It’s been three weeks since Lucy met Michel at his restaurant and she had been trying his number and it hasn’t been connecting. She was in her living room trying to call him for the umpteenth time and it’s still not connecting.

“But would he have purposely given me a wrong number?” she thought to herself.

” Why are you looking all sad and talking to yourself? Any other person will think you are going crazy with the way you’ve been talking to yourself of late,” Betty asked as she walked up to her.

She had been observing her friend for a while and she couldn’t deny that Michel guy had gripped her to the core. When she came home three Saturdays ago and told her she met him at his restaurant and had a chat with him, she was lively but she had started behaving strangely the next day when she tried his number and it didn’t go through. She had been bothered because she thought her friend had finally gotten someone to take her mind off the hurt of three years ago even though she kept denying she didn’t feel anything for him. But she couldn’t be fooled…one can’t deny that it is written all over her.

 

“Still not connecting?” Betty asked her when she didn’t reply her question.

“Yea, and I’m beginning to think he gave me a wrong number.”

“Come on don’t be ridiculous, why will you say such a thing?”

“Well, for starters, am not really his fan and secondly the number has not been connecting for three weeks now, so tell me how I’m being ridiculous?” Lucy asked, feeling irritated.

“Maybe you were not a fan of his before, but you apologized and the young man forgave you, had a chat with you and gave you his number, if he didn’t want to be friends with you, he would have told you there and then, just give him the benefit of doubt, I’m sure he will have an explanation to this when you guys get to talk.”

“I don’t even know what to think.”

“Just calm down and don’t overwork yourself. Why don’t you call his friend, maybe she can help you get to him.”

“No, I don’t want her to think I’m desperate. Moreover, I purposely declined giving him my number, so I will deal with it myself.”

“You need to drop your pride and ego sometimes to get what you want and nobody is saying you are desperate. I’m just saying you should ask for help, nobody is an island.”

 

“Thanks, prof, but like I said, I’m good, it not like my life depends on talking to him.”

“Suit yourself, just get your act together. I don’t like the way you’ve been behaving for a while now.”

“How have I been behaving?”

“You know and you can’t deny the truth.”

“Which is what, if I may ask madam sabi all?”

“That you are falling in love with Michel.”

“What! Are you kidding me?  I barely know the guy.”

“Keep deceiving yourself, you don’t have to know him that much before you fall for him. You’ve been behaving strangely since the first time you met him. He’s the only person I know you had an altercation with and went to great lengths to find him and apologize. You didn’t stop there, you had to go to his supermarket to try and see if you will run into him and when that didn’t work, you went to his restaurant and finally met him. Since then you’ve been on your phone all day trying to get him and you sit there telling me you don’t have a thing for him, well if that makes you sleep at night, keep telling yourself that.”

 

Betty stood up and headed for the kitchen, “I need to fix us something to eat, hope you hungry?”

“I can eat a horse, right now?”

Lucy sits in the couch reminiscing on what Betty told her earlier and she couldn’t deny that ever since she met him, she had been feeling differently. Usually, if it were to be before, she wouldn’t have left the supermarket without causing more trouble. Nobody insults her and goes free but his had been different. She even had to go the extra mile to apologize to him, something she had never done in three years. Now, here she was trying desperately to get to him and feeling a little angry and jealous that she hadn’t been able to connect to him. And ever since their last conversation, she has been thinking about him a lot and even wishing he was around her. And to make matters worse, his cognac has never left her.

“Why does he affect me so?” she thought to herself.

” I thought I dealt with this three years ago. I need to stop this before it goes too far.” She said as she got to her feet and headed for her room.

 

*             *              *                    *

Coming out of the airport, he looked handsome in his native attire and a suede shoe to match his outfit. Already waiting for him at the car park, Alexa walked up to him and hugged him.

“Hmmm, I miss my baby boo. How was your trip?”

“It was amazing, and which one is you missed me? I just travelled for three weeks.”

