VALENTINE’S DAY CRUSH

 

 

 Early Wednesday morning, small threads of light streak the sky. I had the dreaded 8 O’clock class. Given how strict the lecturer was, I had woken up early to get to the class on time.

It was still dark but the dawn provided sufficient light for movement.

I was still struggling to sit comfortably in the navy blue student’s Minibus, when two guys boarded the bus and headed towards the backseat where I sat.

A brief exchange of good mornings and everyone was back to minding their businesses.

In Two, ones and threes, the bus gets filled until there remains one empty seat.

I checked my phone for the time, it was 7:14 am. I pushed my hand through my short hair in agitation.

The driver also impatiently shuffles on his feet, eager to leave the bus stop and be on the road. A lady in a red top and white skirt came into view.

“Campus?” The driver asked her, she nodded affirmatively.

The two guys seated beside me playfully prod each other and said “Sister Valentine” 

Genuinely, I thought they knew her and that was her name.

The bus was cramped with the new seating arrangement of four- four on the seats and sister Valentine had pointed that out. It was Three-three in a row before it got hiked up, and the Student union hasn't been able to do anything about it. 

Now we pay exorbitant transport fare while being crammed into a moving steel bus like  sardines. 

The driver had urged the people on the row to shift and create sufficient space for her. No one heeded to his pleas until one of the boys beside me had said quite loudly

 “Make space for sister Valentine na. Haa ha!, don't you people want to fall in love ni?”

Then it dawned on me and several occupants of the bus, today was the 14th of February, Valentine's day.

The lady's face tightened before she uneasily joined the laughter. She took a quick glance down at her outfit, probably wondering why she had picked the wrong day to wear those sets of colours.

The passengers stopped snickering to shuffle on their respective seats and she was finally able to climb in and sit. The driver closed the bus's door and rounded the bus to open the driver's side and get in.

He kick-started the bus and soon the bus maneuvered smoothly onto the road and we were on our way. The radio was switched on and the station 89.2 fm was on with a program called “The four letter word”

Absentmindedly I listened to the programme, my mind was preoccupied by what I could quickly put in motion to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my girlfriend.

It was a valentine's day programme and the host was talking about how love was the fuel of passion, while his co-presenter argued it was the other way around.

 The car slowed down and sputtered before it jerked to a halt.

“Driver, hope nothing?” a concerned individual raised the question.

Several cars honked at us as they zoomed past.

“Nothing, Nothing”

 The driver hurriedly got out of the bus, propped up the vehicle’s bonnet and tinkered around.

He closed it and came back to the driver seat, raised it and brought out a jerry can of five liters filled with petrol. The smell of the petrol was carried on the air to the back seat where I sat. An unsettling smell which disrupts my guts.

The driver poured the petroleum into the bus’s fuel tank and closed it.

He got in and apologized “make una no vex”

“We no vex but why did you waste fuel?” The guy beside the driver in the passenger’s seat laments

“You should have allowed sister valentine to give us fuel” he continued

The lady in red raised her head from her phone and asked “why? Do I look like I have a petrol station?” She asked him.

“I don’t know but you heard them on the radio, they said love is the fuel”

And I knew once again she regrets her decision of outfit. 

The bus ambled along and conversations diverted into other topics. The radio programme had also ended and now played love songs.

Neyo and Rihanna's ‘I hate how much I love you’ song was being played. My attention got caught by sister valentine mouthing the words absentmindedly, as she scrolled on her phone. Next came Nelly’s dilemma song and several people joined in the singing the lyrics, even I sang the song under my breath.

My phone pinged, a message had dropped.

I opened the messaging app to see the message was from my girlfriend, she had helped me save a seat beside her. I closed the message and went back to my singing while my mind raced with what I would get her for valentines.

Exams were starting next week and that had occupied my mind. This wouldn’t serve as an excuse knowing my partner, especially if she had already planned gifts for me.

I sighed deeply.

Not long after, We got into the school without any other mishaps. 

The bus safely parked at the bus stop and we all alight. It was just a few minutes to eight but the park was already filled with buses and was noisy. 

Passengers were in a hurry to pay and get going, so there was a bit of pushing. I was the last to alight, slowly making my way to the edge of the bus to avoid the pushing. About to step my foot onto the tarred gravel ground, when someone who had alighted hurriedly brushed past me. 

It tipped my balance and I fell, but was grateful caught by fragrant arms. A floral scent mixed with chocolate musk, An enticing sweet scent which smelt like love.

Jarred by the contrast of the soft frame which I fell on while expecting the hard tarred floor. I looked up in dazed at the furrowed well manicured brows as the world slowed down. The noise from the busy park was muted and grey skies suddenly appeared bright, its light shone over my savior’s head like a halo.

My heart went racing as my eyes went over my saviour's features, noting the clear dewy skin; the tiny mole underneath the eyes, the lashes which were groomed with mascara, the cute button nose and the concern which shone through her warm brown eyes.

Questions were asked but no answers were received, as I stared at the glossy two toned lips frame the words.

A song started playing in my mind, it was Nelly’s dilemma as my mind registered it was sister valentine who had caught me.