Wrong Number

It’s not everyday you answer a wrong number twice

I tasted the sauce on the fire, and I shrugged. I had done better. I didn’t think Arike, my roommate, would mind, and I was hungry, so I certainly didn’t mind as well. I checked the spaghetti in the other pot, and I noticed that it was done. There was still water in the pot, so I brought out a sieve to drain the water. After sieving the spaghetti, I put it back into the pot, and I checked on the sauce again. I felt it still needed more time.
"This should last us a few days." I said to myself. I sat on the chair in the kitchen, and I reached for my phone that was sitting on the counter. I looked at the time. 6:37pm. I put the phone back down.
At the same time, it started ringing. It was an unknown number. I hesitated before I answered it.
"Hello Thomas? Has Jide sent the money?" I heard a man’s voice ask.
I paused. Who’s Thomas? I immediately knew it was a wrong number situation.
"Hello, this is not Thomas. I think you have a wrong number." I said politely.
"Oh." He paused. "This is not Thomas?"
I took note of his voice. It was rich and firm, yet so soothing. I was struck.
"No, sorry. Please check the number well."
"Thank you." He said, and he hung up.
I looked at my phone and I shrugged again. I dropped the phone, and I went to check on the sauce again. It was done.
I dropped the pot, and I took out a plate. Arike would serve herself when she returned from work.
I had just finished eating when my phone rang again. I glanced at it on the counter, and I recognized the number. It was the guy from earlier. I felt a weird urge to hear his voice again. So I answered.
"Hello, am I on to Thomas?" I heard him say.
"Hi. No, you’re not."
He paused. "I have already called this number before, haven’t I?" He asked.
"Yes. Some minutes ago. You still have the wrong number."
He sighed. "I’m really sorry. I’ll check the number."
"Sure thing."
He hung up again.
I looked at the number, and I was curious. Who’s the guy with the nice voice?
I felt hungry again, so I went for seconds.
When Arike returned, we sat in the living room, and I watched Netflix while she ate.
"You outdid yourself, Julie." She said, and she closed her eyes, savouring the food.
I chuckled to myself.
My phone rang again. One quick glance made me know who was calling. I lowered the volume of the TV.
"Hi. This is wrong number speaking." I said.
He laughed. "Hi."
"This is the third time you’re calling the same wrong number."
"Well, this time it isn’t by mistake." He replied.
I was interested in seeing where it would lead to.
"Really?"
"Yes. I heard your voice twice, and I was genuinely struck. I had to call again." He paused. "I hope it’s not weird."
"I have to admit, it’s a little weird." I replied.
He chuckled. "You cannot blame me. You have a really nice voice."
I held myself back from returning the compliment.
"What’s your name?" I asked.
"Oh, pardon my manners. My name is Felix."
"Felix. Nice name."
Arike looked at me. I looked away.
"It is?" He asked.
"Yeah. It’s not every day you meet a Felix."
"Okay then. Thank you. I haven’t gotten your name, though."
"Juliet."
"Pretty name."
"So, Felix, is this how you call girls to tell them their voices sound nice, or you just call up random numbers hoping they’d be for girls with pretty names?" I asked with a sarcastic tone.
He laughed. "You’re the first girl I’m doing this to." That’s how it began. Felix would call me every evening. I started to look forward to talking to him. I started calling him too, as I liked his company over the phone. He told me about himself.
He was a music producer. I told him about me. I worked as a costume designer for movies. He was 28, and I was 26. He schooled in Unilag, studying music, while I studied Mass communication in Unilorin. He was from Oyo and I was from Anambra. We started flirting occasionally over the phone. I noticed that he doesn’t text, he preferred calls.
"You must have seen some of my costumes." I said to him one evening.
The little cheer in his voice reduced. "Yeah. Probably."
I was concerned. "Are you okay, Felix?"
"Yes. I am. Juliet, we’ve been talking over the phone for a while now, yeah?"
I didn’t let him finish. "Three weeks now."
"And we talk like every day." He continued.
"Would you like to meet up, Felix?"
"Like a date?" Felix asked.
"Yes, unless you’re not single like you told me." I said.
"I’m single, don’t worry about that."
I noticed his cheer had returned.
We agreed to meet that Friday for dinner by 6pm. I suggested a cute restaurant on the island. Moe’s. It was set. Moe’s on Friday by 6pm.
"I hope you don’t get disappointed when you finally meet me, Juliet." Felix said before he hung up that night.
I was confused.
It lingered in my head that Friday morning as I tried to figure out what to wear. When I got ready to leave, Arike called me crazy.
"What if na kidnapper?" She asked.
"He doesn’t sound like a kidnapper."
She laughed. "You know that by the sound of his voice?"
As I sat in the Uber that took me to the restaurant, I had Arike’s words ringing in my ear. I sent her and my other friends my location.
I got to the restaurant by 6pm sharp. I liked getting to a venue right on the time I’m supposed to get there.
I asked for a table, and I sat, waiting. I looked at the guys coming into the restaurant one by one, and I just knew they weren’t Felix. 6:23pm, a tall dark skinned guy walked into the restaurant. He wore a black leather jacket and he wore a white shirt underneath. The shirt was carefully tucked into the black trousers he wore. He wore dark sunglasses, and he had a fresh haircut. I hoped it was Felix. I saw him take out his phone and put it to his ear.
My phone vibrated. It was him. I answered.
"I can see you." I said softly.
"Okay. You’re here already. Can you please put your hand up?"
I looked at him. "Sorry?"
"Yes. Please put it up and keep it till I get to you."
I was confused, but his voice was so alluring that I did it.
"Would you please lead me to the lovely lady who has her hand up?" I heard him ask a waitress that approached him. He had not hung up.
My confusion deepened.
It all became clear when he held on to the waitress.
Felix was blind.
Suddenly, I felt conscious of what I wore. For some reason, I had dressed to blow him away. He wouldn’t even see it.
He got to my table. The waitress helped him sit. She smiled at me, and she walked away.
"I hope your hand isn’t still up."
It was. I quickly put it down.
"Hi." I said.
"Hello Juliet." He said, and he smiled. "I hope you’re not disappointed."
I put my hands on the table. "We spoke for three weeks, Felix. It didn’t occur to you to tell me you’re blind?"
He smiled again. He looked so good!
"I’m sorry, Juliet. I was afraid that you wouldn’t want to meet me if I told you." He smiled, again! "I hope it’s clear why I don’t do texts."
I looked at him. He was too sweet. "How did you get here?"
"Oh, I drove. It was a little challenging because, you know.."
I gasped. "Really?"

