Delulu Express - Episode 2 (Young Love Pumping)

This Abule don tire me, one week one trouble. Like can there ever be a happy moment of bliss in this compound? Every week something must spoil. Chichi thought as she headed home from work. The notification on her phone beeped. someone had just made a contribution towards the repair of the pumping machine. Out of 15 tenants in this compound, only 7 have contributed so far. I don tire for this compound she said under her breath. The pumping machine was spoilt 2 months ago and her compound people have decided to frustrate her baby girl lifestyle by doing nothing about it even after she raised concerns on the group chat. Village people are learning where these compound people are.

It's just 4:30pm and the only reason Chichi is running to the imaginary husband and kids this early is that all the Meruwa's she had earlier booked had canceled on her and not a single drop of water was in her house. It's a long ride back home and she decides to interrupt the bad thought with the cute guy that she bumped into at the office today. One hot client like that, omo that guy is cute gan. he approached her to ask for directions to the doctor's office 2, and she led him there, grinning like a fool all the way. He was tall dark and handsome, and his voice was husky and gentle. Oh! and when He said, he liked her Ankara suit, she nearly fell over a plant on the pathway.

Chinwa can crush Africa, a pretty audacious girl with a glowing natural caramel skin tone, who fits perfectly into the "beauty and brains" description but all that boldness stops when it comes to asking a hot guy for his number.  Gosh, I messed up big time. See as I let that fresh meat go. She thought, If it was Bunmi now, omo sharpaly sharpaly, she for collect the number and by now we would have been planning asoebi colors, baby names and touring Canada

"Abeokuta street!",  the conductor bellowed, 

"Owa!" she said and alighted the bus, walking briskly to her house. There's light, her heart burned in anger. This yard people sef. She dropped her bags and swiftly carried her gallons. Shebi if that imaginary husband can materialize now, these muscles I have gained for over 2 months lifting 25 gallons up and dan would not be there. So much for being a strong independent woman. she changed quickly and proceeded to the free pump by the corner of her street.

Find husband mba, find boyfriend no... chyke your crush - for where I like to be chased not the other way around yen yen yen. now see yourself carrying 25 litres like Meruwa. there were a lot of people there, mostly children. Some still in their uniforms with slippers. she had to wait her turn. Shebi if it were in Feddy now she would have just pushed all these buckets to one side, fetched all her buckets at once and told juniors to bring them to her room, She thought. FGGC was sweet, only as a senior sha. Having minions to run all your errands for free, Oh the good old days! 

"And thats how Mr. Kola now brought our cane and now said if you got less than 4/10 come out. Habeeb did not stand up..." Her Thoughts were interrupted by this dramatic talkative girl beside her, who kind of reminded her of her young self. 

"Ahahn that Habeeb ehn, very stubborn boy, I know he will not stand up, mtcheeeew" her friend interjected 

"Hmmn,  Habeeb that is very stubborn, all of them were giving him eye that he should stand up but he refused oh"

"You nko"

"Me ke? what concerns me na, i don't even like him sef, shebi the other day, he sat on the chair i kept for you, when i told him to stand up, he said He's not my mate that he would slap me. Hmmn,  and I did not abuse him oh, I just spoke to him gently, he even removed my book and flung it away. Mtchheeww, since that day, anything that wants to happen to him, let it happen "

"Habeeb that is very rude, I heard he is 14 years sef"

"It's a lie, 14 years in JSS1??"

"I heard oh, I am not sure"

"Even if he is 100 years old, why will you not do what Mr. Kola asked, Is Mr. Kola not older than him, Mtcheeew, back to my gist jare, that's how mr Kola just walked to his seat and dragged him up. He was now doing like this" Chichi was so absorbed in the gist that she had to look. The talkative demonstrated some childish shrewd obstinacy and continued her story

"Before we know it oh, Habeeb just collected the cane and broke it into 2"

"Jesus!" her friend exclaimed

"Yes oh, He broke it and threw it out of the window"

"Hey! God, just one day I missed school and all this happened, what did Mr. Kola now do?"

 "Ah... Principal's Office Straight..." she was interrupted by a boy

"Excuse me... "  Chichi nearly turned to see who interrupted, but she knew she had to do it in a way that would seem as if she was not eavesdropping on their conversation so that they wouldn't feel uncomfortable. She brought out her phone and pretended to answer a call. Oh, she found out that she had been interrupted by a young boy of about 12 to 13 years. The two girls eyed him with disgust but he continued

"..... My friend over there asked me to tell you that you should come," he said pointing to a lanky bare-chested boy of about the same age across the road

The talkative girl raised an eyebrow,

"Heyy! Wonders shall never end" she clapped her hands slowly

"Me ke, Me, Adebisi Olawunmi Oreoluwa Joy! to come where? you and that your friend are mad, Shola can you imagine?" She said with a haughty look. Shola hissed and beckoned her to ignore the guy and continue. Chichi dropped her fake call, This drama was getting juicier. She smiled, proud of the girls' response and Joy's confidence was out of this world. The way she enunciated her name, you could feel the weight of the pride in her. 

