19/05/2025
I’m currently doing my NYSC in Abuja, earning ₦77,000, which makes me feel like a grade level 14 civil servant. Last month, I went on an outing with a lady I had a crush on. We met on Instagram in January this year. I told her about a new French café in town and asked if she was available for an evening outing. To be honest, I just wanted to spend some time with her, make her laugh, and see if she would be attracted to me.
I booked an Uber, added a stop at her address in Maitama to pick her up, and we went to the café together, not too far from her area, still within Maitama. It’s a beautiful place, full of art, books, and games, with a SkyView. I intentionally selected it because she’s fond of all those things because of my survey on her Instagram.
When the waiter brought the menu, none of the items had price tags, just names and attractive food in graphics. I didn’t want to ask about the prices because I wanted to impress her, so I told her to pick anything she liked. She ordered some items I couldn’t even pronounce. As for me, I just ordered an Oreo milkshake and potato chips, the only things I recognised on the menu.
After about an hour, it was time to leave and the waiter brought the bill. My budget was less than ₦30,000, but the bill was three times that. 90k guys. I almost suffocated. It all felt like a dream, and I wanted to wake up and run, but hey, it was real. I had to transfer money from my other bank accounts to gather enough in my UBA, and even called a friend to borrow some. To make matters worse, the network was bad. Eventually, I managed to pay, dropped her off at home, and returned to my place feeling feverish.
Yesterday, she called and asked when we’re going out again. I told her I am currently in my dad’s farm in Jigawa. And when I am back, we’d go to Yahuza Suya in Central Area. I hung up and sigh! 😞
Guys, live within your means, no matter how strong the crush is. Always ask questions, especially when there are no price tags. It’s better to appear cautious than to end up in financial distress. Authenticity beats pretense. You don’t have to overspend or fake a lifestyle to win someone over; if the vibe is right, being yourself is more than enough.
Fiction
