“… Borrowed, borrowed heaven…,”
The Corrs sang from Uloma’s
earpiece, and she moved her head
and sang along quietly as she
looked out the bus’ window.
She was happy, well as happy as
she could be. All her plans seemed
to be falling into place; she was
finally going for service, and it was
not too far from Lagos which was
her home, but neither was it to
close, giving her the needed space
from her family. She had space to
be independent, but she could
always go back home from Edo
state, where she was posted, if
things go bad and she needed the
love and warmth of her family.
Another reason she was happy
about the distance from home was
that she loved travelling. She loved
watching the trees and grasses on
unoccupied lands pass by, she
loved seeing how other people
lived, she loved observing.
She knew that the coming 365
days would give her some of the
desired exposure and then
according to Funmilayo, she would
face life proper.
Funmilayo.
At the thought of Funmilayo, the
look of happiness on her face
turned to a frown, unbeknownst to
Uloma.
Since Funmilayo went to service
before her, because she went to a
private university and had her
results processed faster, she had
become proud. How dared she tell
her that she would know what life
is after she was done with service.
Not just that, she had also said
she, Uloma, would be expected to
get married, and to make matter
worse, she had said it in the
presence of her boss who had
laughed along with her.
Uloma didn’t blame her though, she
was the one who had decided to
visit her at her office to let her
know she would be travelling for
service. It was not her fault at all.
“But she apologized,” a voice
whispered.
“Yes she did, but she can go to hell
with her apology,” Uloma replied
herself. “Over my dead body will I
forgive her. It’s about time each of
us went our way.” She ended.
Forcing the thought of Funmilayo
and her numerous texts and
ignored calls from her mind, Uloma
allowed her mind wonder what
NYSC camp would be like. She had
heard different stories of different
experiences at the camps, and she
wondered what her personal
experience would be like.
The different tales made her
confused on what to expect, so she
decided to think of what she hoped
would happen there.
Who knows, she might find the love
of her life there!
Or she might get connection to a
great job there!
The possibilities were endless, but
no matter what, she would ensure
she has a great time, she promised
herself.
She had just looked out the window
again, watching the terrain pass by
when she felt her phone vibrating.
The intensity of the vibration told
her that it was an incoming call
and not a text. Uloma hated
drawing unnecessary attention to
herself and so whenever she knew
she would be in the midst of
people, she put her phone on
vibration mode. Even though her
phone is usually on the vibration
mode, she still chose ringtones
which she believed were cool.
Her present ringtone, Asa’s Satan
Be Gone played in her head as she
brought out her phone to check the
caller. The caller ID brought back
the frown.
Funmilayo. Again.
Why won’t she leave her alone?
She was no longer interested in the
friendship, is it by force? Funmi
could keep her apologies to herself,
why she, Uloma, would keep the
forgiveness Funmi so longs for.
She was okay without her.
Uloma knew that disrespect starts
little by little, and before you knew
it, you are seen as a nuisance. She
wasn’t going to wait for Funmilayo
to disrespect her openly before she
put her in her place.
Ignoring the call, she turned her
gaze back to the road. Funmi
should go to hell with her apologies
as far as she was concerned. She
was beginning a new life, and
won’t allow such kinds of people
disturb her mind or follow her into
the new life she was carving out
for herself.
She was trying to see if she could
recognize some of the plants in the
overgrown bushes the bus was
swiftly passing by when she felt
another vibration and she knew it
was a text. Her uncle was
supposed to send her some money,
so she hoped it was the credit alert
coming in and quickly checked.
Biting back the expletives which
threatened to pour from her mouth,
she mentally insulted Funmi who
had decided to send her a text.
Again.
Hello dear, I guess you are on your
way to camp, or have you arrived?
Please I’m begging again, forgive
me. I was joking and didn’t mean to
annoy you. Have fun and stay safe at
camp. It’s an experience of a
lifetime. Enjoy it. Hope you’d reply
me.
“Is she mad? What’s her problem?”
Uloma thought. “Also what’s her
business with how I stay at camp?
Talking to me like her child,
nonsense! If she likes let her kill
herself, I am not forgiving her until
the day I die, let her get used to
it.”
As she moved to put her phone
back into her bag, she felt the
driver swerve sharply just as a
woman behind her shouted, “Driver,
take it easy o! We have people
waiting for us to arrive safely.”
Uloma had just turned to see who
was speaking when the bus hit
something, something hard enough
to cause the passengers to scream
out.
If she had lived, Uloma would have
told how her perceived death
happened in what seemed like slow
motion.
She turned back to see what the
bus had hit, only to be welcomed
by shards of glass piercing her
face and her eyes. The reflex move
to protect her face came late, and
she felt her hand fill up quickly in
what she wished was not blood.
She felt herself thrown around as
the bus kept at its somersaulting
motions, each turn shutting up
some of the shouts from other
passengers forever.
For some reason, the ear plugs
were still in her ears and she could
still hear the music reechoing
“Borrowed heaven.” Uloma
remembered her last thought
before the accident, “ I won’t forgive
her until the day I die..,”
“Borrowed, borrowed, Heaven…” the
Corrs sang on as Uloma realized
this was the day she was going to
die and she might as well forgive
Funmilayo.
“I forgive you,” she said to herself,
just as her head hit something
hard, sending her into darkness and
relieving her of the borrowed life.
Hours later, the medics will find
the phone still playing ‘Borrowed
Heaven’, and the earplugs still
firmly in the listener’s ears, even
though she was long gone.
Uloma kept her promise though.
She forgave Funmilayo the day she
died.
The End!
