CLARION CALL EPISODE 2

EPISODE 2

The embarrassment that accompanied the cashier’s countenance dented his ego. He felt stupid for the decision he had taken. While it was daring enough to be piously hopeful that his account had been remitted, he had also gone to grab a withdrawal slip before joining the queue. The cashier had almost handed him the sum when the computer brought out his account balance. “Aside the bank’s #1000 mandatory deposit, all you have left is #133.50k”. She said mildly with a smile reek of obvious sarcasm.

The professional nicety she had earlier displayed had given way for a seemingly momentary repugnance. He felt emasculated by her perceived mockery. Perhaps he was just being unnecessarily paranoid with his ‘fallacious’ perception of her countenance but it was hard reconciling her mild smile with an account at its lowest ebb. It seemed an instinctive way of trivializing seemingly embarrassing situations but he managed to muster a cynical smile that heralded a resigned sigh.

For a moment, Bridget’s presence got him drained of all dignity and pride. His ego faded into oblivion as he went numb with pitiable tranquil. This was definitely an abysmal plunge in the respect he believed Bridget had for him. He knew she thought highly of him. A lump grew in his throat as he thought of arresting this conundrum with a hopefully ‘unsung’ candour. He knew it wasn't a big deal that he had no money in his account but the presence of Bridget veiled that reasoning entirely. He made an audacious turn with the intention of feigning a satisfactory smile and was rightly astonished to discover Bridget had since left to pick up a new withdrawal slip.

“ What happened?”. He inquired, concealing his elation as he gently nudged her when he got to her side.

“Oh it’s you”. She retorted with a quick smile that gave her face a good lit. “I had made a mistake on my slip”.

“Thought as much”. He replied in a husky tone.

“Guess you are done”. She rhetorically asked without looking up from the slip she was filling. Smiling, she said “You have caused a shortage of cash in this bank after your withdrawal, I’m sure”.

Her playful notion brought a weak smile to his face. He wasn’t sure what his response should be, so he opted to remain mute. There were times he had had the feeling that stuttering was inevitable though when speaking with Bridget, so giving a smile as a perfect substitute for words was becoming his habitual escape. He had overcome that feeling and it was noticeable in the chat they had had while on the queue. This time around, the silence owed much to the weather that had engulfed his bank account.

“It’s high time I got back to the line”, She said as she prepared to leave the marbled slab she was writing on.

“Are you closed for the day?”. She continued.

He hadn’t heard her. So her question had gone unacknowledged. He was now dead and gone in fantasy and had dislodged his financial predicament to savour the moment with his ‘crush’.

“Are you closed for the day?” she jokingly snarled, obviously aware that his mind had strayed but she didn’t want to be conclusive on what the absent-mindedness was predicated on.

“Sorry, I was marveling at your beauty”. He boldly said. “It made me speechless”

“Don’t start again Bode, thought we were over this”. She responded trying not to make eye contact.

“Well,  I’ve to join the line now”. She quickly added, preparing to make her way back to the line.

“Yea, no problem. I’d ring you up before the wrap of today”.

He gave her a full hug that rang of obvious affection for her.

“I still have to get get back to my office”. He mustered after the embrace, it was all for want of something to say. 

He watched her sashayed towards the line in elegant gait and was sadly perturbed that he couldn’t dare to wait for her. He felt a gush of emotion reverberate through his being.

Everything about her screamed perfection, it was as though the Angels had whispered “Perfect!” on the day she was ‘carved’.

  He didn’t want her to harbour a misconception about his person. By irrational intuition, he felt Bridget may have wanted him to wait for her, perhaps because he had ‘withdrawn’. “One can never be too sure of a girl’s mind”. He thought to himself  but he felt foolish for that quick thought. “Bridget doesn’t appear to be the demanding type or even in the ilk of overly materialistic girls. Even if she is, I would gracefully oblige to her every demand as long as she’s mine”. He said thoughtfully as he made his way out of the bank.

It was a long trek home from the bank. The sun was as usual, at its maximum and he could feel stream of sweat drip down his fore. As he walked along the tarred road, he saw the new corp members in their full khaki attire, ‘7/7’. They were the new batch and had completed their orientation in camp the previous day. He knew they were going about their documentations and eargerly so. He gave a relieved smiled as he remembered the stress he had gone through while doing his documentation months back. The orientation camp was particularly interesting and fun. He had been reunited with old friends from his primary school and secondary school. Many of his University friends were also at the same camp. Except for the long ‘boring’ lectures they were compelled to listen to in the camp’s hall, every other thing was relished with a fond reminisce. He missed the camp and his friends too. Most of them had now redeployed to different states. Then he remembered Chioma and their escapade under the almond tree.

©Foltem