"Hey, how are you girls doing?" Ife looked outside her room downstairs to see students walking about the hostel compound, some were heading out probably to class, some to their jobs while others to hang out with their friends.

She had no class today which she was grateful for because she woke up with a flu and her temperature was running high earlier. She took some medication and a bowl of soup she prepared the previous night and was feeling better.

Since it's her 'off-class' day, she got into a call with her twin best friends Dara and Dora who were in college too but in France.

Dara was studying Fashion Designing while Dora was studying cosmetology. They are pretty good at what they did and she wasn't surprised when they took those as their course of study.

They have been friends since elementary school and although the D's as she likes to call them are quite wealthier than her and were the ones who told her about the impending scholarship to study abroad if they passed an exam which she thankful passed and here she is enjoying her stay here and studying the course of her choice with her tuition fully paid.

"We are fine Ife, how are you?" Dara who was wearing a super long braided hairstyle which she tied up in a bun asked as they looked closely at Ife.

Ife returned her attention back to them and offered a smile, she had texted them early in he morning around four to tell them of the impending stomach ache she was experiencing.

"Feeling better, how did the fashion week go?" she carried her laptop and went to sit on her bed then sat it beside her as she took a cup and poured some water for herself to drink.

"It went well" Dora whose hair was  braided in cornrows said as she scratch the back of her hair and stood up to go somewhere.

"But super stressful" Dara continued for her "It was a great opportunity for both of us as we were able to meet with some big personalities and our connections were expanded"

"I am glad you both had a good time, how's school going? Still stressed out as always?" Ife asked.

Dora came back to sit with her twin, she was holding a plate of fruit in her hand and she ate from them then offered some to her twin and to Ife who glared playfully at her.

"Gist me girls" Ife persuaded.

"Omo, there's nothing to gist, some of these men at our uni are making me rethink why I chose to come here to study. They are getting on my nerves" Dora rolled her eyes and Ife laughed at how dramatic she was getting.

"Everyone always in one way get on your nerves" Dara nudged her lightly

"Abeg, no near my side with that talk" Dora held her palm at her twin.

"Okay, since you guys have nothing to say to me, I will tell you about I and Tomiwa" she drinks the remaining water then lay back on the headboard.

"You guys quarreled again?" Dara asked and she nods in response. "What happened?"

"I have no care for that man but you my friend, I feel for you and wish you had better than him" Dora said and got a nudge from her twin.

"Tomiwa is getting on my nerves honestly, I don't want to say anything because it will look like I love complaining a lot but he is really a faulty man who does know how to take to corrections when you give him one, he will tell me  'is that how to talk to a man?' Especially a man you would end up marrying and to GOD who made me, I most of the time feel like knocking him unconscious with pan" Ife rants.

"I don't understand anymore, I don't know what to do again, I am dealing with my mum's taunting words, I can't be dealing with his unnecessary tantrums"

"Torrhh, lobatan" Dora muttered under her breath and got a hard pinch from her twin.

"Ignore her, but have you tried to tell him how you feel? Communicate to him, sit him down and talk"

"Didn't you hear what she said?" Dora asked in a raised tone. Dara wasn't pleased with her twins reaction at the mention of Tomiwa "Shey I told you to let this guy go but you said your mum this, your mum that, now you're complaining" Dora hissed.

"Dora, mind how you're talking now, you know how sensitive it is for Ife. This is a topic she isn't free to discuss with anyone but us, please take it easy on her" her twin cautioned.

"Don't worry, I understand" Ife said not wanting to cause any disagreement between the twins.

"Ife, I am sorry for her outburst, you know how infuriated she gets when Tomiwa's name is being mentioned?"

Ife shook her head then let out a sigh and a forced smile.

"It's fine, I think I have to get back to what I am doing... I have an assignment to do or so" she didn't wait for them to answer before she disconnected the call and closed her laptop.

She felt hurt by Dora's outburst but she didn't blame her, rather she blamed herself for tolerating this nonsense. Although, Tomiwa is her first boyfriend, other boys in her secondary school who had tried to woe her knew not to mess with her, no matter your motive towards speaking with her because she takes no nonsense but for her mother's sakes she's stuck with this provoking man who doesn't like to be corrected.

Tomiwa keeps telling her about this patriarchy thing to an extent that she became so irritated when she hears it. He tells her that men like him know what they were doing and had thought about it before going ahead with it so she had no right to correct him because she was insulting him and the patriarchy.

She began to worry for women who has such kind of man in their life because aside from her dad, Patrick and her twin friends she also worries about herself and her relationship with this stubborn man.

He was impossible and she hated it but there was little she could do, he was her first and she loves him badly. His attitude most times put her off but she's all for him when he isn't cranky. It was an addition that her mum started to dislike her less when she introduced him to the family as her boyfriend.

The twins had asked her if she wanted this aside from her mum being easy on her because she was dating him and she answered that she wanted it because she loves him which is true.

Dora never liked Tomiwa in the first place so she isn't really surprised about her outburst. Dara didn't like him either but she knew how to tolerate him because of her but Dora, if she doesn't like you, you'll know before she tells you. She could remember when Dora went as far as telling her that she caught Tomiwa with another girl when they were back home in Nigeria.

"I should probably call him, it's been a while since I spoke to him" she said to herself then picked up her phone and dialed his number.

He told her he can't call because of how expensive the call rates were so whenever she wants to speak with him, she either calls him or send him some call card so he can call her.

The phone rang but he didn't pick, it ended and she tried it once more. It was still the same when she tried it for the fifth time.

"I guess he's still mad at me" she sighs then drops her phone on the bed and lay down as she stared at the ceiling.

It's been almost three weeks and she isn't aware how he's doing this, she almost forgot that he was great at keeping a grudge even when he indirectly causes it.

He still hasn't forgiven her about  that day she was at Patrick place when she went to shop for some things she wanted to bring home for him and it's frustrating her, she wished he would just let bygones be bygones and let them enjoy their relationship to the fullest. Their anniversary was coming up and Patrick was helping her out with gifts she could get him that's why she goes to him constantly and he is being difficult.

"Tomiwa, I miss you" she whispered to herself then heard her phone ring.

She jolts to a sitting position and grabbed her phone as she felt a bit hazy from how she sat up. She didn't bother checking who was calling mostly because she was expecting his call and she felt hazy from how quickly she sat up.

"Hello" she said excitedly.

"Someone seems excited about my call today" the voice she heard after she picked brought her spirit down.

She wasn't expecting it to be him.

"Uh... yeah, hi Patrick... h-how are you?" she asked him and he seems to notice the change in her tone.

"Are you okay? You sound like you were expecting someone else call" he said to her and she cleared her throat then tried to cheer herself up.

He will call, I believe. She tells herself then smiles.

"Oh no, Patrick, oh no" she laughs it off, "Why would you say that, you know I am always happy to get your calls?" she said trying so hard not sound gloomy.

"Are y-"

"What's up with you today? You know I had a flu this morning?" she chuckles.

"Are you fine? How are you doing now?" he asked sounding concerned.

"I am doing fine, thank you. I don't have any class today, do you?" she asked.

"No, I don't, want me to come over?"

A grinned drew on her lips and she started feeling light hearted. 'He knows me so well' she thought.

"You know me so well" she voices out her thoughts.

"I'll be there in a jiffy, and I'll prepare you that soup mummy prepares for me whenever I or my little sister get sick"

"Yes sir, I'll be expecting you" she ended the call and put her phone on the bed.

She wanted to share things like this with her boyfriend but since he isn't ready to man up and talk with her, she'll just do that with her friend who never lets her down.