When my sister and mother left me, I took a brief nap and then went to the market. My response was to call Sombe, who introduced me to Ojjaba, the girl I had encountered in a dream. I was in awe because the girl I met seemed difficult to comprehend, vanishing from my room without my knowledge and leaving my bed broken, and my clothes scattered. It was peculiar, but I suppressed my fears.
I
approached a callbox centre, “Can I use your call box? I requested the cell
phone attendant's assistance, and she agreed; I paid her what she demanded.
"Hello, brother, I am lost," I said. "Tell me more about Ojjaba.
You remember appreciating and encouraging me to engage with her, but now she
has disappeared from the room since I stepped outside briefly. Is not she a mysterious
woman?" I asked Sombe.
With
great expectations, behind the call, I heard Sombe laughing curiously.
"Did you see Ojjaba really in your room, or were you dreaming?" he
asked kiddingly. "Ojjaba has never gone anywhere; she is with us here. If
you like, I will connect you to her." "Ojjaba! Come over here, there
is an important call for you," Sombe called out.
Beyond
the back, I heard Ojjaba’s heartbeat and footsteps like a troop of ants
marching to battle as I waited to hear her melodic voice. Unfortunately, I ran
out of call credit. Shocked, I jumped high, only to fall into deep despair, but
then I remembered the money my mother had given me that night. I recharged my
call, only to find Sombe's phone switched off. The disappointment was
overwhelming, leaving me paralysed with hopelessness. "What a dreadful
day!" I lamented. “Can I find hope in this girl?’ I questioned my instincts.
The cell phone attendant looked at me and
drew near, calmly asking, “Can I help you?” I looked at her and murmured in
silence, “I do not want your help.” Unable to understand my gesture, she held
me up, rubbing her breasts on my back, and laid me down on the veranda to rest.
She picked a cold drink and poured some into my mouth. As the cold drink passed
through my system, I felt brighter, and my eyes opened, filled with an
unfounded sense of love.
I
asked, “What happened? Why am I here?” She looked at me with an intense
feeling, “Sorry, sir, you just fell while you were communicating with someone. I
bet the person hurt you. Do you need any assistance? She inquired. “No, rest assured, I am fine. I need to go
home,” I replied to her. “Can I ask my brother to drop you home? I will pay his
fare,” she alluded. “It is fine if you insist”. I helplessly answered.
Abonga,
the brother of the cell phone attendant, arrived, and we rode home on his
bicycle. He left me leaning against the wall, consumed by anxiety. I denied
anyone visiting my room, and in my mind, I surrounded my world with thoughts of
Ojjaba. The only thing I yearned for was someone to break the silence
surrounding this mystery – Ojjaba, the girl beyond my dreams.
THE FINAL PART LOADING.
Ayella John Bosco
Writer, Critic, and Teacher
