We Knew Them Part 1

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After so long, a new series starts today (yaaay!). This one is called We Knew Them. As always, you can expect drama, romance, suspense and everything in between. I promise you that this is going to be awesome!πŸ’ƒπŸ’ƒπŸ’ƒ

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Jumoke Oludare put her hand on her waist and exhaled, it was the alternative to speaking rashly to the middle-aged woman who was waddling around her little shop with two small black carrier bags.
β€œMadam give me the bread now!” An impatient customer said.
β€œMy change! Just give me change ma.” Another customer said.
β€œAh madam no I asked for Milo!” Yet another customer said.
Jumoke shook her head, it would take forever just to buy two seasoning cubes. Behind her was Lanre Williams, he couldn’t take his eyes off the fair skinned girl with the dark blue dress. he watched her flip her long black hair backwards, scratch her neck, stomp her foot impatiently, and smelt the flowery fragrance that emanated from her body. Nothing however warmed his heart as much her voice, it was soft and clear.
β€œMa, please I just want to buy two cubes of Maggi.” She implored the storekeeper who eventually attended to her several minutes later.
He followed her after she left the shop as if hypnotized. She began to swing her arms and sing and he thought his heart would burst with the warmth that filled it. Who was this girl and where had she been all his life? He watched her cross the road and knew that he would soon lose the opportunity to speak with her.
β€œExcuse me! Hello!”
When Jumoke turned around and saw the young man standing in front of her, she was monetarily lost in his eyes. They were the most beautiful that she had ever seen and they twinkled. Then her eyes travelled down his mouth, curving in the most entrancing smile.
β€œGood evening. Can I help you?”
Lanre’s heart beat faster at the sound of her voice. She wasn’t beautiful but she was pretty, her lips were a bright pink.
β€œI’m Lanre Williams.” He stretched out his hand but she didn’t take it.
β€œDo I know you?” she asked instead.
β€œNo you don’t but we can change that.”
Her eyebrows creased in confusion and then irritation. Her mother had warned her about smooth-talking boys and men like this.
β€œPlease excuse me.” she replied and turned to leave.
β€œHey… Did I say something wrong?” Lanre asked desperately.
β€œMy mother is waiting for me.”
β€œAlright. Can I see you again?”
β€œNo.”
β€œPlease…”
β€œPlease excuse me! My mother is waiting, and I don’t even know you!”
β€œThat’s what I’m trying to fix!” he smiled enigmatically. β€œI want to know you.”
Jumoke shook her head in unbelief. Why did this person choose to disturb her when she was clearly uncomfortable with him?
β€œIs this the way you just stop girls on the road? If you follow me again, I will shout.”
That said, she walked away and left the young man staring longingly after her.

*********
β€œOne boy stopped me on the way home from Mama Yellow’s store.” Jumoke said to her mother later that night as they cleaned up the kitchen.
β€œEhn ehn?” her mother said with slight trepidation. β€œAnd what did he say?”
β€œHe said he wanted to see me again and that he wanted to get to know me.”
β€œAnd what did you say?”
β€œI told him no and that my mother was waiting for me.”
β€œThat’s good.” She replied with relief.
β€œHe sounded nice sha.”
Her mother stopped wiping the slab and looked her daughter in the eyes. β€œDon’t be fooled my dear, guys like that have practiced on many girls. They know how to be nice.”
Jumoke nodded her head and tried not to think of the young man with the twinkling eyes.

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**********
Jumoke was reading in her room when her younger brother Korede, knocked on the door.
β€œMummy is calling you, we have visitors.” He said, standing but the door.
β€œArgh! Do we have to see every visitor?”
β€œLet’s just go. I don’t want Mummy to be angry.” He pleaded.
Laughter filled the sitting room when Jumoke and her younger brother got there.
β€œAh! These are our children. This is Jumoke and this Korede.” Her father Mr Oludare said, holding her hand. β€œChildren, these are the Williams. We all attended the same university, many years ago. They just moved into this area.”
β€œHaba, Sola it’s not that long ago.” Mr Williams, a skinny unassuming man said.
β€œDeceive yourself if you like!” Mr Oludare replied and they all laughed.
β€œGood evening.” The Oludare children chorused.
β€œGood evening young lady and gentleman… But it’s been quite a while o.” Mr Williams thought out loud. β€œWe left UniIfe in 1981, this is 2003. Twenty-two years ago!”
β€œTime flies my brother.” Mr Oludare said.
β€œYour daughter looks exactly like you Tayo.” Mrs Williams, a plump well-dressed woman noted.
β€œThat’s what they tell me.” Mrs Oludare replied, looking at her daughter with pride.
β€œHello children,” Mrs Williams said, looking closely at Jumoke and her brother. β€œThese are our children, that’s Lanre our charming son who studies in the US and our twin daughters Gbemi and Remi who will soon be joining him.”
β€œDear you didn’t tell them that Remi won the trophy for the best maths student in the state.” Mr Williams said.
β€œThen she is just like her father!” Mr Oludare said. β€œHe was a mathematical wizard!”
β€œHe still is!” Mrs Williams replied, eyeing her husband lovingly.
Lanre tried not to smile widely, fate was on his side. He had recognized her as soon as she walked into eh sitting room with her brother. She was wearing a dark green dress with red dots and she looked even more beautiful, this girl was meant for him.
β€œAh ah Lanre, you’re smiling. Do you know them?” His mother asked.
β€œI know her. I saw her last week at that fat woman’s shop.”
β€œIs that so?” Mrs Williams asked pleasantly.
Jumoke wanted to sink into the ground, her hands began to twitch out of nervousness. β€œYes ma.” she replied in a small voice.
β€œCan you imagine? It’s such a small world. How old are you?”
β€œI’m sixteen ma.”
β€œOh you’re the same age as the twins! They will be sixteen in May. You girls should be friends.”
Mrs Oludare saw the look of uncertainty on her daughter’s face. β€œI’m sure they’ll sort themselves out. Why don’t you show them your room Jummy? And maybe you can tell Remi about the maths problem you have, I’m sure she would be glad to teach you a few things.”
Jumoke cringed with shame. β€œAlright ma. Come with me…” she beckoned at the two girls who were staring at her.
As the twins followed her, Lanre decided to take advantage of the situation.
β€œAh ah what about us boys?” he said playfully.
β€œBut Korede is younger than you are!” Mr Oludare said.
β€œIt doesn’t matter, I’m sure we have a lot we can talk about.”

