Ruth Vicissitudes - Episode 2

 

University of Abuja was in a festive mood as every student both male and female were clad in different cultural attires, attributing to their respective culture and ethnic groups. That day symbolized tradition, a day where exhibition of different arts took place. None was left out, including the lecturers and non- academic staff. Maureen and Tonkey were glad in a simple yellow Ankara with a navy blue top outfit while Ruth was clad in her native Benin attire of which she looked very beautiful in . The excitement sparkled in the air when Maureen and Tonkey discovered Dolapo was coming to the same cultural day of which Ruth opined differently for him not to come but he insisted on coming even her roommates taught differently;
“Do you still know if Dolapo is still coming?” asked Tonkey.
“Why do you care if he is coming?” inquired Ruth who was still fixing her hair.
“Ha, that’s harsh Ruth, she was just being curious”, Maureen added.
“Come on girl, I just want it to be fun for you, for all of us. This is the first time he is going to be present on a special day like this with you” stated Tonkey.
“Girl, why do you still seem unhappy and displeased”, observed Maureen. “Don’t tell me you have still not made up your mind about him since these years”
“My mind is still unclear girlfriend

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. Am still in bereavement of Samuel”
“Samuel is gone, may his soul rest in peace. There is no bringing him back. Wake up to that reality and take your opportunity of being with Dolapo” Maureen said.
“Don’t be naïve Ruth. Do you know how many girls that will give up everything to be with Dolapo? I am one of them” Tonkey humoured.
“You are not serious Tonkey but she is right. Take off that dull face Ruth and make this one a great day”
“Please, don’t let Dolapo know that something was going on while he was away that you were seeing someone else behind his back”
Just a few minutes later, a familiar knock sounded on the door twice. Maureen quickly lent a helping hand to finish off Ruth’s dressing, they guessed the man was behind the door was their expectant guest. Tonkey reached for the door to open when she was given a go-ahead by Maureen;
“Hi Dolapo”
“Hello, Maureen right?”
“No, am Tonkey and she is Maureen” , Tonkey and Maureen were often mistaken as the other and were referred generally as twins on campus.
“Hi Dolapo”, greeted Maureen.
“Hello Maureen. Okay Tonkey, thanks for correcting me for the umpteenth time. I brought gifts for you two”
“Oh, thank you so much. Come in please”, she assured him in and took the gifts from him.
“Good morning dear”, he greeted Ruth.
“Good morning honey”, she replied.
“You look handsome in that attire”, Tonkey was the first to commend.
“Thank you Maureen. You all look good too”
“Thank you. Am no, Maureen”, they chuckled again.
“Oh no, the mistakes never stops”
“It’s okay. We answer each other’s names at times for confusion sake”
“That’s why you both decided to wear the same outfit. Hilarious of you both”. 
Dolapo was clad in his Yoruba attire, a blue agbada, complimenting it with a blue cap and a blue suede shoe, he wore a golden wrist watch on his right hand. His coming didn’t only mean he came for the traditional day, he was going out on a date with Ruth after, in a restaurant situated outside the school. So Ruth will have to come back and change to something more conventional.
“Are you all ready girls?”
“Yes, we are” Tonkey’s voice was all and loudest.
“Okay then”. Ruth and the girls preened themselves in the mirror once again before they exited.
Dolapo got home around 9.43 pm. He waited behind in the office after his date with Ruth to oversee the contract he was in contest with their rival company One technologies to sign from intel corporations. His date with Ruth impeded him from going to the meeting himself with the board of intel, hence sent a representative of the company. He got information from the female representative and headed home immediately. He was tired and exhausted of the long day but it was an interesting one nevertheless. His parents were not still in bed, they were engrossed in a TV series that usually aired during that time, a family programme they don’t usually miss for anything in the world.
“Good evening Mum and dad”, he greeted as he sat on the brown leather upholstery panting.
“Good evening son and how was your day?”
“Fine dad. The company got the contact from Intel corporations to be partners to help in the building of the new micro chips”
“Amazing but I meant how was your day with Ruth”
“Oh, it was fantastic. Am beginning to know a whole lot more about her”
