Broken Sentences

‘Guess who came to my house?’

‘Dunno, who?’

‘Kemi Brown.’

‘Wow!’

‘Yeah.’

That was a blast from the past.

‘What did she want?’

‘She came with a friend of mine, told me her life story in 5 minutes.’ Onome recounted Kemi’s tales of woe, married twice, three kids, now single and ready to mingle. ‘Let me show you her picture on Instagram.’ Before she does, her phone rings again, it was her sister, she had asked her for her in laws details, she handed the phone to me as I was the one who wanted to speak to the in law. As I spoke on her phone, I hand mine to her to answer it. It was mutual friend of ours. As we both spoke at the same time, the room was noisy, I heard Onome explaining to our friend what I was doing. When I was finished with my call, we exchanged phones again and the chatter continued.

‘Where are we going to eat?’

‘We can stop somewhere on the way to my sister’s place.’

We get into the car and enter her sister’s postcode in the satnav. The rain pounded down and the wet weather fogged up the windows and mirrors making it difficult to drive as visibility was poor. Onome took calls as we drove and also helped with the navigation. With her help we managed to find our way through the torrential rain, so heavy that when we parked, I had to go round her side of the car to get her. Safe and dry in the restaurant, we tried to carry on our piecemeal conversation. I ordered a pot of tea.

‘When Leke went to Morocco, he asked for some honey to put in his tea and got such a telling off from the waiter.’

‘Why?’

‘He told him that all the bad things he’s running away from in sugar is in honey.’

‘This is so true.’

‘Umm hmm.’

‘What’s his story though? This Leke chap?’

‘What story?’

‘Who is he and what are his connections?’

One of the calls Onome had made earlier was a video call to a friend of hers, Leke, she handed me the phone as she packed up her things that were spread all over the floor. She had told me she wanted me to speak to him but she hadn’t said why. The waitress came to take out orders before she could tell me more about him.

‘Taste this.’ She passes her drink to me, I try a sip of her drink, ‘well?’

‘It’s bland,’ I try some more, ‘tastes like flavoured water.’ She takes my drink and tries it.

‘Yours tastes like palm wine.’

Her drink gets replaced after the waitress tastes it and recommends something else which was much nicer. Soon after, the food arrives and we dig in.

‘I had this the last time my sisters and I were here.’ Onome said as she feeds me from her plate.

‘This is really good… How was it the last time?’

‘It was good. How is yours?’ she tries some of my food. It is still pouring outside.

‘I hope nobody takes my umbrella, it won’t be funny.’

‘What time does the show finish on Sunday?’

‘11pm, they are quite strict with the times so we should be done no later than 11.’

‘You need to find time to rest afterwards.’

‘Fat chance!’

As we make our way to her sister’s place, she navigates as she know her way from the restaurant, and goes into instructor mode.

‘My sister says I won’t have any trouble driving here.’

‘Where did she go tonight?’

‘Office drinks.’

‘You know I changed jobs, I hated that last place.’

‘Yeah you said, why though?’

‘Too cliquish.’

‘Speaking of which, did I show you Kemi’s pictures?’

‘I can’t look, I am driving, besides, what of Leke?’

‘What about him?’

‘Is he single?’

‘Hardly, he’s been almost married twice.’

‘One of them Yoruba demons you’ve been telling me about?’

‘Not at all, he’s….’ She points across my chest, ‘sorry, right here, next right!’

‘This right?’

‘No, no, next one…that looks like my sister…. It is her.’

‘Where do we park?’

We start chattering as soon as we pull up beside her sister’s car. We talk all the way inside and carry on chatting as Onome unpacks all her deliveries and tries on all the shoes she had ordered online. Only one was to be returned. Not too long after, her sister brings out a speaker she bought on eBay for a good price, compared to what Onome had paid for exactly the same thing.

‘Never check the price of something you’ve already bought and paid full price for!’ was the message.

To demonstrate its effectiveness, she loads up some music from her playlist. She has good taste no doubt, must have learned a thing or two from her sister. It is almost half past one in the morning when we all decide it’s time to call it quits. It has stopped raining, I thought I’d be too tired to drive but I am pumped. Thank god it's Friday.