“So what you want me to take for you in school tomorrow, and how come you not gon be coming?” I asked Christy, I wanted to quickly change the subject of what we was previously talking about. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to delve deeper into the subject and talk more about it, it’s just that I didn’t know what to say, and I didn’t want to make the conversation uncomfortable for her.
“I already told you boy. I just need you to get some papers from the office tomrrow and drop it off at my house because I’m not gonna be here tomorrow.” Christy said to me.
“Why you not gon be here? You gotta go to the hospital to get your aids checked out?” I asked Christy while half laughing.
Christy smiled at my comment. “HA-HA very funny JASON, but actually no I don’t have aids, I don’t got what you got, sorry.” Christy said to me while half laughing.
I scoffed at her. “HOW RUDE! Are you trying to say that I have aids?” I asked her.
“Well if that’s what you was able to derive from my previous comment then that’s precisely what I’m saying.” Christy said to me in a nonchalant tone.
“I hate you, I think you’re fat.” I said to Christy.
“For real though? Can you please do it?” Christy said to me.
“Hmm… I.. don’t… know… Me and my mom gotta go out to eat I told you.” I said to her.
“Boy I already told you that I’ma cook for you when you come over.” Christy quickly said to me. “I’ma make for you whatever you want Jason. I don’t know how to make that African food that you be eating but I got some African friends and they can cook it and give you some.” Christy said, trying to coerce me and persuade me into getting those papers for her tomorrow.
“HA-HA very funny. But I don’t even like African food, and I’m not even African, I don’t know where you got that ridiculous notion from.” I said to Christy.
“Ok so if you not African than what are you huh?” Christy asked me over the phone.
I quickly thought of a response. “I’m not African, I’m Nigerian DUH!” I slowly said to Christy as if she was a small child who was incapable of understanding the words that I say so I have to talk slow while conversing with her.”
Christy gave a short loud laugh. A wide smile spread across her face, “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t know, thanks for telling me.” Said Christy.
“Anytime champ! So what was we talking about?” I said to Christy. For some unexplainable reason I had a very strong urge to blurt out something random over the phone, I didn’t know why.
“You was telling me about how you’re not African you’re only Nigerian.” Christy said.
“No, no before that, what was we talking about?” I said to her.
Christy snickered and said “You was telling me about how you’re gonna get those papers for me tomorrow at the office and drop it off at my house.”
I smiled to myself, I knew that’s not what we was talking about but I decided to dismiss it. “Oh yeah, I got you, what time you want me to come to your house tomorrow and drop them off?” I said.
“You can come right after school.” Christy said in a jubilant tone. I knew she was excited. But I couldn’t tell whether or not she was excited about the fact that I’m going to get the papers for her, or that I’m going to be coming to her house. I hoped it was for the latter.
“I got you, as soon as school over I’ma come right over.” I said to Christy.
“YAAY!” A wide smile spread across Christy’s face. “Thank you thank you!” Christy ecstatically said to me over the phone.
As much as she was happy so was I, or even more. But I didn’t want her to know. One of my older friends in high school used to always tell me that whenever you like a girl, do things to make her know that you like her, but never tell her, because when you tell her that’s when she’s going to start feeling like she has the upper hand over you and she can play with you like a puppet.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, so what did you do today?” I said to Christy over the phone.
There was a bit of a pause over the phone, I started hearing a lot of movements on the other end of the line.
“Uhh… what are you doing, why do you keep moving around weirdo?” I exclaimed to Christy.
Christy gave a short laugh. “Shut up, I’m trying to put these pants on, I’m about to go to the store.” Said Christy.
“Then put your pants on and go to the damn store, you sound like you’re in a cage fight.” I said.
“Boy can’t you see I’m trying!” Christy said.
She was definitely trying hard. I could hear a lot of struggle and exertion of effort over the phone, I wondered why she was struggling so much to put her pants on.