Some say opportunity comes but once, and others say it comes much more than once, but in the form of lengthy years, as significance. Growing up, I saw many illustrative happenings that can be tagged to the statement, but the one I should say in native proverbs, which says” it is late when the head is already cut off” goes thus.
Auntie Bose was my sister's friend at a time who I could never forget. She was friendly and beautifully inclined to make it all the more special. She lived a sophisticated lifestyle, unlike my sister, who preferred staying indoors. I used to say they are the opposite in comparison.
One afternoon, while visiting us as usual, she said surreptitiously, “ Come escort me somewhere,” but due to the way she said it, my sister knew the outing was not as transparent as she said. “ Where are we going?” my sister replied, raising one of her eyebrows and nodding her head in disagreement, and “ I want the truth", my sister demanded.
“ Stanley invited me to his house and I don't want to go alone,” Aunty Bose replied with a poker face. “I am not following you to a man’s house,” my sister replied, firmly taking a sip of water from a stainless cup she was holding.
“ Can I go with you?” I asked with a wide smile.
“ Yes, you can,” she replied, and I quickly jumped up and followed her.
“Take care of my kid brother,” my sister warned, and continued, “A scared lady like you wants a ten-year-old kid to be her bodyguard,” she hissed and eyed me as I clipped beside Auntie Bose.
“I will,” Auntie Bose replied with a wink, and we left. We boarded a bus and got off at a particular bus stop. We walked down the street and we saw a building just at the center of the road. She brought out her phone and made a call then after some minutes, a very young handsome man came out of the house.
“What’s up, Bose?” he said, and she replied, “ I am cool”. “You can come in, “ he said sheepishly, and we walked in after him.
The apartment was big with antique furniture, two seater chairs, a glass center table, a rugged down floor, and was painted in pink and yellow stripes.
“You can have your seat,” he uttered with a gasp, and I jumped on the chair, which bounced me up like a balloon. “ So who is my small friend?” he asked, looking in my direction, and I replied with “ Oyebolu”.
“ My name is Stanley,” he said as he stood up and went to his fridge to get us cool Yoghurt.
I liked him immediately because of his funny ways and calm personality, showing how kind he was.
I enjoyed my day eating Jollof rice and fried fish and also took some money home as a tip.
I looked at both of them as they talked and laughed while I was busy devouring everything I could on one plate, and this is how I met Stanley. “Can I call you big bros?” I asked, bending my head sideways. “Why not?” he replied with a smile that shone bright like the morning star.
My first experience with him made me always ask Aunty Bose if she was going soon so I could follow her.
Years passed by, and I used to see big bros Stanley in our vicinity, and I always cashed out on him because he would force the money in my pocket even if I rejected, and a few times I ran away. He sent Auntie Bose to deliver the money to me which she did.
Then growing to be a teen, Auntie Bose’s family relocated somewhere else, and we lost contact, and life continues. Then on this fateful day, I wanted to go play football at a mini stadium allocated in my area, and as I was walking out of my compound, I saw this man walking down to a car, and his face looked familiar. “Big bros Stanley,” I screamed after I recalled his identity, and he turned by to look at me.
He was now grown with a well-carved moustache and sideburns, but his face never changed. “ Oyebolu,” he replied, and I walked towards him as he stretched his hand to shake me.” You are now a big boy,” he said, smiling as his white and well-set sets of teeth showed.
“Abi na big bros Stanley, growth is inevitable,” I replied as he opened his car to give me a lift, then I remembered Auntie Bose.
“Big bros Stanley, extend a sincere greeting to your wife on my behalf,” I said.
“She is doing well,” he replied, then he looked at me all of a sudden with a realization.
“Hope it is not Bose you are referring to,” he asked inquisitively.
“Yes na,” I replied laughing, but his facial expressions made me confused.
“Bose…, she left me years ago, claiming that I was too gentle for her liking, “ he answered, dimming his eyes with a frown.
I was speechless as Auntie Bose was the first set of people I knew who would reject a man like Big bros Stanley. I did not reply as I watched him like a statue then he continued.
“ Before we went our separate ways, I used to go pay her a visit where she and her family relocated. Then one day, her father told me that he didn't want me to come visit them again, and he burst out at his daughter’s complaint. He concluded with a grin.
“Just like that,” I asked.
“ Do you know that I have not seen her since then?” he answered.
“ What about her phone number “ I asked in a low tone.
“ Not going through again, I think she must have changed her number or blocked my line” he replied.
I was both surprised and disappointed in Auntie Bose's way of thinking, but “who knew what big bros Stanley was not saying,” I soliloquized, knowing that there are three sides to a story: The first, the second, and the truth.
Big bros Stanley took me to my destination, we exchanged numbers and he left. Being worried and confused, I called my sister to ask about Auntie Bose, who she told me got married years ago and travelled the outskirts of the town with her husband, so I gave up the inquiries and forgot about everything, wishing her the best of luck.
A year later, I traveled to the west side of my country and decided to visit my sister and her family for an impromptu visit on a weekend, and to my surprise, I met Auntie Bose there. She looked older than her age, unkept, with bruises on her face and swollen lips. “What happened?" I asked after recognizing and greeting her.
“ I missed the ship, “ she replied and continued.
“I left Stanley believing that he was a green snake under green grass, likewise being a pretender as pretenders do the worst, only to marry Ayo, who could do anything for me while we dated, to only realize that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing,” she concluded, looking at her feet.
I could hardly digest the statement, but I was arguably not confused about it either. She missed the ship truly, and I ruminated that with a gulp of spit, I swallowed with a nod.