#5DaysToVals Contest Entry Submitted by Prince Onuoha

Mary dashed out of the class once the lecturer closed his laptop and the projector went blank, she couldn’t wait for the lecturer to leave the class and couldn’t care.

“Mary” she heard someone call out. “Not now, please” she thought quietly to herself. She pushed the class doors wide open and went in search of an open toilet. She quietly prayed she would find one, quick too, she began to weigh her options as she searched. She got to a long hallway and ran across it checking the signs on the doors for one that read toilet. She stopped someone and asked “do you know where I can find a toilet” he smiled as if he wanted to flirt. Mary couldn’t wait for that, she dashed off, pressing her thighs together, and rubbing them together gingerly. staring at the floors searching for tiles that implied a toilet, the urine began to wet her pants. ” What sort of embarrassment is this ehn” she cried. She continued running across the long hallway that didn’t seem to have an end, she bumped into a hard wall, her arm socket began to hurt.

“I am sorry” she quickly murmured despite her anger and began to run off when the formidable wall she’d hit jerked her backward “I apologised now” she cried out, rubbing her thighs more vigorously.

Micheal watched the young girl struggle to get away from him, fascinated by the long curve of her lashes which stood out more and her heart shaped face. He had been watching her from the moment he had stepped out into the hallway and noticed her agitation, guessing correctly that she was pressed.

He gently pulled her to the entrance of gtbank, “there’s a toilet in every bank, just go in” she rushed inside, in a hurry to relieve herself. Mary pulled her gown up and her pants down and hurriedly positioned her bottom over the opening of the water closet and silently said a prayer of thanks as she urinated, relief washed over her, once she was through she began to notice her clean surroundings and it’s amenities making sure to use each and everyone of them.

She stepped out of the bank to find the man who had helped her cross-legged and arms folded outside the bank. He looked out of place, like he didn’t belong mostly because the bank was currently filled with all kinds of young people waiting to enter the bank, he wasn’t particularly handsome but tall. One could easily identify him as an elite bouncer, Mary shook herself and walked over to where he waited.

“Were you waiting for me” she shyly asked hoping she hadn’t been too forward with the question, he was probably with someone.

“Are you through” he simply asked. Mary nodded, embarrassed “thank you, I didn’t think of that”. He smiled and exposed his perfect whites that contrasted his dark complexion.

“It happens to the best of us, I am michael”

“Mary” they held out their hands and shook. He pointed towards the car park.

“I was going to have lunch, do you mind”.

“Oh. Okay” so he is in a hurry to be on his way, Mary thought, feeling rejected “it was nice meeting you” she turned away as she said this.

“You don’t want to join me, mary” her name sounded like a song from his lips, she had always considered the name ordinary. She felt foolish once more, why did this man make her feel stupid, this man who was out of her league.

“Errr…I just met you” she said, trying reason, it was the normal thing anybody in her situation would do.

He laughed hard and walked away confidently, Mary watched his ass and when she found herself too engrossed she shook herself, this probably happened once in a lifetime. She followed him “is that all” she asked while trying to sound unaffected by his rude behaviour.

“You’ve made your choice, you aren’t hungry” he replied as he opened the door of his sleek vehicle, saliva would have dropped from her mouth.

“Excuse me” he said and motioned her to move away for him to get into his car unhindered. He settled inside the plush leather of the vehicle. Mary felt insulted, at the same time pushed to take his offer. What if he was expecting her to sleep with him, he didn’t even have her number, but he knew where to find her, she speculated on all these things and began to walk away, although he was an undeniable heaven made package, he just wasn’t for her, for him to treat her that way, she began to wipe the memory of him especially one of his butt.

The heart shaped face girl had left him, he could still see her back, she was no match for him he thought, so why did the absence of the young girl he had just met disturb him, why did it bite him so. She was interested, that had been obvious, written clearly in her eyes “mary” he shouted before he even realized he had called out her name, she refused to stop, he ran towards her.

“Please join me” he almost begged. She snorted, a cute sound “I can’t enter your car, what if you’re a kidnapper”

“I am not” he answered. She searched his face for anger and found none, for something to distrust him with and had no other option but to accept.

She sat opposite him and watched as his muscular hands turned the key in the ignition and started the engine. He began to drive.

“I am not sleeping with you” she said aloud.

“Ok” he replied. So weird. No comebacks, no sexual innuendos and no hidden discussions, just okay.

They ordered their meal and settled down in a corner, away from prying eyes, Mary was particularly shy, afraid she would be seen by someone she knew whereas micheal seemed relaxed.

