BUTTERFLIES IN LAGOS TRAFFIC

WHEN TWO SOULS CROSS PATH IN LAGOS TRAFFIC.

Pov: Tiwalola

"I've always grew up with that mentality that the only way to stay safe is to stay away from problems and the only way to do so is to be absent when it comes, so I always choose my introvert lifestyle. But if only had continue on that path I wouldn't have faced the life threatening event I attended on Friday night at mainland. I guess I had to just welcome problems with my own hands."

The University students night party was what would call sardine as the party was a sweaty, claustrophobic sea of flashing strobe lights and defending afrobeats.

I, at a corner of the party just felt totally out of place among the boisterous party animals.

I happened to be a guest here not by choice, I was forced to come. Areta and iris literally begged on their knees but when it had no effect on me the bitches got me literally kidnapped, dragging and forcefully pulling me into the car, like I was some hostage.

Only to step into the party to face my doom as Lagos beach party took over and poof my friends vanishes and now out of close sight.

Areta was already throwing dance steps on the dance floor as she dances with a tall guy in a senator outfit. Then my dear crazy friend iris was long gone as she was learning over the wooden counter to flirt shamelessly with the bartender for free shot of gin, if not for even more than just that.

I was entirely on my own as I sip off a red cup filled with soft drink; as the ice slowly melts dripping bit by bit on the ground I kept my self busy by counting down minutes, not like I was even noticed by anyone as they where already in their own world.

"Now I regret being here in the first place" I muttered to myself.

But as time goes I began to feel uneasy, I had a feeling something out of place would happen like my instincts kept yelling to me to leave the premises fast. So I ran to iris who was still on a conversation with the bartender and reaching there I realized their choice of conversation was crazily disgusting, not like I heard a lot but I heard stuffs like "you know no matter how tough you might be I'll make you moan hard" and iris just bit her lower lip. Oh my gosh they've both gone mad, well I have no time for this rubbish. I quickly interrupted their sex chat, letting iris know of how uneasy I was feeling and maybe we should leave but as I expected she felt I was just trying to leave cause I didn't want to be here, and duhh I did not from the start and not even now, well so she just ignored me without giving me any attention again.

So instead I ran to the dance floor to find areta and I did. Her and the guy who she just met cause I'm sure their courses weren't in any way related where now fucking kissing and smooching each other like lovers who got seperated, jeez what the heck are wrong with these girls "Jesus Christ" I thought she was playing hard to get when the guy first approached her like...?? I'm lost and I need answers to a lot of questions, but this isn't the time for that; so out of no where I pushed their heads apart from each other making them break their intense kissing moment with a loud bang and smash sound from their lip separation.

Then I confronted her about how I was feeling uneasy and like I could have guessed she was just ranting about me breaking her kiss. "Oh shit I need a break, these girls are messing with my mental health". So I just walked away only to look back and they where back in position. "I'm done with all these". I packed myself and walked down the stairs but on reaching the second half of the steps I heard it, the glass shattered, only that this didn't sound like a dropped drink but instead a war zone. Then there I knew my instincts where right. An heavy thud echoes from the other side from where I was on the stairs, followed by a loud and sharp piercing scream which slides right through the banging music, but before the DJ could even cut the sound three pop-pop-pop sound raffled the zinc roof of the hall which must have frightened people cause it frightened me for sure and next I heard a yell "Gunshots! Gunshots! Gunshots!, everybody run".

And fear rushes through my gut as I swallow hard. I ran back into the party hall just to see the blinding panic of university students running toward the narrow exit, towards me.

I couldn't find iris and areta so I yell out their names hoping they could trace the sound of my voice. But as I kept calling out the crowd reached me and boom they where all running down the stairs shouting. Few "commot from my way, abeg I no wan die," others "Japa Japa;" and before I could look around twice I was being swept down along, with my clear vision getting blur, I miss my step tripping and falling down the second half of the stairs loosing my footwear and getting bruised up as every one just kept running, I even got stepped on countless times, I got real hurt. I look behind me only to notice I was out in the Lagos night alone on the ground and all bruised up and the figure of running teens and youth scattered all around Lagos road.

