” Gabrielle responded with a grin.

“Can I walk you to the entrance of the lodge?” Mike asked. 

“No dear, we can find our way,” Agatha said looking at her friend. 

The girls walked out of the room and headed towards the entrance. They parted ways when they came out of the lodge. 

Gabrielle walked coldly home. She did not know where Brian would be. They did not agree to meet again when he left in the morning. She stood at the gate of her lodge and began to wonder what to do. She made up her mind to go back to her friend’s hostel and spend the night with her on her small school bed that could not accommodate one person. 

“Gabby!” Brian who was walking towards her lodge gate from the other direction, called. Gabrielle halted, heaved a sigh of relief before looking in his direction. She could not see him clearly, as it was already getting dark. 

She walked weakly towards him and noticed his clothes were neat.  She noticed she was not bothered by the stench generated by the weed he just smoked. She was so happy to see him that night and that was all that mattered to her. She felt like hugging him tight and leaning on his shoulder.

Brian was surprised to see her staring admiringly at him. He offered her his hand, Gabrielle accepted. He led her to her room. The occupants of the lodge did not stop throwing occasional glances at them. 

“Thank you, Brian. I was scared you were not going to come today. We never agreed to meet anywhere this morning," Gabrielle said and he shrugged. Brian took her bunch of keys from her and unlocked the door. 

Gabrielle threw herself on the bed and heaved another noisy sigh of relief. 

"Check out my matriculation pictures," Gabrielle said, gesturing him to sit beside her. Brian hesitated because he had never sat on her bed. He took the pictures and sat on one of her plastic chairs. 

He ran his eyes on her pictures and grinned. Gabrielle fixed her gaze at him and wondered why he smiled. Brian noticed she was staring at him so he looked at her and focused back on the picture. 

"She is your sister, I guess," he said pointing at Danielle. Gabrielle moved closer, looked at the picture, and nodded her head. 

"Why are you smiling, do you know her?" Gabrielle asked. 

"Yes, her ex is my friend. She hates the sight of me," Brian grinned again and Gabrielle busted into laughter. 

"Why did she hate you?" Gabrielle asked. 

"It's a long story." 

"You can share it with me, and don't worry, I won't tell her," Gabrielle said, still squatting closer to him. Brian looked at her and gave the album back to her. Gabrielle took the album and placed it on her lap, and continued waiting for his response. 

"Gabby, I'm not going to tell you what I did to her." 

Gabrielle gave up on his insistence. She stood up, dropped the album on her small bookshelf, and walked towards the small space in the room she used as her kitchen. 

"Are you hungry?" Gabrielle asked. Brian shook his head. 

"How is your mom?" 

"She is fine," he responded. 

"I will see her on Sunday. I hope she won't get mad at me for stealing her son?" Gabrielle said. 

"I hardly spend the night with them." 

"Where do you stay for the night?" Gabrielle asked. 

"At my friend's." 

"A man or a woman?" She further asked. 

"Woman? No, I don't have any business with women. He is a man," Brian responded. Gabrielle looked at him and her face beamed with a smile. She just confirmed what the caretaker told her earlier. She became more relaxed.