Hello. It’s Me.
It was on the 26th of February, 2020, on a hot Wednesday afternoon by 2:56 pm.
I was walking on the walk lane towards the Lekki Phase One gate, when I saw a tall good-looking man striding down along the sidewalk alone. He was headed over to a group of roadside sellers, evidently to buy something.
He had stopped by a seller when our eyes met. And held. We were looking into each other’s eyes for the duration of the time it took me to walk up to me and walk past him.
And in those moments, it felt like I was in another world. Like…like – you know, it’s not something I can explain. I simply felt enraptured by those eyes boring into me, as though to reach into my soul to find out what secrets I was hiding within. I felt possessed by him.
Then I walked past and we were no longer looking at each other. But I still felt his eyes inside me. It was such an overwhelming feeling, that I wanted to go back and recapture the sensation of looking at him and having him look at me. I also wanted to talk to him, to hear him talk to me.
Before I knew it, I was turning back and walking slowly back toward him. Then I saw that someone else was standing next to him, chatting with him as he bargained with the seller. The new guy was big and chubby, dark in complexion clad in a blue shirt that wasn’t tucked into the black trousers beneath it. My guy was wearing a light purple shirt, whose sleeves were folded, and which was tucked into brown chinos trousers. He was also taller than his chubby friend.
I began to feel my nerve fail me as I approached them. I suspected it was because of the presence of the second guy. I got close enough to hear the seller say to my guy, “You like am?” And for some odd reason, this made me lose the courage that had brought me this far.
You like am? Like what? The market he was trying to buy from the seller? Or the guy the seller likely noticed him staring at?
And instead of walking the rest of the way to go say “Hi” to the man who might be the One for me, I turned back and walked away.
Since that afternoon, I’ve been torturing myself with questions about why I didn’t walk all the way up to him. There’d been just too much magic in that long stare between us that didn’t let up until I walked past him. I have been wishing I could rewind life until I get back that moment and that opportunity to speak to him.
Someone once said to me to believe in serendipity, that good fortune that’s meant to be yours will find a way to give you the opportunity to rediscover it. But I have been wondering: how am I sure I will ever see Him again? What if he doesn’t live in Lekki? What if he simply came to visit? Even if he lives in Lekki, Phase One isnt exactly a small community where we can simply bump into each other. How would we see again?
I pray that Fate will bring us together again. I will take it as a sign from Destiny if we run into each other again. And this time, no matter the circumstances, I will surely say Hi.
In the meantime, if you are Him and you are reading this, please remember that moment when you were staring into the eyes of a light-skinned guy wearing a face-cap, and clad in a black T-shirt and jeans and a backpack. The guy who was staring right back at you.
That guy is me. And maybe you want to say Hello too.
Written by Junior
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14 Comments
Net
March 02, 07:18Lol it’s good to be dreamy but what if he wasn’t staring at you or he was but his mind was somewhere else… anyway, I hope fate brings you guys back to each other if there was really a staremistry.
Pink Panther
March 02, 07:30Staremistry. lol. That’s a good one.
Ken
March 02, 07:21Don’t do it.
Pls pls it’s good to have courage, but even better to be alive and healthy. Nigeria is not a place u want to test the waters to find Mr Right. Stick to the internet and be doubly sure before u make assumptions that can be disastrous. For all u know, that guy might be homophobic, kitoer or worse, a security agent hell bent on “catching Dem homos”. Don’t assume every stare comes from a good place. Ndooo
Pink Panther
March 02, 07:32This!!! ???
Realme
March 02, 08:06Honestly I don’t know what to say. Staring is never enough but still it’s a start. For most who make their move quickly.. it’s always end well for many(a friend) it’s end very very badly.
Higwe
March 02, 08:39There could have been a thousand reasons he was starring and not one had to do with physical attraction .
* Maybe you reminded him of a face he knew *
* Maybe he was deep in his thoughts and just fixated his eyes on you *
If it’s truly serendipity , then best believe you’re going to see him again ….if it’s not , then take it as one of those endless puzzles life throws at us ( for fun) and somehow never gives an answer. ?
*********
Oh , I definitely think the seller was talking about his goods ….. that’s the most rational thing to believe …don’t you think ?
Fred
March 02, 10:41Even time was so specifically captured!
Ahn-ahn!
Demi
March 02, 14:06Haaahhhahahaaa.. Lmao
KingB
March 03, 13:22You is wicked man! Lol.
Mikey?
March 02, 12:05I think the stare is genuine it wasn’t blank and their eyes met and held that can’t be him having his mind somewhere else, I’ve had such stares that you can’t explain and my instinct are always right on those stares. Don’t worry you’ll find him or maybe he’s here but I don’t think he’ll comment here, he may ask for your details through pinky and say that hello back, just keep us updated when whichever happens okay?
Audrey
March 02, 23:31Sometimes last month I was on my way from church and wanted to pick a cab from the Bstop(I had left my folks to drive themselves from church cos they had to stay back for a meeting and I had to go prepare for work cos there was a new policy of deducting salaries of late comers in the office and I didn’t want to be a Victim) when a Tricycle that had just one space drove up on me and one of the occupants gestured that I hopped in and rode with them(He was sitting right next to the driver).
I had almost declined the offer as my rider had informed me that he was close by when I noticed how cute the guy who had waved at me was….Dude was my definition of an Alpha male as he was dark,well built,Cute asf and had a pink lips.Children of Gawd I still don’t know how I got into the Keke but all I know is that I saw myself gisting away with him.
He informed me he’d soon be alighting and I made the bold step of asking for his number in the full glare of the other passengers and he obliged me.Well as of today we’ve shared our first kiss but he insists he’s straight but would want to explore a bit though he’s asking that I go easy on him.
I’m not hoping that it leads to anything serious but I’m happy that I took that step of wanting to know him more and I hope it inspires someone out there to have an open mind when it comes to meeting your love mates after all we find love in hopeless places.
Tariq
March 03, 00:36Wow
Loki
March 03, 10:14Dat stare, always leaves me wondering. But dis is nigeria, i try to remi d myself of dat each time i dat haopens to me. Av heard of kito stories nd blive me i dnt fancy being one. Anyways wats urs is urs, d universe will find a way to bring u togeda in d end. Gudluck
Saucebutton
March 04, 08:20But you have to believe in the fact that it is yors and even rejoice in just knowing that it will come to you. Most times we forebode our joy and still expect good things.