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**********
β€œSo you met our brother?” Gbemi, the bigger twin said to Jumoke when they were in her room.
β€œYes.” She answered simply.
β€œAnd?” Gbemi queried.
β€œAnd what? We talked and I left.” Jumoke asked with slight wonder, the other girl looked displeased.
β€œWhat happened between you two? What did you talk about?”
β€œExcuse me?”
β€œGbemi!” Remi said with a smile and tore her gaze from the pictures on the wall. β€œLeave her alone! Is it your business what they talked about?”
β€œWhat? I’m just curious!”
β€œMind your own business.” Remi warned. β€œWhat is this?” She asked smiling, and pointed at several pictures of cities that Jumoke had formed into a circle.
She smiled. β€œI call it my goal circle. I want to go to all those cities.”
β€œThat’s nice…”
β€œYou have big dreams.” Gbemi said sarcastically.

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**********
Korede and Lanre hit it off immediately, talking about football and basketball.
β€œYou only like football this much because you’re tall.”
β€œMaybe, but I think that basketball is the better game.”
Korede laughed. β€œLai lai!”
β€œI can see that you’re a die-hard fan of football. Let’s talk about something that shouldn’t cause arguments.”
β€œOkay, like America? I’ve heard a lot about the place, what’s it like schooling there?”
β€œIt’s great, it’s a beautiful country.” he replied in a hurry. β€œBut guess what? I really want to talk about your sister.”
β€œMy sister? Why do you want to talk about my sister?” Korede asked cautiously.
β€œShe looks like an interesting person. She was in a hurry the day we met, so we didn’t get to talk much. What can you tell me about her?”
Korede smiled. β€œShe’s very smart.”
β€œYeah, she looks like such a person.”
β€œAnd she’s very precious to me.”
”She is uhn?” Lanre said, looking into the younger boy’s eyes and seeing a warning there.
**********
After the Williams left, Jumoke went to the kitchen where her mother was cleaning up the dishes.
β€œMummy Lanre is the boy I told you about.”
β€œWhat boy?”
β€œThe one I told you I met on the way back from Mama Yellow’s store.”
Her mother stopped what she was doing. β€œIs that so?”
β€œYes.”
She now understood why her daughter had been odd when they were introduced. She sighed and wondered how to respond to this situation. The Williams used to be very close to them.
β€œI’m sure he was only being friendly…” she began as her husband came into the kitchen.
β€œJummy go and sweep that sitting room again, I saw some crumbs on the floor.” He instructed.
As Jumoke left, Mr Oludare picked up a piece of meat from a plate nearby.
β€œHaven’t you had enough to eat Sola?” his wife said worriedly.
β€œYou know I like to eat…”
”That’s why your stomach keeps getting bigger. Didn’t you see how trim Deji was looking?”
β€œTayo!” her husband said, throwing the meat back on to the plate. β€œThis behaviour of comparing your family members with other people is annoying! That’s how you made Jumoke look like a dunce when you told her to talk to the William girl about her problem with maths.”
β€œI wasn’t comparing her to Remi, I was only looking out for her the way I am looking out for you.”
β€œInstead of you to admit that you made a mistake, you’re defending yourself!”
β€œAnd instead of you to admit that you have a problem, you’re getting worked up!”
Just then Jumoke returned with the broom and dustpan. She looked at her parents for a while, wondering if she could come in. Her father wiped his hands on a towel and left the kitchen, his wife had ruined what had been an enjoyable evening.
β€œI want you to start studying with Remi so you can get better with your maths. It’s a good thing they live close by.” She muttered as she wiped the slab mindlessly. β€œThere’s no shame in gaining knowledge.”

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11 thoughts on “We Knew Them Part 1

  1. The quality of apologizing for wrongdoing is priceless. If only we all had it.
    I hope Jumoke’s mum is not throwing her to the wolves by asking her to go for lessons at Lanre’s house.
    i look forward to the next episode cos I’m certain it’ll be worth my time. Well done, Lola.

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