“Oh, so three weeks is not long enough for me to miss you? Don’t make me angry.”

“Calm down, that’s not what I meant, just saying I’ve travelled for a longer period of time, that’s all.”

“Yes, and I always miss you even if it’s for a day.”

“Well, I’m home now and you can have me all you want.”

“Ofcos and I’m going to have you all to myself and get back all the time I missed.”

“See this one, what happens to Frank then, if you want to have me all to yourself?”

“He has his time and you have yours, nobody affects the other.”

 

“Hahaha, boss madam, I hear you. Enough of the chit chat, can we go home now? I’m exhausted.”

“Sure, after you dear,” she said as she opened the passenger’s door for him to enter. Then, she turned round to the driver’s side, started the car and drove out of the airport.

While on the road and chatting excitedly with Alexa, Michel’s phone rang and he checked the caller and was surprised it was an unknown caller.

“Who might this be?” he asked, picked the call and put it on speaker.

“Finally your number goes through, did you do this on purpose?” the caller said from the other end.

“First off, who is this and what kind of question are you asking?” Michel asked, getting angry at the rude caller.

” Great, so you can’t even recognize my voice? Well, this is Lucy and why the hell will you give me a number that hasn’t been reachable for the past three weeks, did you do that just to spite me or on purpose because I refused to give you my number? I can’t seem to place a reason to why you did that. I thought we found common ground but I guess I was wrong. “

 

“First of all, is that how you handle things? Because if that is how, then you are full of shit. Secondly, I asked you to give me your number the other day but you declined.”

“And so you decided to make your number inaccessible to me right?” she said cutting in before he could finish with what he wanted to say.

“Jesus! What is really wrong with you? Why will you just jump into conclusions without even hearing my side of the story.” Michel replied already getting irritated and angry at her.

“What is there to hear? You gave me your number and I tried calling you the next day but your number wasn’t connecting and it was like that for three whole weeks and you expect me to think there isn’t something to it?”

” You know what? You can think whatever you want, I don’t give a damn. You want to know why? I will tell you, because your opinion of me doesn’t matter. And let me tell you this, you need to get your acts together, whatever is bothering you, deal with it and don’t bring your demons near me. The world doesn’t revolve around you, young lady, so stop thinking you really matter cos you don’t.” he said and cut the call because he had had enough and he could end up saying more hurtful things to her and he found it funny because in a way he didn’t want to hurt her.

 

“What the fuck is wrong with her? Why does she use every moment to get me angry?” he said hitting his hand on the dashboard.

“Easy now, don’t spoil my dashboard, tiger,” Alexa said as she rubbed his hands to calm him down.

“Oh, so all you can think of is your dashboard, what about my hand?”

“Well you chose to hit it, nobody forced you to, just don’t spoil my dashboard.”

“You’re an idiot”.

“So are you, the king of idiots for that matter, are you good now?”

“How can I be? She just ruined the day for me. I just hit a big deal and I felt like going out to celebrate but now I can’t.”

“I understand dear, just breathe.”

“Do you? Cos from where I’m standing, I’m the one that all the shit was directed at.”

“I get it, but I was listening too, don’t forget, so I know how you feel.”

“Less than two months, less than two fucking months for God’s sake.”

“I don’t get you, what is less than two months?” Alexa asked confused.

 

“That I knew her and she has been nothing but trouble. What is my offence to get this, God?”

“Take it easy, dear, you didn’t offend anyone, somethings are just meant to happen and I think now is the time to help her, she definitely likes you from what I’ve seen.”

“Are you ok? What nonsense are you saying? Can you even hear yourself?” Michel couldn’t believe his ears. “What the fuck is she talking about?”

“One question at a time. I’m not a super-computer and I know what I’m saying. If there’s anyone that can help her, it’s you and I’m serious,” Alexa said, concerned.

