Everyone Falls In Love
episode 5
It was about 3pm and the bar was scanty. They got a seat at a table next to where the band stand was. Four metal chairs with cushions were placed at each side of the metal table. They took seats opposite each other. The place was a relief from the hot weather outside and she complimented him for bringing her there. Andrew had forgotten his second phone in the car and excused himself to get it after placing his order. The waiter was just dropping their drinks when he walked back into the bar. He sat back, poured himself a glass of Guinness Stout, took two quick gulps and sighed. He took a look at her drink before saying, “Orange juice?”
“Yep!” She said and took a sip from her glass.
“I was thinking you would have wine or at least Smirnoff Ice.”
She put down her phone and looked up at him. “The last time I tasted alcohol was with you and Tunde, and I can never forget what happened to me.”
“What? When was that?”
“That stupid concoction you guys used to take back in Jaja Hall.”
“What?” He said, looking confused, and then like he realized what she was talking about, he said, “Oh! You’re talking about our special cocktail?” He said with a smile on his face.
“Please don’t try and make it sound funky. It was some cheap rum and milk.” She said, and he laughed.
“Oh my God! I can’t even believe you remembered that.” He said between laughs. “It was Dark Sailor and milk.”
“Yea, I remember. I don’t know what made me drink it that day.” She bowed her head and laughed a little before adding. “Please don’t bring up what I did that day.”
“You…” He was saying and stopped to chuckle.
“Don’t.” She said, with a frown on her face.
Just then, his phone started vibrating on the table, and his countenance changed immediately before picking up the call. He spoke for a few seconds and said ‘one hundred dollars’ a few times before ending the call. He dropped his cell phone back on the table and then looked up at her with a smile on his face.
“What are you selling for one hundred dollars?” She enquired.
“What? Oh, yea.” He said and paused to take a sip from his cup. “I told you about the other thing I do.”
“Yea, I almost forgot about that.” She said and smiled at him. “So what is that other thing you do?”
“I rent out classic cars.”
“Hmm! You mind explaining further?”
“The car we came in is a 1983 Mercedes Benz SEL. It is popularly called Shagari Benz.” He said and stopped to crack his knuckles before adding, “It was used in the movie, Coming to America by Hakeem’s parents.”
“Oh! I think I can remember that movie.”
“Yea, I am sure you can. Anyway, people would pay good money to rent cars like that for a music video, or a wedding, or just for a night out.”
“Okay.”
“So, I buy up some of rarest vintage cars, and rent them out to people that value them.”
“That’s lovely.”
“The one I got a call for is the latest in my collection; a 1982 Porsche 911.” He said before gulping down the drink in his cup.
She studied him for a while and then said, “You know I can actually get you a really low interest loan from my bank if you ever need money to expand.”
“Hmm! I think I might need that soon. I am trying to get that James Bond Aston Martin…” He was saying when his phone started ringing again. He picked up, spoke for a while, and then hung up. “So, as we were saying… I think I would need a loan soon, maybe like…” He was saying and stopped to pour himself a drink. “Anita, I think we should stop the formal talk and just reminisce.”
She smiled for a while before yelling out in a low tone, “Anita! Anita!” Andrew looked at her with an inquisitive look on his face.
“You don’t remember?”
“No. What…”
“The shocking fridge at your house.”
“What?”
“The party you had at your house in our first year at the University.”
“Oh!”
“Yea, I didn’t know about the shocking fridge, and I went to get drinks for guests.”
“Yea, I remember now.” Andrew said as he sat up in his seat.
“And you guys came running, shouting my name, trying to save me from getting electrocuted.”
“God! Your memory is something else.”
“I had the best times with you guys.”
“I am still wondering how you didn’t get shocked by that fridge.”
“You guys said it was because I was dark skinned and you guys were light skinned.”
He laughed a little before saying, ‘How old were we?”
“18. Well, we were 18, but Tunde was 19.” She said and then there was silence. They both stared at each other, but their minds were miles away. And then Andrew signaled to the bar man to bring him another bottle.