Eleven | Hitch a Ride

Be who you are and say how you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those that matter don't mind— Dr. Seuss

~•~

Kemi sat on the orange chair under the rectangular shelter at the bus stop— at least the government of Enugu State had been thoughtful enough to renovate the bus stops by creating comfortable shelters for it's citizens.

She sighed as she checked her for the time on her phone, it was 5:00pm. She had spent an extra hour at work because her boss had insisted on keeping her back until she finished attending to prospective clients and sorting through new mails. The company had just launched a new software program that made website creation and design a whole lot easier and they were getting a lot of positive feedbacks but some customers still noticed some glitches in the program.

Another thirty minutes had been spent trying to solve a misunderstanding between a cleaner and a security guard. Trust most humans to find it hard to admit that they were the ones in the wrong even if it was very conspicuous.

At first, Kemi had been waiting for a tricycle or a taxi, but after waiting for nearly an hour she could settle for anything else be it a bus or even a bike— which was impossible because one wouldn't find a bike in this part of the city.

She glanced over at the crowded bus stop and observed that most people weren't as agitated as she was. An old man to her right was sleeping as if he was born and bred at the bus stop and a young lady next to him was breastfeeding her baby while scrolling through her phone.

The teenage girls behind her were giggling and gisting oblivious to the heartache of their parents waiting for them to return from school. As the saying goes 'imagination is something that sits up with a parent when their teenager stays out late.'

Kemi chuckled to herself as she remembered Iya Dunni from the Wedding Party movie shouting "our children have been kidnapped" when the couple arrived late for the reception.

By 6:00pm she was trekking away from the bus stop hoping to hitch a ride, she felt her phone vibrate in her bag. She brought it out noticing for the first the three calls she had missed, all from her mother. Kemi groaned as she called the woman who was probably by the gate chewing her fingers.

Bisola picked on the first ring. "Hello mummy—"

"Ahahn omo mi, do you want to kill me before my time eeh. Where are you?"

"Mummy I have been waiting for a cab or bus for some hours now oh. I have been at the bus stop. I have not been kidnapped."

"Oh you think this is funny abi!
Where are you? I'm coming to get you!"

Kemi removed the phone from her ear as her mother yelled endlessly. She looked around the busy road eyeing the few buses that were already full moving at a snail's pace. "Don't worry yourself mummy, I'll find a ride."

That said Kemi dropped the call, she knew she was in for some tongue lashing when she got home but it was better than stressing her mother. One of the many reasons she wanted to move out of her family home to her own apartment, oh the freedom.

She  noticed a car slowing down beside her.
"Hello pretty need a ride?" a husky voice called out from within the vehicle.

No I need a ticket to Jerusalem!

She turned to the sleek black Toyota Corolla that glistened under the street light and gaped at the man behind the wheels.

His fair skin shone under the yellow light of the car, he had on a red blazer with a shirt beneath probably on a blue denim— she couldn't tell. His brown hair was cut short with his light brown eyes raised up at the corners. Slightly pinkish lips curled up in a small smile which made his dimples prominent as she awaited her reply.

"Is there a prerequisite?" he asked cutting short her assessment of him.

"For what?"

"For giving you a ride because you've been observing me for," he paused and looked at his wrist watch. "For soso minutes now."

"Soso minutes," she laughed. "Is that even a word besides I want to be sure that you are not a serial killer or something."

"Oh I am a killer all right, a lady killer," he added and winked at her. "And besides a serial killer won't say 'hey look I'm a psycho that kills for a living, hop in.'"

Kemi laughed and the mystery man admired her.

"You have a nice laughter."

"Weird complement but thanks I guess," she added opening the door of his car. She told him were she lived and he drove off while teasing her about wasting his time.

"So is the name as pretty as the face?"

Kemi scoffed, "and why should I tell you my name?" She glanced at him the veins by the side of his head throbbed as he manoeuvred traffic.

"Come on pretty, you're in my car the least you can do is to tell me your name." When he saw that didn't work out he tried a different tactic.
"The name's Benjamin Amadi. You can call me Ben."

Kemi shrugged, "Benji is fine by me."

He laughed, "really? I prefer that the ladies call me a less obnoxious name."