He laughed. "No, Juliet. My driver brought me here."
He was just as funny as he was on the phone. I relaxed.
"I’m sure you look fantastic." He complimented.
"Yes. I actually took my time to dress to impress you." I replied, not hiding my blush.
"Aw. That’s sweet." He leaned closer. "If I guess the colour of your dress, you’ll let me pick the dessert?"
"We’ll see." I slapped my mouth as soon as it left it. "Sorry."
Felix laughed. "You’re wearing a black dress."
I gasped. "How?"
"I can hear it."
"You can hear colour?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
"When one loses one’s eyesight, one’s other senses become heightened." He said with a silly smile on his face.
"You’re messing with me." I laughed.
"I’m glad you’re still here, Juliet. Most girls would have left as soon as they saw that I’m blind." He said with a serious tone.
I touched his hand. "Well, lucky for you, mister. I’m not other girls."
I knew he wouldn’t see my smile, but I smiled anyway.
We ordered food and we spoke. After watching him struggle to eat, I offered to feed him. He was grateful. I noticed that the other people in the restaurant were staring, but I didn’t care.
"What is the colour of your eyes?" He asked with that gentle voice he has.
"Brown." I replied. "Can I see yours?"
He removed his glasses, and he opened his. They were cream coloured, and they were so fine that I felt bad that he was blind.
"When did it happen?" I asked.
"I was twelve. I slowly saw less and less until I couldn’t see anything anymore. It’s really one of the most depressing times of my entire life. I wanted to end my life. My parents and friends were very supportive, so it got easier."
The dessert came. It was chocolate ice cream. It was my favourite. As the evening went on, I realized that I liked him. Three weeks after falling for a voice, I met the owner, and although he wasn’t what I was expecting, I knew he was who I needed.
I walked him back to his car after the date. He held on to me, and I led him carefully.
He didn’t let me pay for dinner.
"This is the best first date I’ve ever been on." I said softly as I stopped in front of the car.
"Really?"
"Yes."
He smiled. "Dotun." He called the driver. "Please ask this beautiful lady on a blue dress, holding on to me that I’d love to go on a second date with her soon."
I was shocked. I went on with the black gown he said, because I didn’t want to make him feel bad. I was actually wearing a blue gown.
"I think she heard you, sir." Dotun replied.
"You’re not really blind, are you?" I asked.
"A 100 percent. I told you, I can hear colour." He faced me. "What do you say about the second date, Juls?"
I looked at him. I liked him so much that I couldn’t say no.
"Sure, why not?"
"Great." He smiled. "This was great. Thanks for staying."
I hugged him. "You’re welcome."
I let him go and opened the car door for him. I helped him go inside, and I watched as he rolled the window down.
"I guess you could call this a blind date." He said, and he grinned.
I laughed. "For you, every date will be a blind date."
He joined in the laughter. I could even hear Dotun chuckling.
"You’re so funny." He said.
"I know." I replied. "Oh, by the way, did Jide send the money to Thomas?"
"What?" Felix asked.