My breath hitched. My brain refused to function. Was I still asleep? Had I somehow dozed off in the taxi, and this was just another level of the dream? Because this was madness.
"KD, sit down, lah! Why you dey stand like thief wey dem catch?" my roommate, Jerry, whispered as he yanked me onto the bench beside him.
I plopped down in a daze. "Jerry," I muttered, still staring at her, "you see that girl over there?"
Jerry followed my gaze and shrugged. "Yeah, that’s Emmie. One of those dbee girls. Why? You know her?"
Emmie! So that was her name too? But how? How did my mind create a person who already existed? Or had I somehow... predicted the future? My heart pounded. This was too much for a broke university boy to handle at 7:30 AM.
Jerry snapped his fingers in front of my face. "KD, focus! African Studies paper in thirty minutes. Forget whatever romantic nonsense is running through your head."
But how could I forget? This was not just any girl. This was the girl. My dream girl—literally.
The invigilator entered, and the usual pre-exam tension settled over the room. Whispered prayers, frantic last-minute flipping through notes, and the occasional nervous sighs filled the space. I, however, was still trying to process my existential crisis.
Then, as if the universe wasn’t done playing tricks on me, Emmie turned her head... and our eyes met.
For a moment, time stood still. I could hear nothing, see nothing, except those big, curious eyes staring right into mine. And then—
She frowned.
Wait. Why was she frowning? Why did she look slightly irritated? Had she also seen me in her dream?
I quickly looked away, pretending to be deeply interested in my answer booklet, though my brain was running on empty. Ah, KD, see your life. Instead of impressing her, you’ve made her think you’re some creepy stalker. This is why you must mind your business in life!
The exam started. My pen hovered over the paper. The first question stared back at me:
Explain the relevance of oral traditions in African societies.
Ei, wait, what’s this? The question looked familiar. In fact, all five questions looked familiar. My eyes widened. Herh. This was the exact same exam I had written in my dream the previous week!
Suddenly, my mind cleared. The dream! I remembered the answers I had written in the dream! I quickly picked up my pen and started writing furiously, my heart racing with excitement. This was my chance. The gods had given me apor!
Ten minutes in, I glanced at Emmie again. She was calmly writing, occasionally brushing her braids behind her ear. My heart did a little flip. Was this fate? Had destiny planned this entire thing? What if—
BANG!
A loud noise interrupted my thoughts. A student’s chair had collapsed under him. The whole hall erupted into laughter, but I had no time for distractions. I bent my head and continued writing.
By the time the invigilator announced, "Five minutes more!" I was on fire. I had answered every question like a scholar who had spent years studying African traditions.
"Pens down!" the invigilator barked.
I let out a deep breath. I had done it. I had survived. More importantly, I had seen her again.
As students shuffled out of the hall, I made a silent vow. This time, I wasn’t going to let her just walk away. I needed to know her, talk to her. But how? How does a broke first-year student approach a girl who looked like she had Ghana's money in her Momo account?
As she walked past me, my heart pounded. Now or never, KD.
"Hey," I blurted out.
She paused and turned. Those same big eyes met mine, but this time, they weren’t frowning. They were expectant. Waiting.
"Uh... You, um, you write the paper?" I asked stupidly.
She blinked. "No, I was here to fry plantain."
Ah, what kind of nonsense question was that? KD, you’ve disgraced your ancestors.
She smirked and walked away, leaving me standing there, feeling like an expired loaf of bread.
Jerry appeared beside me, shaking his head. "Ei, KD, this your love story dier, part one ankasa e spoil."
I sighed, watching Emmie disappear into the crowd. No. This was not the end. The universe had brought her into my dream, into my reality. And I was going to make sure she stayed in it.
Even if it killed me.
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