The Guest

Bolaji’s heart is pacing, he just got back from the airport where he had gone to drop his guest. The stranger turned friend he never knew he needed. Now he does not know if he will ever see her again. His steps from the car to his doorstep felt like forever. He was sombre and felt lost in his little world. “I can’t ever believe I will find myself in this position”, he whispered to himself silently. “How did I get here?”, he thought to himself.

Bolaji

Bolaji was a very successful young man. He was ambitious, brilliant, academically sound, and street smart. All these qualities made him everyone’s delight and he wouldn’t hesitate to tell his story to anyone that got comfortable enough to ask him about his story. In as much as he seemed very open and easily accessible, he was very selective and particular about those that could gain access to his emotions. Bolaji was a hard guy and ladies that flocked around him will always complain about how he is never serious with them while they were eagerly waiting for him to define their relationship.

October 3^rd

On the 3rd of October 2021, Bolaji, who stayed in a 2 bedroom, fully furnished apartment at the highbrow Lekki area in Lagos, had decided to put out one of his unoccupied rooms up on the Air Bed and Breakfast application hoping to just make some money off his extra room. After about 3 hours, he got a notification buzz. A lady who was hoping to land in Lagos the following day for a two-week-long management program had indicated an interest in his opening, and without thinking much about it, he approved the reservation.

Arrival

Bolaji had determined to give his new guest a good treat so he could have good ratings on the app as this was his first time posting on it. He had gotten to the airport about 20 minutes before her scheduled landing time and had gotten some welcome cards to hand over to his new guest once they met. Eventually, after waiting for a while, a beautiful young lady in her mid-twenties approached him as he carried a placard displaying her name. “Are you Miss Kemi?” He asked with a mild smile running through his cheek. “Yes, please” the young Kemi replied, as he put his hand forward to help with her bag, and off they went.

As time went by, Bolaji found himself spending more of his free time with Kemi. Kemi also had lots of free time as her program was scheduled to end before noon. During one of their many conversations, they both discovered that they had a mutual friend, who had been a schoolmate of Kemi during her undergraduate studies. “What a small world!” Bolaji exclaimed. And they both went out for drinks and dates.

Departure

As the end of her stay approached, and Kemi was about preparing for her return trip, Bolaji discovered that he had become a little too attached to his guest. A feeling he had barely experienced in his life. He wondered if it was just a feeling or something more. He knew there was something special about Kemi, and he would love to spend more time with her, but for the first time in his life, he couldn’t express his feelings. “Does this mean I am falling in love with my guest?” Bolaji said to his friend Lucas at one of their hangouts. His friends advised him and told him “The heart knows what it wants when it sees it”.

Bolaji was conflicted in making up his mind as he didn’t want to seem like he was taking advantage of his host position to make his guest feel uncomfortable. 

As Kemi dropped from his car while approaching the departure terminal, Bolaji with a fast-beating heart and sweaty palm decided to ask the question if Kemi wouldn’t mind seeing him again, but before he could put himself together to let his guest know his intent, she had crossed a line where a non-flight passenger could cross. She looked back and waved at him with a beautiful smile. Bolaji waved back and all of a sudden, he felt like his heart was going to leave his body as it felt heavy. He had missed the chance to let Kemi know his feelings and he hoped to find a way to make amends. But for now, he has to live with his incompetence.