Bus Gossip

“Chirp Chirp”, sings the bird outside my window as I stood up from bed to start my morning chores. It is the weekend after all. I have to be out of the house early to Balogun market to shop. Why?  The draper I buy clothes from is opening the first bail very early in the morning. Oh yes, it is fairly used clothes aka “Okrika” or “bend-down-select”. Don’t judge me. You also buy them (or don’t). I am not ashamed to say I am an Okrika fan. Hehehe.

You wonder why I have to go out so early to buy clothes. Well, they are cheaper and strong. Also, those who sell in boutiques often buy from them and sell at a high price to their own customers.

I headed towards the kitchen to clean and dust due to the incoming harmattan. After an hour or so, I was done with chores, took a shower and got ready when mum entered my room and gave me a list of things to buy at the market.

“It’s not much but get them for me”. Mum said.

I mumbled while frowning.

“When you send me on errands to get things for you at the market, do I complain? No!”

She is really trying to guilt trip me and it worked because I do beg her to get things for me whenever she goes to the market. I looked at the list and,

“Yams? How many tubers? I exclaimed.

“Just get like 8 tubers “

“It’s heavy to carry o”

“Get one of those guys with basins or wheelbarrow to carry them for you. Then take a private taxi to bring you home. Easy”.

“Mummy…”

She hissed and walked away.

I know I told her I was going to the market but it wasn’t for errands like these. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t want to do it. Urgh!

I held my purse, took a shopping bag from the kitchen. I announced my departure as my sibling ran to me.

“Mummy said you should buy stock fish N400”. He said while handing the money over to me with a smirk on his face. Oh the things that ran through my head to do to him. I rolled my eyes, turned my back and left the house.

I got to the bus stop and luckily a bus was waiting for passengers heading to my direction. Two ladies who were laughing loudly boarded with me.

“Na so o. I was shocked sef” one of them said as she sat beside me.

Whatever the gist was, they seem to be so into it. I wouldn’t call whatever I was doing “eavesdropping” since they are being loud about it.

“…I followed her to his house, during that period ASUU went on strike. Justin was with his friend, Kola, when we went unannounced but Maran was happy to see her guy. We stayed for a while but had to leave early because of nightfall”. Lady 1 said.

“That’s from Keffi abi?” lady 2 asked.

“Yes, yes. From Keffi. Justin and his friend escorted us out when he said he wanted to speak with Maran for a while”.

“E no talk am since, na when una dey go e remember? Mscheew!” lady 2 said in broken English.

“Na wetin I think too o but na her guy na. I waited for 15 minutes, Kola kept me company till Maran was ready to go but I noticed her faced was flushed. She looked pretty angry and sad at the same time. I turned to the boys and said goodbye but Maran didn’t do the same”.

“Hian!” lady 2 exclaimed.

“Maran and I were walking when she said, ”can you imagine what Justin told me? After lending him N2000, he said he wanted to tell me something. I asked him what it was and he said he was dating a girl called Halima and it’s just play play and I shouldn’t be worried because his heart belongs to me…” lady 1 narrated.

“What? Please tell me you are joking”. Lady 2 asked.

I was just a casual listener but I was getting a little-pissed off on behalf of the said Maran. I didn’t believe what I was hearing either.

“I wasn’t surprised. Remember when I told you I saw Justin with some girls?”

“Yes, I remember Maran not believing you when you told her also”

“Same advice I gave her that made me receive insults. Anyway, she said Justin was double dating. When she asked him why, the bros said he needed to flex a little, after all, he’s not getting married to Maran yet and she should be glad he is being honest with Maran”.

“Jesus! What did Maran say?"

“She said nothing but walked away. Na waka wey she waka come meet me, wey we kan dey go house so”. She was speechless".

I was legit upset by what I was hearing. I know violence isn’t the answer but that Justin guy deserved a slap or two for what he said and did to the said Maran.

“Before we resumed, that is before the strike ended, Maran went to Benin for her cousin’s wedding. Babe came back to school so strong-willed o. According to her, she needed a different location to make her breath, also the strike helped her a little to get herself back.

“Pfft…Abegi. Na one day person dey move on?” lady 2 asked

“She did move on o. the girl changed attitude fast. She…”

The conductor announced our arrival as I alighted from the bus without hearing the complete story, as I began to walk to my destination.

I have been in an unfaithful relationship and trust me, it hurts like hell but I walked out of the relationship. I held myself in high esteem. Why do to someone what you wouldn’t like done to you?

Even though you are honest about cheating, you still end up hurting the other.

Finding out your partner has been unfaithful can hit you like a ton of bricks. It can happen to anyone. It is natural for you to question why cheating happened but there’s rarely an answer to that because whatever you hear still hurts. No justification for it in my opinion.

From my experience, you accept your feelings. Agitation, shock, fear, pain and confusion is normal. It takes time to get beyond the pain if you truly loved the person.

“Once a cheat, always a cheat” doesn’t really apply to everyone.

You can choose to stay in the relationship to work things out or move on. Whatever rocks your boat.

I got to the shop of the draper and there was a small crowd of about fifteen people, waiting for the bail to open.

I had to find a position to place myself in so as to quickly grab clothes I deem fit for me, forgetting the gossip I heard while on the bus.