A stranger who wasn't anymore

Before I knew it, replying to Ahmad's messages had quietly become part of my day.

It wasn't intentional. It just... happened.

My mornings still began the same way-with Fajr, lectures, hurried breakfasts, and a silent prayer that my supervisor would be in a good mood. My evenings still ended with project notes scattered across my bed and TikTok videos stealing more time than they deserved.

The only difference was that somewhere between all of that...

There was Ahmad.

My phone buzzed just as I stepped out of the Faculty of Arts.

It was Ahmad.

-Done with lectures?

I smiled unconsciously.

-Just finished.

His reply came almost immediately.

-How bad was today? On a scale of one to ten.

-Twenty-two.

Three dots appeared. Then-

- 😂. Supervisor?

-How did you know?

-Lucky guess.

-Liar.

-Fine. Experience.

I laughed quietly. Maryam glanced sideways.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You smiled."

"I did?"

"You did."

"I was replying to a message."

"Oh." She raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"A friend." Nafisa looked at me knowingly but said nothing.

By the time I got home, my phone buzzed again.

-Have you eaten?

I dropped my bag onto the chair before replying.

-Not yet.

-Why?

-I just got home.

-Fair enough.

-You? 

-I'm waiting for food.

-Waiting?

-My roommate is cooking.

-So you're contributing absolutely nothing?

-Moral support.

I laughed.

-Poor roommate.

-He'll survive.

A few minutes later...

-What do you usually do when you're not pretending to study?

I stared at the message.

-Pretending?

-Yes. Nobody studies twenty-four hours a day.

-I watch films.

-I knew it.

-How?

-You disappeared yesterday for almost four

hours.

I blinked. He noticed?

-I was watching a movie.

-Exactly.

-You're acting like a detective.

-Occupational hazard.

-Political Science students are detectives now?

-Only the handsome ones.

I rolled my eyes before typing.

-Confidence isn't your problem.

-It's one of my strengths.........

That evening, I was halfway through dinner when another message arrived.

My now regular text partner. He wanted to know my favorite movie genre.

The conversation drifted from movies to books.

From books to music.

From music to childhood.

He told me Abuja had never really felt noisy until he visited Lagos.

I laughed so hard I nearly dropped my spoon.

We argued on how Abuja is better than Lagos and how Lagos is better than Abuja.

Our conversation feels natural, we talked not particularly about anything. In just a week I've shared soo much with this stranger as he had done with me also. 

Over the next few weeks, our conversations became longer.

Some nights we talked for ten minutes.

Other nights...

We forgot the time completely.

Sometimes we'd argue over which films deserved their ratings.

Sometimes we'd complain about lecturers.

Sometimes we'd send each other voice notes because typing felt like too much work.

It never felt forced.

It never felt like an obligation.

It just...

Flowed.

One Thursday evening, after Maghrib, my phone buzzed again.

-Busy?

I looked at the pile of project notes on my desk.

Then back at my phone.

-I'm supposed to be working.

-Supposed to?

-Don't judge me.

-Never.

A few seconds later-

-Take a fifteen-minute break.

-My supervisor won't accept that excuse.

-Your supervisor isn't here.

I smiled despite myself.

-You're a bad influence.

-I prefer "fun influence."

I shook my head.

-There's no difference.

-There is.

-Prove it.

-One day.

I stared at the screen for a moment before laughing softly.

For someone I'd never properly met...

He was surprisingly easy to talk to.And without realizing it...

I was beginning to look forward to the little yellow Snapchat notification that appeared every evening.

The funny thing about habits is that they never ask for permission.One day you're replying to a stranger because it feels rude not to.

The next, you're glancing at your phone after every lecture, wondering if they've sent another message. I refused to admit that was happening.

It wasn't. ...Probably.

I had barely dropped my bag on the floor when my phone buzzed.

Ahmad.

-Survived today's lectures?

I smiled.

-Barely.

A reply came almost instantly.

-That bad?

-Let's just say if my supervisor smiles at me tomorrow, I'll assume he's possessed.

-A laughing emoji appeared.

You're exaggerating.

'I'm not.

-Evidence?

I snapped a picture of the notebook lying open on my bed, pages covered with red corrections.

Exhibit A.

A few seconds later...

-'Okay... I owe your supervisor an apology.

-Thank you.

-You're still exaggerating though.

I laughed.

-You're impossible.

-I've heard that before.

"Who are you smiling at?" Maryam's voice startled me. I looked up.She was leaning against my door with a bowl of popcorn in one hand.

"No one."

"Liar."

"I'm serious."

"You've smiled at your phone three times since I came in."

"I have not."

"You have."

She narrowed her eyes dramatically.

"Who's the lucky person?"

"It's nobody."

"Hmm."

She dragged out the sound.

"Nafisa!"

"No!" I laughed. "Don't call her." Too late.

Nafisa walked in carrying a bottle of malt.

"What happened?" Maryam pointed at me.

"She's smiling at her phone." Nafisa looked at me. Then at my phone. Then back at me.

"...Ahmad?" Heat rushed to my face. "It's just a conversation." Maryam's mouth fell open.

"There actually is an Ahmad?" I buried my face in a pillow. "Nafisa..." "What?" she laughed. "I only guessed." Maryam gasped dramatically.

"So this is the famous Snapchat guy!"

"There is no famous Snapchat guy."

"There is now." I threw a pillow at her. She caught it effortlessly. After they left, I picked up my phone again.

-Sorry. My friends nearly interrogated me.

Ahmad replied with a laughing emoji.

-Should I be worried?

-Very.

-Will I survive?

-Maybe.

-Only maybe?

-Depends on how many questions they ask.

-Should I prepare a speech?

-😂 Don't make it worse.

The conversation somehow moved to food.

He claimed Abuja made better suya. I almost dropped my phone.

Than he promised to take me to his favorite sugar spot in Abuja anytime I visit or maybe waybill it for me to Lagos, now that made me laugh. I had also promised to let him have a taste of lagos suya and his reply was , " are you strategically inviting me to Lagos?" 

-It wasn't an invite 

-Ouch

-Would you come if i asked?

Why did I have say something like that. Ohh god 

Why why why. His reply came quick .

-I'll do anything you ask 

Is it just me or our conversations today fell alittle bit more emmmmm oh god I'm over thinking it.