CALABAR GIRL (PART 1)

On my way home from work, a smartly dressed man approached me with a smile on his face.

“Excuse me young lady”

 I turned around and took a quick look at him, he appeared to be a young man in his early 30s, he had an oblong shaped face with well trimmed mustache & side burns and eyes that looked mischievous.

“Hello, i am Femi, i live in this neighbourhood” i saw you when you moved in last week.  “What’s the name?”

 “Im Uduakobong”

Oh, nice name are you from Calabar?

“Well...not really, i am from Akwa ibom”.

Oh Akwa ibom the land of the “bong bong” people...most of your names end with bong...imaobong, itoroobong, enobong etc, he said winking.

Yes “Obong means God”. Other Nigerians call us Calabar people because we were once under Cross river state.

“I’ll be calling you calabar girl then....Are u going far? i can give you a ride, he said pointing to his car; a toyota hundai model parked by the side of the road.

“No thanks”, i politely declined.

Okay, since we’re living in this neighbourhood we’ll be seeing each other often then...he flashed a suggestive smile as he drove away.

After two years of working in the Calabar office of A&G group as an Assistant sales manager, i was promoted to the post of Director of sales & posted to the head office in Lagos. This was an offer i couldnt resist as it came with an enhanced salary package & monthly benefits. My parents being conservatives were initially reluctant in approving the move of their 27 yrs old daughter to the big wild city of Lagos, however in the end when they got assurances from Engr Inyang, a close family friend resident in Lagos who promised to check up on me regularly, they gave me the go ahead. That was how i relocated from the Caanan city to Surulere Lagos.

I was truely a calabar girl as i had spent most of my life in Calabar, we lived in Duke town and i schooled in Edgerly girls memorial school and University of Calabar.

“Ud you are welcome!” Chinasa said to me as i passed by her door. Chinasa was my next door neighbour and we were on very good terms.

“Thanks dear, Your hair looks fine! I want this style, who is your hair stylist?” i asked.

Thanks, i’ll take you to her when you’re ready, she replied...by the way who’s that guy i saw you chatting with?

"Oh he is Femi, he says he lives in this area, he seems to be a nice guy".

Chinasa let out a knowing sigh. Ud pls be very careful with Femi, he is like the devil walking to & fro looking for young girls to devour!

“wow really?”

“yes, he is a cassanova, i heard he has a notebook where he writes down the name of his conquests and it is a very long list!”

“Na waoh, you don see the list? abeg gist me more” i shifted closer to her.

“Seriously everyone here in this neighbourhood knows him, just be careful sha”

“Okay, thanks for the tip, don’t worry i have dealt with many of his likes and have come out unscathed. I really need to make this hair style"...

It is Tuesday 6pm and i am sitting under one of the almond trees in front of my house enjoying the cool breeze. I hear the sound of a vehicle nearby, i look up and its a toyota hundai, the door opens and a familar face comes out, he's sporting a designer sunshade on his eyes.

"Hi Ud the calabar girl, i just came around to say hi, what will you be doing tomorrow at  6pm?, Iron man is showing at Silverbird cinemas, let's go and see the movie.

“No thanks” i’ll be busy, i replied. How did you know my place?

Well i just asked around. What’s that novel you’re reading? He asked, i turned the cover up and showed him.

“How Europe underdeveloped Africa”. He is genuinely surprised. “That’s weird, why is a girl like you reading such a book, you should be reading books like "Fifty shades of grey”.

Sorry i don’t dig romance novels...

Femi tells me he is from an affluent home, his dad is a political godfather and he works as a manager in one of his dad’s numerous companies. He says he is a hiphop fan, i tell him Drake ain’t shit, he agrees with me. He likes Eminem & Jay z. He says there’s something about me that makes me stand out from other Calabar girls he has met in the past. I decline his offer for my BB pin and he leaves disapointed promising to check back. Its clear he wants a relationship & is flaunting his wealth to attract me.

I had been used to being hit on by men right from my secondary school days, As a 5’8 tall, light skinned girl with a pretty face, aquiline nose , gap toothed and tall legs, i quickly learnt how to politely rebuff advances from men.

Its a Sunday, i worshipped with Chinasa at her church; Holy earthquake international ministries. We passed through the throng of worshippers and boarded a taxi back home.

Femi closes in behind us as we enter the estate gate.

 “Hi girls, how was church service?".

It was fine, do you ever go to church Femi? I asked

“I do attend sometimes when i am in the spirit” he jokingly replied. 

‘You should try going every Sunday“ Chinasa said.

Do you girls want some fruits? I bought some fruits when i went out this morning, there's apple, banana & orange fruits here in this bag, he said as he offered us the bag.

I am a sucker for fruits! How did this guy know that i love fruits? i thought to myself. I turned to Chinasa and she shrugged her shoulders as if to say why not take it? We took the fruit bag from him.

Are you stalking me? I asked him...”No but it would be my pleasure to stalk a beautiful woman like you tonight, he replied with a sly smile. How about dinner tonight at Iniobong’s restaurant in lawanson road? The place is owned by a calabar woman, so you will be comfortable there.

“ Not tonight Femi, maybe sometime in the future”, i replied.

It is crystal clear by now that he is stalking me.