JOURNEY PART 3 by sharon

Party." The topic of discussion for the 100 level students in the hostel. Those in  higher levels were not left out. They told us to dress to kill.

"There would be fresh guys there so don't dull o." Tayo repeated, holding her ears.

I was not paying attention; and she removed the earphone from my ear.

"Esther– if you just try to loosen up and stop dressing like this, you will see how your beauty will come out." She looked so excited.

"You are a fine girl o, with this your natural afro hair." She pulled my hair and I rearranged it.

 The question is if I would go or not. I had not really been to a night party before.

 "But if I don't go now that I am in school, when would I?  Definitely not when I'm in my father's house." Still contemplating.

"What's the big deal?" I thought, trying to come up with an outfit for the event. It would be fun, and besides I would be going with my roommates.

 I would get to be in a night party for the first time, I might even get to meet someone. I was alone in the room, everyone went out in search of one thing or the other. I finally got a black short off shoulder gown to wear but no shoe.

I threw the gown in my bag. "come to think of it, I have to buy ticket, I am so not going."

"Esther why are you still like this, are you not going?" My bunk mate came in applying makeup. I so wanted to go; but how will I tell her  I didn't have a shoe to wear.

"I am not going." I answered, pressing my phone.

"Why? you are going, we are all going." She stopped what she was doing and sat close to me.

"But I don't have a shoe to wear with my gown, and no ticket." I did not realize when I said that.  Even if I had decided not to go, deep down I desired to be there.

Jessy stood up laughing loudly.

"Is that why you don't want to go?  Shoes are not a problem, and who says we need tickets?." She drew closer.

"Esther you better stop being like this, borrowing is allowed, everything na packaging, and what are roommates for?"

And before I knew it, I had shoes and was set to go. I packed my hair in a bun with my glasses.

"Where do you think you are going to like this?." Jane stared at me as if I did something really wrong. "Is my gown that bad?." That was my favorite and to me it was the best gown I had.

"Are you not applying makeup? Your face is so bland".

And there I was, sitted in the middle of the room, while my face was being painted and powdered. I must  confess, it was lovely, I was shocked when I saw my face in the mirror.

By 9pm we left the hostel with hope of getting a free pass into the hall.

"No worry about ticket, we go enter that hall." Tayo forced her heels in the bag and wore slippers. There was no way we could walk from the hostel with heels, so we wore slippers. The hostel was not far from the hall so we walked.

Falz' "This is Nigeria" was playing loudly when we got close.  Guys were in suit, most of them with their dates and took pictures; and others in groups chatting. I was beginning to have cold feet after seeing other girls with their gowns.

"I'm sorry but I got a date, and he just called me to meet him, I know you all will get in." Jane left with a guy, leaving the three of us. Temi and Kendra refused to come with us and at  that moment I wished I stayed with them.

Getting  to the entrance, there was no one there to stop us, we hurried inside.

"Excuse me, do you have a table?." A tall, slim or should I call her tiny girl looking grumpy and I assume she was the organiser stopped us.

"Our dates are inside." Tayo quickly replied. She stared at us for sometime and allowed us to go in.  The hall was decorated in a classy way with round tables and about five seats for each; decorated with white and peach. The DJ was doing a good job with the music. We walked on the red carpet and took some pictures, still contemplating on how to get a table.

A guy wearing a blue suit, and red tie snatched tayo away, leaving Jessy and I.

 Jessy walked confidently like she knew exactly where to sit. I just followed her closely, watching my steps to avoid falling with my heels that shook and seemed as if i was dancing.

"Jessy, Esther, so you came, do you have a table or a date?"

 Martins came at the right time, raising his brows with a charming smile that still had an effect on me.

"We...we..uhmm..No." Jessy answered like he was begging her to sit with him.

And that's how we found ourselves a table with Martins and two other guys.

"Not bad." I thought as Mayorkun's Mama filled the hall.

A guy that called himself a comedian walked to the stage, explaining his jokes which was definitely not funny and was humiliated out of the stage. One after the other, different artistes performed, but most of them were either shouting, or jumping around the stage. I was getting fed up,  listening to their boring songs. I sipped my fanta, observing different couples and how most guys shouted like their lives depended on it.

 The host introduced another artiste WeppyG to the stage. "Who is that one again." I hissed.  But as he walked to the stage, I adjusted my glasses, I could not get my eyes off him. There was something about his voice and his smile. His confidence and charisma, the way he rapped. His words made so much sense to me. He was average in height, dark and skinny. I loved the way he looked so good in his cardigan.

"Who is he? I need to get him to talk to me, I want to know him." That's what kept ringing in my head. I clapped and cheered as he performed.

 He was a gospel rap artiste and that attracted me more. My eyes followed him to where he sat. At that moment all I wanted was to get him to notice me; no matter what it took. It was a really strange feeling. I never felt so attracted to a guy before.

 Simi's "I dun care." played in my head as I watched him dance Shaku Shaku.

"Esther answer me." Jessy hit me looking angry.

"Please wait." I focused on knowing where he was going after he left where he sat. I could not let him go like that without talking to him.

When it was time for everyone to dance till they were satisfied, I saw Tayo and Jane close to where he was. Jessy and I quickly rushed to join them and we all danced together.

He was just a few steps in front of me. "Esther do something." I danced

closer to where he was. Luckily for me he was dancing alone

. "Esther what is wrong with you?." I was in too deep and so attracted to him, I couldn't help it.  Our eyes met and I smiled at him.

"He smiled back, he did!" I almost screamed out of excitement.

 "He is coming my way, he is coming Oh my God."