There was a woman with a baby strapped to her back fetching 2 large bath bowls just before Chichi's gallon.

"So, As I was saying before the cockroach interrupted..." Chichi smiled, that old slang never grows old. The boy did not relent, he motioned his friend to come.

"Don't you even want to hear what he has to say?"

Shola hissed, "So he cannot walk up here and tell her himself, he's sending you, are you his slave?" The two girls laughed. Flushed with embarrassment, the boy retreated, ChiChi looked around his friend was nowhere to be found.

"Aunty come and help me," the woman with the baby said. ChiChi helped her balance the bowl on her head and put her gallon to fetch. The noise of water flowing from the pump was drowning the conversation which had continued. She tried to strain her ears to listen

"Habeeb is a fine boy oh, tall and yellow like this ehn, only that he is very stubborn and, his mother has money oh, plenty of money, Principal cannot do anything"

"Ehhyy, Habeeb is a fine boy ke, you like Habeeb, Shola" They both giggled

"No. Oh! I don't like him like that joor"

"Lenu eh, See your mouth, all the while I was begging you to follow me to fetch water, you refused, immediately I said I will gist you what happened to Habeeb in school today, you carried a bucket, see your life... Habeeb of all people" Shola was smitten, they both laughed

"Abi it is you that like Habeeb, everyday Habeeb this, Habeeb that.." They were so engrossed they did not notice the two boys from earlier were behind them with their gallons. The 

"Hello Joy!" the other boy said, "My name is Kunle" Joy was confused.

"Ahahn How do you know my name" Then recognizing his friend beside him from earlier, "Oh, its you that sent your friend to come and call me sef, nawa for you oh, imagine, sending your friend to call me, your ako is too much, So why were you calling me?" Chichi's gallons were filled up already, she slowly dragged them away, whilst Shola started fetching water into their bucket

"I think you have a lovely smile" Oh Lord, Chichi's heart melted, Awwn, even Joy was blushing already. He continued 

"I was watching you from my mother's shop across the street, you were just talking and talking, and laughing and I was like how can one girl be this pretty and fun at the same time" Joy looked at Shola and tried to suppress the girly laughter to act tough

"Hmhmmn, So why did you send your friend to call me, why did you not come by yourself, if that was the message," Joy asked, Chichi had pretended to contemplate lifting her gallon on her head or carrying it on her hand. she had stayed too long, the children's buckets were filled and they were preparing to head home and it was so obvious she was eavesdropping now

"Let me help you with that," Kunle said carrying Joy's bucket, "David is Cow, don't mind him... We were just playing cards, and he noticed that I was looking at you and before I knew it, he zoomed off." Kunle said nudging David who Chuckled before saying Hi! 

Can we be your friend? Chichi turned into her compound. That has been the slowest work because of Tatafo. She hastily turned the water into the buta. Nkeiru opened the protector to let herself in

"Chibaby! you are fetching water, what about that our meruwa"

"Baby girl welcome, We broke up oh, he is now dodging my calls"

" Hahhahaha, Okay now, Lemme quickly join you! same place abi" Chi chi nodded and dashed out hurriedly to the pump. The children are not here yet, there are more people here, Soon comes Joy and Kunle laughing and gisting like they have known each other forever. Ahahn where is Shola? Where is David? She wondered what had conspired within 5 minutes of her absence. Joy is laughing at what Kunle said and chasing him around. It's like Shola's mom called her back home and David may have decided to give the new lovers some privacy, Guys code and all. Kids are out here falling in love and you are here doing independent woman things. The way Kunle looked at her, oh Jeez, Chichi thought, I can melt if anyone stares at me that way. So pure, innocent, and hopeless. Nothing is more beautiful than young love!"

She didn't feel angry about her neighbors and the pumping machine anymore, She was buried in deep thoughts...Thoughts of young innocent love with no cares in the world, not materialistically or aesthetically driven, just genuine mutual young love pumping through the veins of two children. Life is already too hard, Love shouldn't be! Love should come easy just like the happiness of a child!

Written by Rosemary Ugwuogo aka Dauntless