HER NAME WAS DORCAS #1

It's being seven years but I still remember those precious few days we spent together, like it was yesterday. Still in my dreams as if I could reach unto her, my hands grasping towards her smooth face as if to say spend one more night with me, an unending night. I woke up to remember that it was just a dream, a dream that made reality sad and fantasy my real world.

I was young....in my early teens, shy and timid. I wore glass to school, with my old school bag. I wasn't so much confident in myself because of my weight and height. My school uniforms were never my size so mom had to make special orders for me. I wasn't good at my grades either, i was an average student. But I wanted what everyone in school wanted- to be recognized, to be social and most of all to find someone special, a girlfriend.

My only friend had someone he was going out with and he talked about her a lot. He tried to hook me up with a couple of his friends in our school but they seemed not to be interested in me. Any time our blind date did not work out, it tore my heart apart. My emotions were constantly in turmoil and I felt like giving up. I wondered if I could really find someone or if I should stop bothering myself with such ambiguous longing for a companion.

It was my final year of high school, school was on winter break (first term break). I vividly remember the day I saw her December 26th, boxing day, back home in Nigeria. It was one of those blind date my best friend had come up with again, but I wasn't interested, "besides she would dump me the moment she sees me." I thought in my mind. "What's the use, this break is short, I prefer being at home playing FIFA 11 all day." I thought to myself again.

She lived 5 mins drive away from my house. A three minutes walk from my church. Her parents had travelled for the holidays with her siblings. She was staying over at her neighbour's place who was also her friend. We drove just close to her parking lot, a few meters away from her gate to avoid the awkward moment of seeing one of her parents (unknown to us at that point, she was home alone.) My best friend, Tobi knew her from church and wanted us to hook up like several others that never worked out.

She was walking down the street to where we parked, she was lighty toned brown in complexion, an average height for lady, well shaped body wearing a U.S top tucked-in with a denim jean and an All-stars boot, had long dark hair and her eyes beautiful made with a mixture of light green iris and dark pupil like that of Jennifer Lawrence. She was accompanied with two of her friends.

I was blown away and the closer she walked the more nervous I became. My hands were sweaty, and my legs were shaking. I was ill dressed for the occasion because I thought I would be blown away (literally) but it was too late I couldn't go back home to change. I said to myself "Be confident, that's all you need." But the more closer she came the more sweaty my hands were and my legs shaked. I told Tobi instantly to do the talking which he obliged. He said "Hey Dorcas, you are looking good as usual." And he said Hi to her friends. He continued "Meet Frank my best friend who I told you about" Dorcas replied confidently "Hey Frank, nice to meet you" my heart melted, I was to speak. I braced up trying to make my voice a little deep from the usual soft tone it comes in. I said "Hey Dorcas, it's nice to meet you... I have heard a lot about you" I took a deep breath and I said internally "that wasn't so bad."

Tobi did most of the talking and finally after about 20 minutes I became a little bit comfortable within their mist and the discussion. A while later I started talking with Dorcas alone at the car park while Tobi took a walk with her friends. We spoke for an hour and seem to be getting a long very well to my surprise. Within an hour and the half, I knew a lot about her. She wasn't staying in town but was a boarder (boarding school) an all girls high school which meant we could only see during the holidays. I wasn't bothered, rather I was thrilled by the way the conversation was flowing. I learnt that she was from Benue state (Idoma by tribe) the mid-belt region of Nigeria. I told her that I would love to go to Benue state one day and we laughed about it.

We were talking for about two hours but had to cut it short because I remembered I had an errand to run for my mom that afternoon and she would kill me (not literally) if I didn't get it done. I told her that I would call her once I got home after taking her number, then I called Tobi and we took off. I wanted our conversation to go on but I had to play according to Tobi's playbook who told me not to call her immediately but the following morning in other not to look too desperate, I conceded and waited patiently for the next day which run slowly like two hours spent with her went faster than the remaining eight hours before midnight.

The following morning was beautiful, and I was excited about it. I was all playful around my siblings and waited until the right moment to call. I picked up my fone and call finally and she answered, it was my first call with someone who I never thought would give me a chance. I followed Tobi's playbook and asked about her night and her friends. Then I asked about her day and I asked what would she be doing today. She said, I remember clearly "Nothing much" I asked her if she would join me for some good food at Southern Fried Chicken and she said "Yes" I was ecstatic internally, my emotions going wa-wa and crazy. I held myself and said "I will pick you up at 12"

That the fast food she ordered for Fried Rice and Chicken and I took my regular Hot Spicy Wings. We went to the car to eat and we talked while at the car. It went well as planned and adviced by my best friend to keep it simple not to rush (presumably, he knew my blood was hot meaning my emotions were high and I was inexperienced in this field) so I did as he said and drove her back home. When we approached her gate a decent and modest looking house, looking at it from outside and as I was looking forward to another day while thinking about the modest house, she KISSED ME. I was caught off guard, neither did I see it coming nor was it in Tobi's rehearsal play card to me the previous day. I was out of words, speechless, I couldn't remember when last I had kissed a girl or lady and I wasn't thinking about it any time soon but, here it was the moment I have being waiting ans dreaming about. She could read my facial expression and hesitation. She said these exact words I would never forget "I DON'T DATE BOYS BUT WE COULD BE FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS"

To be continued......