Daytime Friends

Country music has always been our go-to playlist for long road trips, so as we cruised down East-West Road, we sang our hearts out to the tunes of Don Williams and Josh Turner. Our destination was Benin, where I had to defend my project. We started the journey with Jay-Z playing in the background, but the gloomy sky and pouring rain made it difficult to see the road ahead. When Jay-Z's lyrics filled the car, proclaiming, "All I need in this life of sin, is me and my girlfriend," I echoed with all my heart, "down the ride till the very end, it's me and my boyfriend." In that moment, I realized there was no one else I would rather embark on this trip with than my best friend, Akugbe.

It felt so right to have him by my side, weathering the storms of life as my confidant. He wasn't even my boyfriend, just a supportive friend who had been there for me through the ups and downs. I had recently ended a relationship plagued by irreconcilable differences and the loss of romantic spark. This time, I was truly done. I hoped I wouldn't encounter my ex when I arrived at school, but I prepared myself for the possibility. One day of project defense would not break me.

Akugbe, my pillar of strength, had comforted me through all the heartaches. Although we had both grown distant from each other, my ex and I, the finality of our breakup hit me hard, like a sucker punch straight to the heart, leaving me breathless. After our final exams, I had retreated home to Yenagoa until it was time for the project defense. This was owing to the fact that my ex and I were course mates and I could not bear to see him. Fortunately, my understanding project supervisor allowed me to submit everything via email and communicate through Skype. With Akugbe's unwavering support, completing my education became a possibility.

The sound of the PING notification on my Blackberry brought excitement, as I knew my best friend was about to spill some piping hot tea. From campus gossip to future plans of leaving this dreary country, he served up every bit of information with good humor. Sometimes, he would share details about a book he had read or a movie he had watched. This alpha male, who was a teddy bear in my presence, was so unassuming. He also encouraged me to return to school and not miss out on the vibrant campus life just because of an Adam (my ex). Being a trust fund baby, he even sent me money for shawarma with an alert description that read, "to mend your broken heart." He truly was my person. He promised to drag me back to school three weeks before my project defense, if that is what it would take, and he fulfilled that promise. On the morning of July 5, 2012, his baby blue Toyota Spider pulled up at my place in Yenagoa, and his voice echoed, "You have 20 minutes to pack, or we'll leave without your clothes. After all, you have clothes in Benin."

With a mix of shock and excitement, I grabbed my laptop bag, threw in a couple of tops and jeans, and jumped into the car, bidding my mom farewell with the words, "See you in September."

The ride was smooth, accompanied by hip-hop tracks until we reached Ughelli and the rain began to pour. We initially took shelter at Wakyz, hoping for the rain to subside, but when it showed no signs of stopping, we came up with a wild idea. We would to keep driving and stop at Sapele Junction to dance in the rain.

Why Sapele Junction? There was no particular reason, other than the wide space on the road where we wouldn't get hit by passing cars. It was a spontaneous and slightly crazy plan, but we were determined to create unforgettable memories. With enthusiasm and laughter, we held hands and ran back into the car, changing the music to country tunes and driving at a leisurely pace.

"Daytime friends and nighttime lovers, hoping no one else discovers. Where they go, what they do, in their secret hideaway. Daytime friends and nighttime lovers, they don't want to hurt the others, so they love in the nighttime and shake hands in the light of day." It was Kenny Rogers serenading us. We sang along passionately, analyzing the lyrics and finding humor in the different theories we came up with. When we finally reached Sapele Junction, we parked, changed the music to Tuface's "Omo No Dulling," and danced in the rain. Other drivers passing by observed us, convinced that we had lost our minds and shouting profanities at us, but to us, it was a hilarious and liberating experience. When we were thoroughly soaked and exhausted, we decided to continue our journey to Benin.

As we drove, exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyelids. We took turns behind the wheel, and when it was his final shift, we were already at Sapele road, Benin and Akugbe drove us to his house in GRA. After taking turns to shower, I changed into a spare pair of jeans and borrowed one of his shirts. Since the rain continued to pour relentlessly, we settled for instant noodles as we couldn't venture outside for food. After our meal, we sat on separate couches, engrossed in watching The Vampire Diaries. Then he asked if he could join me on my couch.

As the rain continued to pour outside, casting a soothing rhythm on the roof, a shift occurred within our friendship. We had always been close, but during that night, something changed. The barriers we had carefully constructed between us began to crumble, revealing a deeper connection that we had both tried to ignore. It was as if the universe conspired to bring us closer together, and as we lay there, entangled in each other's limbs, sweat gleaming on our skin, we both realized that what we had was more than just a simple friendship. Months of playful banter and flirtatious exchanges had led us to this moment, where we surrendered to the undeniable magnetism between us, taking our relationship to uncharted territory. The label of "friends with benefits" no longer seemed sufficient to encapsulate the profound bond we shared. In that secluded space, shielded from the world, it was just the two of us, immersed in a realm of our own creation.

I felt a shiver go through his body as I ran my fingertips along his chest. I was aware that he was getting close, and I wanted nothing more than to tip him over. As I encircled him with my lips, I helped him reach his peak. As he erupted, his hands buried themselves in my hair and drew me in.

However, our night was far from over. Until we were both panting and entranced by the experience, we flipped and switched positions repeatedly. We crumpled to the ground in a sweaty heap, and I realized this wasn't a one-time thing. We had a connection that was too strong to walk away from, yet we would rather the world saw us just as we were, Yela and Akugbe, daytime friends.

And so, we continued down the road of friends with benefits, loving each other fiercely in the privacy of our own little world. It was an arrangement completely unique to us, something that no one else could truly understand. But that didn't matter. As long as we had each other, we were happy.