I raise myself up picked up my item which got scattered on the floor when I fell, and put them back in the party purse I was with, then hurriedly checked my phone if it was still intact and luckily for me it only had cracks on it. I leaped out of the house gate and to the express road which was now jammed with traffic and this I saw as an opportunity to cross the road. I move closely, carefully crossing without look left and right since there was already traffic. still crossing then from nowhere the cars just began to move, blinded by highlights and before I knew it cars where back on tracks and where moving faster than I could even move a step, deafening blare of a vehicle horns of different kinds like the danfo's, maruwa, okada, and cars on the Lagos road which was loud even as it speeded from afar and screech of burning tires then suddenly a vehicle recklessly driven maybe by a drunkard bares down on me, and at this point I could only see butterflies as I froze there in terror. Thinking this was the end of my chapter, of my life,of my dreams a strong hand from absolutely nowhere at sight yanks my hand onto the asphalt sidewalk, saving my dear life.

I sat flat on the side walk breathing heavily. Slowly looking up to catch a glimpse of my savior, watching him as he gasps for air and honestly his the definition of a 10 over 10. Still lost in his beauty without knowing I was staring he looks up to my direction and boom our eyes locks. We kept eye contacts for a while and for some reason I felt sparks, rare sparks within me and then my belly felt weird like what does girls do call it, butterflies in my belly. Looking in his eyes something just pulls him to me, something just connects him to him like I know him well, like he is someone important to me but how? I wondered but I couldn't get any reasonable answers in my head maybe because I was distracted as at this point the only thing I could hear was the noises of the vehicles passing then the voices of the danfo conductors from different angles shouting direct location where they would be transporting people going that side to. Few lekki epe, others ikorodu and even more like ajah and so on as the echo of one of them rings in my heard "ajah ajah, 700 hundred per one, e wóle pélú change yì o." I kept drowning in his eye till he broke contact then began to scan my body coming down and touching the bruises on my face which warmth my heart cause he seemed to care but before I could react I was caught off guard by his voice as he spoke "are you crazy?, who runs into the express by this time of the night? I don't understand are u trying to kill yourself?, don't u have love ones?, why result to a foolish thing? The death of the once who fell from even third mainland bridge aren't enough, you want to die as well?" He scolds me and that his words just triggered the event that took place at the damn party and the incident that just happened now, as they both made me terrified. I reply him but stammer as I was still in shock so couldn't speak well. "So-so-sorry, it's no-no-not like th-th-that, I was....." I caught my breath before continuing "I was in-invo-involved in an at-attach at an ev-event I attended, that was how I go-got so hurt that I co-could not walk well and got all these bru-bruises also at the at-attach.

I wanted to cross to get into any transportation available to take me to my side but that was when I almost got hit by...." But before I could finish telling my story I was cut off by him as he place his finger on my mouth "shuuu" he says then continue"it's fine ok, calm down, just take a deep breath, everything is fine now" I did as he said and took a deep breath and this actually calmed me down. And at this point I noticed how sweet and fierce his voice was all at the same time which made me smile and he smile back and damnit I was stunned by how hotter he looks when smiling.

He stretch his hand forward signaling me to give him my arm where the bruise where located and then he opened a small cross bag he had on and brought out a mini first aid kit then I wonder does he carry this at all times just to be ready for any emergency or he just casually carried it with him on this particular day. I just wonder but didn't throw any questions towards him. He brings out a cotton wool and spirit, opening then pouring in a little of the liquid of the spirit into the cotton wool, treating my wound and applying ointment on my bruises as few of my skin where broken and peeled, one after the other he treats me, from my left arm to my right arm to my legs which he helped me massage a little to reduce my limping, then my neck and face as I had a little scar on my face now due to the incident that occured earlier at the party.