“You can’t be, not with everything you’ve seen and I’ve told you. That girl looks for every opportunity to annoy me and you want me to help her. With what just happened, I’m done.”

“You can’t be done. She needs help and you know that.”

 

“And why should I be the one to provide that, she definitely has people around her that cares for her or she can get a psychologist.”

“Yes, she does but she likes you and you can use that to get through to her. You just need her to trust you.”

“Doesn’t look like she wants to from what I’ve seen.”

“She will come around, just give her the benefit of the doubt.”

“Why are you adamant on this issue? Just let it rest, don’t make me believe you set this up.”

“You are a fool. I never knew her until you told me about her and she walked in on us at the restaurant the other day.”

“Then let it rest, I’m done, like I said.”

 

“Trust me you can’t be. I know you are tired. I will take you home and prepare something nice for you to eat, then you rest,” Alexa said and winked at him.

“Now that’s more like it.”

“Smile for mama boy.”

“Go to hell. Concentrate on the run, woman, before you run us into a trailer,” he smiled and it was amazing making him look really sexy.

Alexa couldn’t help but smile too, his smile always had an effect on her and she always wondered why they never worked.

“Some things just don’t always work out the way we wished it did,” she said and sighed.

 

                                    *             *              *                    *

Meanwhile, Lucy was on her bed in her room playing over every word he said and felt really sad.

“Your opinions about me doesn’t matter.”

She wondered why that statement hit her sore. “But why does he make me feel like I’m the one that is in the wrong?”

She was still in a state of thought when Betty walked into her room.

“That was harsh, you know?”

Regaining herself, Lucy sat on the bed and looked at her friend in bewilderment.

“That was harsh?”

“Everything you said to him, you could have listened to him first before throwing judgment at his door.”

“But he cut the call on me, what was I to do?”

 

“You didn’t give him the chance to explain, you were just bombarding him with accusations. How do you expect him to explain himself when you didn’t give him breathing space, he’s human you know, and he’s got blood in his veins.”

“Why will he treat me like I’m not important and what does he mean by the world doesn’t revolve around me?”

“Ofcos, the world doesn’t revolve around you. You aren’t the only one in this world. Moreover, you barely know each other, so he doesn’t owe you anything. You need to get a grip on yourself, girlfriend. You are letting your emotions and hurt affect your life and the people around you. If you continue like this, you will lose important people. “

” God, what’s wrong with me? I need to apologize to him. I don’t even know how to face him. “

“You can’t keep on apologizing to him all the time, you just met the guy not long ago, is this how it will continue between you two? “

“What do you want me to do then. I’m really tired.”

“You need to work on yourself dear. This hurt you bottling inside won’t help you. It will only cause more hurt. You need to break that wall you built and be free again. I miss the Lucy I knew three years ago.”

 

“I can’t. I’ve been too hurt to let anyone play with my heart again. I’m done being the fool.”

“It so funny you are not seeing that the wall is already broken. It is just you that is in denial.”

“I don’t know what you talking about, aren’t you done cooking? I’m famished.”

“Keep deceiving yourself. I will remind you of this conversation when it finally happens.”

“Congrats, prophetess. I will disappoint you, and is the food ready for God sake?”

“Yes, it is. Don’t swallow me, let’s go downstairs.”

 

And the two friends walked downstairs hand in hand and still arguing about Lucy being in love.

“Your opinions about me doesn’t matter to me, the world doesn’t revolve around you.”

“Why do those words hurt that much? Surely Betty can’t be right. I can’t fall for any man. They are all the same, wolves in sheep clothing, but why does everything about him have an effect on her?

“Dear God!!!”

But now was not the time to brood, it was time to kill some demons in her stomach.

 

Love Changes

THE WRITER

Anubi Segun Isaac is a student at National Open University, Nigeria, studying Computer Science. He is single. He loves reading, listening to music and travelling. LOVE CHANGES is his first story on Guest Writer after he completed The Klever Magg’s REWA Creative Writing Course.