“Do you come here often” she asked. She watched him dig into his food.

“Nope” he murmured between mouthfuls “just discovered the place while driving”

“Okay” she began to eat her food.

“Tell me about yourself” micheal asked as he watched her eat her food. He noticed that she waited to swallow her food before she replied

“Nothing much. My life isn’t really eventful. I just gained admission after several tries” she smiled “I do more listening than talking. Wah bou you” she asked “what do you do, are you in any relationship” she continued to dig into her food as he did so too.

“Err…people buy my pictures although I do photography as a hobby, that should count as a vocation, currently doing a pgd course now”

“Oh” Mary was wowed “relationship” she asked again

“Oh Yea, that. Getting married tomorrow to some chick”

The food in mary’s mouth fell back into her plate and she pushed back her chair. “You’re a married man” she said, shocked. He was eating as if he hadn’t said anything shocking.

“No, I am getting married tomorrow. Two different things mary” he said innocently. Mary flared, angry at his nonchalance “I told you I won’t sleep with you, especially a married man” she stood up to leave.

Micheal dropped his fork in his plate ” where are you going” he asked, serious now

“Back to where I came from” Mary answered as she grabbed her phone from the table. Micheal picked his fork again and continued eating ” I have a problem with wasting food, so please finish your food and I will take you back” he answered in a strained voice.

“No, thank you” Mary stubbornly replied

“Sit down” he ordered, almost shouting, the rattle of the table drew other people’s attention and Mary sat down immediately.

“I am sorry” he said ” you keep saying I am married, I am not”

“I am not still sleeping you” Mary asked.

“You’ve said that three times now, makes me think you actually want to, the attraction between us is undeniable” he teased her and grinned. He watched her turn red and fumble with her fork.

“No attraction whatsoever, Nothing is going to happen.” she said almost as if she was re assuring herself, she saw him smile wickedly “nothing” she murmured again.

“If you say so”

Silence ensued between the both of them until their plates were taken away and desert was served. Micheal watched her search the restaurant with her eyes. The excitement Mary felt before vanished, this man was taken, he only wanted a plaything, someone to fill his time with, she was angry at herself for falling for such a guy, unpopular. A man who created a league for himself that only him fitted in.

“It’s a family thing, I have to get married to the chick to save family name and bloodline, something like that though” he began

Mary laughed at what sounded like an outrageous lie ” what are you” the said sarcastically ” the prince of lagos”

“Wow, how did you know that, I don’t appear in any papers”

Mary was shocked, he sounded so sincere as if he didn’t know she was trying to be sarcastic and as if he was actually the prince of lagos.

“Dad says it’s necessary, but I am not one to argue. The chick actually is pretty” he continued ” but you’re prettier” Mary blushed when he said this and almost immediately chided herself for being foolish.

“You’re a prince” she asked more sarcastically again. He nodded. Mary’s head was swimming and hoped she would wake up from her slumber, she pinched herself hard.

“So why me” Mary asked, unable to hold the question back much more longer.

He looked straight at her and for the first time she noticed his gray contacts, she hid her face from his gaze, too shy to meet his heated one.

” I was drawn to you from the moment I saw you run across that hallway, like it or not this..” he pointed to the both of them and their table “….was supposed to happen”. Mary at that moment thought fate cruel, how could she meet the man of her dreams only to hear he was engaged and then still fall in love with him right after.

Micheal thought she was funny, a firebrand but for her shyness, obviously just stepping out into the world. He had shocked her, intentionally, but she was still here with him knowing fully well what was going on in her head. She was standing against everything she had been brought up with. Brave was the only word, rare in many young girls now. He watched her deeply in thought, weighing her options.

“Let’s go” he said finally, pushing his chair back and standing up. He dropped her off at the park of gtbank where it had all began. All through the ride nothing had been said. She murmured a thank you and came out from where she sat opposite him, he came out too and watched her walk back towards her class.

“Mary” he called out, mary’s heart jumped, her chest felt warm and she could feel the sweat ease out of her pores, the hair on her body stood. He came towards her and held out a paper in his hand. She looked at it suspiciously despite the strong urge to hold him down and ask him not to go.

“What’s this” she asked

“Take it” he took her hands and put the paper in it ” …it’s a concert, you should come, my number is on the back. call me sometime” he continued.

“You’ll be married by then” she said, he smiled again and Mary thought she would never see it again “maybe” he walked back to his car.

               *.   *.     *.     *

Mary never went to that concert, she never called and they never saw them selves again, not for the next three years anyway and he wasn’t married yet.