As he treated the wound I kept screaming and crying as it hurts badly, which wasn't helping him to focus so he offered me a small pillow like soft material to bite on so I don't make noise since I was also calling attention, we were on the sidewalk and people passing kept looking and gossiping about us few goes "eya, see how hurt she is, such pity" some goes "she as she dey shout for road, Shey this one well at all" someone even said "she as she dey shout like person them pour hot water for her body, nonsense." But few others were considerate who went as far as to pleed with me saying "sorry dear, ehnn don't cry again, it will heal, take care ok" all soth of words I didn't hear some spoke like foolish beings who could not see I was in pain and few others where very kind. And with all that I took the item pining in my tooth onto it's soft form.

As he cleans me up he notices few bruises at the little open area at the back out my outfit, then looks at me before taking permission from me to add ointment on my back, I agreed and he did just that, adding ointment on each visible bruises he saw at the opening back of my outfit, but notices that bruises where also down my back and clothing was covering it so he stretch the ointment forward to me as he speaks "take this and use it to rub your back as I won't be able to reach few spots over here." I agreed then took the ointment from him then take in little of the substance from it's container then rub it together on my palm so I could early rub it all over my back but

I struggle to put it as my arm was all bruised up and wounded so it was hurting so bad so from no where I felt his hand gently supporting my injured hand so I could apply the ointment. I carefully raise my red daisy half round neck tight top with opened back, and as I do I look at his direction to know if he was watching my every move but instead he had his eyes close. I smiled as he respects my privacy then turned to my front as soon as I was done applying it, pulling my clothing back down signalling him open his eyes. I tapped him and he did just that. As soon as we were both done he added bandage to my wounds then place his mini kit into his bag.

He sat down next to me not looking at me but at the busy road. "You good?" He asks and I turned to his direction "yes thank you very much, honestly I'm grateful,if not for you my I would have kiss my body goodbye, as it separate from my soul" I admitted.

He just chuckled and replied with "you are welcome". Then I remembered it's late I check my phone and Jesus Christ it was almost 12am. I carefully try to raise myself up but struggle to so he helped out and pulled me up. I let him know I had to go as it was late then he handed me a crisp, dark fabric from his pocket, it was an handkerchief "wipe those tears away first" he smile and I collected it from him smiling back as I clean my face, inhaling the beautiful and amazing scent coming from it as it smelled like a mix of expensive mahogany wood and fresh rain mixed with vanilla, it smelled like him, again I smiled turning around to look for any transportation going my way by the help of conductors shouting their destinations for the night. Then I spotted one then spoke "that's my call, I have to go now, thanks for today and here you go your handkerchief" i pulled the cloth off my eyes, the rich scent of vanilla and expensive cologne still lingering in my nose, only to look back and the guy had vanished, he was not where to be found. I look around but the stranger had vanished and was swallowed by the dark Lagos night as quickly as he appeared, seeing no sign of him.

Sighing, I stand alone in the night, as I look down to the dark fabric I was clutching unto, and looking at it obvious it was a fabric made out of premium egyptian cotton,with the edges neatly embroidered with a two elegant letter X.A. folding it but suddenly I felt a metallic lump, hard and heavy stitched or wrapped securely inside the center fold. Unwrapping it under the dim orange glow of a Lagos street lamp, then an expensive, royal crystal gemstone butterfly pendant which was more like an heirloom fell on my palm. As I open it I saw a picture of a very beautiful woman on expensive clothing in it,but before I could look further I remembered I was supposed to be in the danfo bus by now so I hurriedly walked to the bus entering it before it was full. One more passenger left and immediately the last got in we zoomed off.As the bus pulled away, i clutched the butterfly pendant tighter. On the back in tiny gold letters: property of X.A; property of the man who just saved my life.....and disappeared.

A/N: Hey loves! Welcome to Butterflies in Lagos Traffic 🦋❤️

I wrote this because I wanted a Nigerian romance in Lagos traffic,

not NYC. Gunshots, danfo, and butterflies.

Who do YOU think X.A is?? Comment your theories below!

Chapter 2 and 3 are already up so keep reading

And Please don't forget to vote + add to library to help me - thank you! 💛