The three of them had found their way back to the table and Cynthia was now sitting in a way which made her faced the right side of the hall - facing me. She was smiling at something they were saying or let me say the three of them were smiling. I took out my phone on shaky hand and started strolling through the pictures which I had drew myself. I couldn't believe it. After all this years. I couldn't believe that coming to a wedding in Nigeria was going to change my life - our life. Cynthia.
"Tao seo. What is wrong?" it was Micheal that asked me that question, and thankfully it was that question that jerked me back to reality.
"Micheal" I said pointing at Cynthia.
"What?" he asked with confusion written all over is face.
"Look" I said still pointing at her direction.
"What should I look at?"
"The girl in pink and white" I replied still pointing at her direction.
"Where?"
"Over there"
"I can't see her"
"She is sitting with a guy, who is fair in complexion and a small girl" Micheal asked me no more question which made me wondered whether he had seen her or not.
"Have you seen her?" I asked but got no reply "Micheal!"
"Yes"
"Have you seen her?"
"Tao seo, I can't believe what I'm seeing"
"Do you think it's her?"
"I don't know what to say. This is crazy" he answered quietly "Give me your phone" he ordered and I gave it to him. He went through the pictures and looked up some minutes later. He looked at me with something I haven't seen on his face before. Pride.
"Why are you still standing here? That question caught me off guard.
"I...I"
"No more delay. We are doing this now" he said before given me a slight push.
We started walking toward her and I was finding it more difficult to breadth with each step we took. I was scared. I was scared of being disappointed if she wasn't Cynthia. There is Lilly that thought rang out of my brain and gave me some kind of hope. I made sure we took a direction which was going to make us land at her back.
Micheal stopped two rows before her table and found himself a seat. I looked back at him and he gave me a. 'go ahead' nod. My palms were sweating. My heart was bumping so loud I thought everyone could heard it. I got to her table, at her back, rubbed my palms on my trouser and looked at Lilly who was now facing me but was too engrossed in whatsoever they were saying to know that someone was looking at her. I cleared my throat loudly, trying to see if I could get there attention but the music was too loud for me to be heard.
"Hello! Hello!" I said out loud but none of them looked at my direction.
I knew what I must do and it was the only I knew was going to get their attention - her attention.
"Cynthia" I called but got no reply "Cynthia" I repeated and still got no response. The last courage I had was deserting me by the third time I called her name. I don't know what to do. I was scared. The fear that she might not be Cynthia was driving me crazy. One more time Tao seo.
"Cynthia" I shouted and that got Lilly's attention. She touched Cynthia lightly and murmured something to her. Cynthia turned her attention to me the next seconds and I was so shocked with what I saw because Cynthia was 80 times better than my drawing.
"You called my name?" Cynthia asked. I could feel the other guy's eyes on me and I wondered who he was to her.
Family.
Friend.
Boyfriend.
Husband.
"Yes. Cyn...thia. I was talking to you"
"These things are too loud, I can barely hear you"
"Maybe we can talk outside" I offered not looking at her straight in the eye.
"It no problem" she said before given the others some kind of look.
She walked past me and I followed because I wanted to keep my eyes on her.
We got outside and reached an averagely quiet place.
"Excuse me. When we were inside, did you call me Cynthia? She asked looking at me as if she was just seeing me for the first time and I wanted to tell her that we had seen and chatted with each other since we're kids.
"Yes" I replied "or did I get it wrong" I added with a smile I used to concealed my worries.
"People rarely call me that"
"Why?" I found myself asking before thinking.
"Because it my second name" I can't really believe this. That sentence, about Cynthia being her second name was said some years ago. But why the fuck is she pretending about not knowing me. I wanted to ask her a lot of questions but I knew I had to do it one step at a time.
"Then what is your name...your first name?"
"My name is Chioma"
"Sorry"
"Chi-o-ma"
"Chioma" I repeated.
"And how do you come about Cynthia?" that question caught me off guard but thankfully I was able to add two, three lies together.
"I heard someone called you that in the hall" I lied.
She gave me an I don't believe you look but kept silence.
"Do you know me? As in, have you seen me before?" I asked.
She gave me an are you fucking kidding me look before saying "No"
That answer was a slap on my face and I was furious at those dreams.
"Okay. My name is Tao seo"
"Nice meeting you. I'm Chioma once again" she said before reaching into her purse and brought out her phone which was vibrating. "Excuse me. I need to pick this call" she said and I gave her a go ahead nod. She spoke in a strange language for almost one minute before hanging up and looked at me, I wanted to look away but those chestnut brown eyes was unable to resist so I looked her back straight in the eyes.
"I have to go. My help is needed" she finally said and started making her way back to where we came from, but I stopped her on her eighth step. I was so shocked with what I felt the moment my hand touched hers and I knew she felt it too. The electric that shot through me was intense, hot and the look she was given me confirmed that the feelings was mutual.
"Your number" I finally said after breathing in air hungrily to calm my fucking nerves. She input her digit which I tried instantly to confirm it. Is she fucking kidding me? After all this years, is she trying to walk out on me again.
I calmed myself down before entering the hall. Micheal was already at our table and I'd hardly sat down before he started bombarding me with questions. Cynthia... Chioma was nowhere in sight I wondered what the urgency was all about and to be on the saver side I continued checking up on Lilly.
The tall guy was also not in sight and I wondered if he was the one that called Cynthia. I updated Micheal about what happened outside the hall and I could still feel that everything that was happening still looked like a movie to him.
Lilly returned to her sit by the woman and I wondered who the woman was.
Cynthia came back to the hall at 5:20pm with the tall guy, which I wasn't taken so well and I informed Micheal about my plan for the evening which he was okay with.
We waited until Cynthia and her people were ready to go home. Another girl joined them at the back door of the hall, who looked like a younger and fairer version of Cynthia and we watched them as they headed to a blue car that was parked closed to ours. The woman gave the tall guy a key which I assumed was the car key and got herself comfortable at the back seat where Lilly and the younger version of Cynthia sat. Cynthia got into the front seat which made me more curious about who the guy was to her.
We rushed to our car as soon as they were out of the building and started our mission for the evening. It took us two good hours before we got to where they were heading because the hold up was so strong. Our destination was closed to U.I - University of Ibadan - and the only reason why I knew this was because Micheal pointed it out to me and told me few things about it