Kemi rolled her eyes, "Kemi Bankole."

"Is that all? No pleased to meet you or something, come on babe you don't have to be shy." He placed his hand in her thigh and Kemi sucked in a breath while gently removing his hand. Ben laughed.

Out of the blues his swerved his car from the main road into a the lonely street. When Kemi asked he simply said it was to beat traffic.
They delved into small talk, Kemi found out that he was the manager at Celebrities, the one close to the Polo Park Mall.

"Frankly I haven't been to the eatery since ShopRite and co. came to be," Kemi said as she observed the unfamiliar street, she hadn't been to this part of town before although one of her mother's friends lived here she wasn't sure though.

"But we are still the best you know," he glanced at her.

"Yeah," she patted her head. "My dad insists on buying bread from there."

He laughed and was about to say something when the car suddenly jerked forward and came to a complete halt. "Shit," he cursed.

"What's wrong?" She asked putting her hands on her chest.

"It's— it's nothing I'll go check it out," he assured her while stepping out of the car. Minutes later Kemi followed suit, he was squatted next to the front tire of the car.

"Flat tire?" she inquired. She saw him nod his head under the light of the dimly lit street.

He brought out his phone from the side pocket of his trousers. "You should get in I'll call someone and see what I can do."

She was about to ask him to turn on his headlamps to ease her nerves when a car approached them it's headlamps piercing the dark street, it stopped a few feet away from them. Someone came out from the driver's side—a man Kemi noticed—and walked towards a gate adjacent to were his car was parked. He seemed to stop on his tracks, glance over at them and start taking tentative steps towards them.

Kemi felt her heart thump against her chest rapidly as he approached them. He walked past her without a word and stopped in front on Ben.
"Good day sir what seems to be the problem?"

"Nothing I can't handle," Ben said flatly.

"That voice sounds so familiar," Kemi thought.

He turned towards her.
"Kemi," he half shouted as his eyes widened in recognition.

"Nnamdi... I ermm... He gave me a ride then this happened." She pursed her lips and squirmed under his intense gaze.

"You won't mind if I take her of your hands?" he asked Ben. The latter shrugged casually.

Ben knew it would be suspicious if he insisted so he played it cool, "I don't mind do you?"

Nnamdi ignored his tone and ordered Kemi to wait by his car and without a word she obeyed him taking her hand bag from Ben's car first before walking over to his.

Nnamdi watched her for a moment before turning back to the man in front of him that seemed all too familiar. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"No your face doesn't flip a switch," he yawned and that was his signal that he was tired of the conversation already.

Kemi watched the two men as she stood by Nnamdi's car, she couldn't help but suspect that  something fishy. Ben didn't act as if he was worried about his car having a flat tire, he appeared calm. She hadn't even noticed the flat tire or was it her imagination?

She didn't notice when Nnamdi strolled towards her until he opened the car door, "Thank you," she said basking in the feeling of him close to her. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"I came to see a friend," he answered pointing at the black gate he had been heading to earlier.

"What did he say was wrong with his car?"

"Something about engine problem." He looked at her impatiently still holding the door open.

"What? But he—"

"Just get into the car Kemi!" he snapped.

She scrambled into the car and Nnamdi sighed as he closed the door behind her. He looked at the man leaning on his car and couldn't help but notice that something was not quite right— but he couldn't place his fingers on it.

Benjamin scowled at the black car as it went farther down the street. He had let her get away she literally slipped from his fingers, his cousin would be furious. He punched impatiently at his keypads dialing her number, she picked at first ring;

"Hello Benny I—"

"Just get here now!" he bellowed into the speaker and cut the call.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned on his car waiting for his cousin to show up.

Hello sweet potatoes ❤

I had to bring out this chapter, my lazy thumbs refuse to agree with me. At this point I'm out of drafts hehe😓

We're are at 300 reads *screams* 🙌🙌
Thanks again guys I wouldn't have done it without you.❤❤

Notify if you see typos tho 😇

Quick question;
If Wattpad was a course at school on a scale of 1–100% what would be your score? 📖📖

Mine is 200.55%
I dunno how I came about the score 😂😂

Tag ya friends my loves 👋

Too busy to blink,
Sky_teddy✌