“That is nice. Am happy that you are happy”
“Don’t let this one slip through your fingers again. You have had some terrible relationships in the past before”
“I won’t” he replied and retired for the night.
Ruth returned from classes one day tired to the bone. She was in her last year of the university and was already counting on time before she leaves. To her, life of getting up early, going to classes, meeting both the bad side and the good side of the lecturers and leaving with assignments was wearing her out. Campus life was stressful, and energy draining and  no longer the same as she got into her first year and couldn’t wait to get into another life of getting up in the morning and going to work and then, returning. She imagined how life would be when she gets married, learning the things she has to and then, doing it. She cracked open the door knob and saw her roommates chatting with a guy;
“Hey girl. Back already. How was lectures?”
“Hectic and frustrating. That History professor gave us an 18-page , coupled with this blazing sun. Today is tiring”
“Abeg, that professor is just mean and always on peoples nerves and the worst thing, he will slam a fine on anybody that doesn’t carry out his assignment. Just getting people vexed” added Maureen.
“I can’t even remember the last time I went for his class”, Tonkey stated.
“Me too”
“Hey girls, enough of the professor. Who he help sef?”
“oh, sorry. My bad Ruth meet Ericks, one of our course mate and Ericks, meet our hot girl Ruth”
“Hey, don’t advertise me like that abeg”
“Oh, sorry ma”, chuckled Maureen.
“Have we met before?” Ericks who has been quiet all through their conversation asked.
“Ehm, I don’t think so. I think I have seen this face somewhere around this campus”
“Well, I come here once in a while but don’t get to meet the third person who stays here. Nice to meet you”
“Nice to meet you too”. She sat on her bed opposite theirs and then laid down after. Suddenly, she remembered that she hasn’t eaten anything since the early hours of that day, owing to the noise made by her stomach.
“Hey girls, did you guys prepare anything? Am starved”
“Hmmm my dear. There is some beans in the pot. Its yours”
“Girls, I have an idea. A friend is inviting me over for a party later this evening. Am extending my invitation to you all. All drinks and food on me What do you think”
“That’s absolutely fine by me. I don’t want to be bored all day because I am already”
“Well, its okay by me but isn’t it going to be a burden to you? I mean, the four of us on you”
“Come on, its not going to be anything. I could invite Josh too”
“Oh, nice. Are you coming with us Ruth?”
Ruth wasn’t listening as the food she was eating got more of her attention. She also seemed to be bothered about something while eating, something that got her thinking occasionally while she ate.
“Ruth”, Maureen called her for the umpteenth time. This time, she got her attention and gazed at her direction.
“Yes, what is the problem?”
“I should be asking you girl. You have been quiet since the professor talking. What’s up?” Maureen asked.
“Nothing. Why did you call me?”
“Ericks is inviting us to a dinner party. Are you coming?”
“I don’t know. Am really exhausted coupled with the fact that I am going to deal with the History professor assignment and you know am not the partying type”
“Come on Ruth, its going to be amazing and am sure, the food is going to be in abundance”, Tonkey stated. She has a huge appetite for food and never does anything without placing food above it. Often, Maureen would take a jibe at her that id there is anything that would take her life prematurely, it will be food.
“I don’t want to add more bills to you. Ericks has done enough already by taking you all out”
“It’s not a problem Ruth. I will be more than honoured to take you along if you agree”
“Ruth, don’t behave like a nun. Its not going to kill you. You have someone who is ready to take all of us out and you are dulling”
“I know it’s the food that is making you go there Tonkey”, stated Ruth.
“See, no one does anything on an empty stomach. As far as there is food, there is life and as far as there is life, there is hope. If you don’t eat, you die”
“Hmmm, Tonkey the food” humoured Ericks.
“So Jesus that didn’t eat for fourty days and night, did it kill him?”, Maureen asked.
“Don’t you know he is a person in one God? That one na him business e dey face na. Me, I dey face my own”
“Enough of your philosophical sayings. Ruth, are you coming or not?”
“Okay, I will be coming”
“That’s it babe. Okay Ericks, we are good”
“Okay then. I will catch up with you guys. Let me be going”, he stood and took his leave.