About a month to the wedding, I got a message from Bayo that he was coming to Nigeria for about a week and would be in Lagos.
I didn’t know what to make of it. So I replied by wishing him a safe trip.
A few days later, he sent another message asking if he would see me…I thought about this for a while and confided in my sister who told me I could go since we are friends but I should only meet with him at a public place like an eatery or restaurant.
I wanted to tell Seun about this, but his past reactions to anything Bayo discouraged me.
Exactly one week to my wedding, I got back from the bathroom and saw a missed call on my phone. It wasn’t any of my contacts and while wondering who it was, a text message came through.
“Hi Bidemi, I’m around.
Got in late last night but didn’t wanna disturb you.
E ku ipalemo o…when will I see you?
Can’t wait.
Love, Bayo”.
I was petrified and almost dropped the phone…
Actually, I had thought Bayo was bluffing all the while.
Should I call him?
Should I tell Seun?
Should I just ignore him till he leaves?
I was really confused…so I decided to call my sister but her phone was switched off.
Bayo must have glued his thumb to the redial button as my phone kept ringing but I didn’t pick up…I wasn’t sure I wanted to see him. Then he sent two more messages
“Bidemi, I’m sorry to barge into your life again
I just want to see you one more time even if it’s the last time.
That’s my reason for coming to Nigeria.
My family has no idea that I’m around”.
Followed by
“I’m sorry if I had hurt you in anyway but I just want to see you one more time…is that too much to ask for?”
After reading these messages, my mind went back to how nice Bayo was to me and how sweet and loving he was. Besides, I had always said that he took a part of me with him.
Maybe it won’t be a bad idea to see him again…of course I had seen some of his pictures after he left; but to see him in person again?
I had a lot of confusing thoughts in my head at the same time…emotions flooded my heart and they started running wild.
I remembered the last time I saw Bayo and what happened that day.
He was the only guy I had ever been with…Seun and I already decided that we would wait till our wedding night. The most we ever did was a very short kiss the night we got engaged which he even said he was sorry for.
Bayo called a couple of times again but I just ignore my ringing phone. I left it on the bed and wouldn’t pick it up. I sat on the edge of the bed confused and perplexed as it dawned on me that I was never really over Bayo.
I got up, picked up the phone and CALLED HIM BACK.
He was very happy to hear my voice and we planned to meet at Tastee Fried Chicken at Opebi, just to catch up and talk for a while.
Not long after that, Seun called to see if we could go see the hall decorator but I told him I had to take care of another thing…that he should go ahead without me.
In my mind, the plan was to just dash down, see Bayo and come back…I got to TFC at 4pm and met Bayo there. He was looking so handsome and that smile, wow.
We hugged and sat down. As expected, it was a long talk…every passing minute was more interesting than the previous. Bayo explained what had happened to him and how his Ghanaian roommate had set him up in a huge drug-related issue and gotten him in trouble.
How his dad had to come to the United Kingdom to get him a lawyer and how he was almost expelled from that school.
How he was this close to a jail term for something he did not do and how an accomplice came forward to confess the conspiracy in the nick of time.
That was his real reason for not keeping in touch back then. And although he was discharged, he wasn’t fully acquitted..which was why he had told me to find someone else because he wasn’t sure of when he would be able to return to Nigeria. His lawyer fought this for years until every charge was eventually expunged from his record.
He told me how he never for once thought he would be alive to see someone else marry me…
How he tried to but could not date anyone else even after he had reluctantly let go of me.
I asked him why and he responded
“Because they’re just not my Bidemi”.
“Do tell Seun he is such a lucky guy…luck does not even begin to describe it.
If I could turn back the hands of time, he would not be the one standing next to you, exchanging vows.
That would be me…
That should be me but it is what it is” He added
I smiled and said some nice things about Seun…
”You set the standard pretty high and for me to have chosen Seun, you should know that he’s a good guy too”.
