Dark Chocolate: Pete's Nirvana





The rain had slowed into a drizzle now, and in light of everything that happened that day , I remembered Grace’s words that morning.
“Go ahead... If anything, verify that you are not gay..."
Well, that’s crystal clear now, wasn’t it? My head twirled from the avalanche of thoughts coursing through it as I walked slowly through the drizzling rain. On instinct I checked the box of chocolate within the paper bag, the box was a bit wet and crumpled at the edges but its content dry and safe.
Then it hit me hard. Straight in the face – the only rational reason I had bought chocolate that evening – Grace.

“I loooovvve chocolate” she had told me one time while we were shopping for food stuff at Tejuosho Market. She had gone into a store and bought a dozen each of various chocolate brands. Enough to last a class of nursery kids for a year. Who does that?! Well, Grace does - and I had sub-consciously carried that cognizance in my sub-conscious all this while.
Like a computer processor, my mind quickly analysed places, people, books and random things and people she loved and admired; chocolates, the lagoon front, her favorite Nigerian writers Chimamanda Adichie, Tobi Kuti. Radio gods - Douglas Jekan. The SUB cafeteria, Mavis, Slush, her roommate Rashida, Sovereign Army. Even that downtown skunk I was trying to get her to stop smoking. She had said she'd stop if I helped her ... me? Could Grace be harbouring feelings for me?
I nearly broke down at the possibility...the pros and cons made me stop shivering immediately but my heart still thumped hard in its coffers.
“Mercy me Lord” I said aloud and instantly broke into a jog.

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