The ASUU strike had dragged on for three months until home became really boring. Mom became ever more annoying and Dad, more distant. My brother Davey had gone to stay with our eldest brother who only recently got married. The only real company I had was Donald, our ever faithful Rottweiler, a purebred indeed.

Then, I had the giant screen in our living room where I often kept myself busy with TV series like Runaways, True Detective and sometimes, Game of Thrones. And the chores too were always there, staring at you: meals to make, settees to dust, floors to mop, windows to wipe, dog to walk and shoppings to do. In fact, I often wondered how the family managed to survive in my absence, like when school was in session. But I later learned that Bassey, our gate keeper was allowed into the house to run some errands whenever I was away but banned whenever I was home. Well, they didn't want me to have anything to do with a man, that's why. Except that coming to know I was being kept from Bassey began to make me want to be with him. But I kept this as a closely guarded secret, you know.

And, imagine how annoyed I was to know I was being prevented from having any contact with a man in my own home when no one was there at school to guide how I ran my life! In any case, I blamed ASUU for the insult and managed to keep my cool. The worst part is that mom will always see what you failed to do, instead of what you did. But, I must tell you, of all the chores that stared me in the face, I enjoyed walking Donald and going for shopping the most because they were the only outdoor opportunities I had. Shopping was my very best but it was a weekly stuff only.

Then, in the third week of the fourth month of the reign... sorry, of the industrial action, something happened that made me begin to enjoy every single day of it: Mom and Dad had gone to work as usual and all of a sudden, I realized how much I needed a regular male company in my life. O yes, I could no longer bear the loneliness! Donald was only a dog no matter how lovely he was. He was male too, but he could no longer suffice as a male company. What I knew I needed real and raw, was a man to cuddle me, whisper sweet words into my ears and, well, don't you know what I mean?

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At this point, I began to imagine how Bassey must be lying down or propped up at his little security post by the gateway! "So, I dared to imagine Bassey lying down!" I thought to myself and my heart sank. "What sort of weird thought is this?" Then, all the flirty words Bassey had been throwing at me began to replay in my mind. And for the first time, I seemed to realize what desires that fill Bassey's eyes each time I walked the dog across the gate and he hollered, 'Beauty, how are you this morning?' or whenever I came home newly from school, "I hope you had a good time at school". For the first time also, I began to see a very caring, creative and intelligent man in Bassey. I thought of his polished English, his great knack at solving problems, the gracious, even romantic way he spoke. Yes, I came to really know Bassey beyond just as a gate keeper. He was a real man. And... just then, I also remembered one day I saw him washing his clothes donning only boxers. And, it seemed to me I even noticed a bulge under him that day!

This situation would have been a bit controllable except that my imagination got flooded with the truth that the huge bulge I thought I saw that fateful day, was right then on Bassey right there at the security post. Was I growing wet at the thought? Again, my heart skipped. What would I do? How would my parents fare if I ended up with Bassey? And, what of the streets? What sort of impression would they have to see the daughter of a foremost lawyer making out with her dad's gatekeeper? Then, my mind went back to the campus: How would the news be received back at school, that the 'classy campus babe' had been entangled with a mere gatekeeper? But, no, Bassey was no longer mere, nor just a keeper of gates to me.

While my mind still rationalized about Bassey, my heart kept carrying me wholesale, to him. I even tried convincing myself that it was all a function of the temporary loneliness that would soon be over as soon as the strike was over, all to no avail. All I itched for was to be where Bassey was or at least to catch a glimpse of him.

Not knowing what else to do, I went and pulled Donald in my tow, hoping especially to eye Bassey's bulging groin and smile welcomingly at him when he would flirt with me at the gate. But, passing across the security post, I saw no one. "Hi! Bassey" I managed to call with all the seductiveness I could muster. But no one answered. Well, to avoid appearing desperate, I walked on feeling deeply disappointed at not seeing Bassey just when I wanted to. Any way, I walked on, hoping to return early enough, and hoping to see 'my Bassey' as I had begun to catch my heart calling him. Then, again, I felt wet under my panties, so I went back to pull the panties off lest some Yahuu boys might be lurking around.

(TO BE CONTINUED)