3 GUYS, ONE LADY, ROOMMATES; THE INTERVIEW!

Ibinabo Sekibo

The prospect of people of the opposite sex living together in a room isn’t quite much of a thing. But when its people who are not related romantically or by family, that’s when it becomes a thing.

On the blog today, we have our guests: Sophie (the lady), Honour, Emmanuel and Paul Kay; who’d be walking us through what it was to have lived together in a room as undergraduates, irrespective of their gender. This would be very interesting, I feel as excited as our readers. I’d pick as I so desire. So, Paul Kay; you’d be going first. No ladies first, here.

Meanwhile, the virtual interview was a kind of close interview where the interviewees didn’t see the answers of their co-interviewees.

FIRST ROOMMATE: PAUL KAY

Host: Hello, good evening, I am Sekibo Ibinabo. A lot of persons today, want to know what it is like having roommates of both sex; and so if you wouldn’t mind, would you please introduce yourself?

Paul Kay: My name is Paul, but I’ve liked it as Paul Kay. I am a male, a Nigerian male. I’m a writer, author, blogger, poet (in page and on stage), with great interest in music, I play the guitar though I majored in environmental biology.

Host: Honestly speaking; I’m wowed, I wasn’t expecting so much talent in one person.

Paul Kay: Lemme jhoor😂

Host: (laughs) Moving on, I am really curious about living co-ed. I don’t think I would live with some one of the opposite sex, I’m not related to romantically or by family; and so, my first question: did you ever think you would be living with someone you aren’t related to romantically or by family?

Paul Kay: Well, I never thought I could, while younger; but after I had seen a series titled NEW GIRL, I kind of wished for the experience.

Host: Well, well, well; in a sentence how was the experience, just one sentence please.

Paul Kay: It was one with mixed emotions.

Host: Now, I’m very curious! So how long had you all known each other before you had to stay together? I learnt the proportion was three guys to a lady?

Paul Kay: (Smiles) you say proportion, like its sex. We had known ourselves for over two years.

Host: (smiles) Where did you all meet?

Paul Kay: University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Host: OK, were you guys course mates or something?

Paul Kay: Yeah….

Host: So, what were your thoughts on the first night?

Paul Kay: I had stayed with females before, then I was the only boy; so I looked forward to this one.

Host: Wow, you’ve stayed with females? A shocking revelation to be honest. How many were they?

Paul Kay: Two of them, and they sometimes had a female friend for the night.

Host: How did you cope, living with females and a female later on?

Paul Kay: Living with females, was super worse. Living with a female was better compared to the previous one. Though, living with females had its benefits, as well as living with a female. But, I just learnt to look at them like they’re males too.

Host: Hmm! So you are trying to say there was no sexual tension anytime? Like nothing at all?

Paul Kay: Of course, there was. Numerous times, very very numerous. Especially, most times when the females felt they had to be comfortable at home, ignoring my gender.

Host: (laughs hard) I trust ladies, we love being comfortable.

Paul Kay: Lying on the same bed was really a torment on some nights.

Host: The cold ones especially right?

Paul Kay: You know this thing!

Host: How was your relationship with each of your roommates? Any thing you loved about them or wished they wouldn’t do?

Paul Kay: Fair enough. We had our times, rough and nice.

Host: Throw a little light, please?

Paul Kay: I loved Cookey’s neatness and disliked his snoring hugely. I loved Honour’s devoted Christian nature and disliked his laziness, that boy can sleep with cockroaches. Sophie? Sophie hated cooking, Kai. I also disliked how she spent time in the bathroom. But she was so nice; I remember once I was sick, twas cos of her I didn’t go home.

Host: Now I wish I got to spend time with some them too

Paul Kay: It wasn’t all rosy o; there were times I quarrelled with each of them. I once broke all the breakable plates because Honour wouldn’t wash them for days, when it was his turn.

Host: Oh my goodness (laughs hard), didn’t you feel petty after that?

Paul Kay: (Smiles)…. I apologised to everyone later, it was bad though. Once, our house was really dirty; we started wearing foot wears inside.

Host: Ah… What happened? Were you all on an in-house protest or something?

Paul Kay: Yeah. It was really dirty, until someone was having a female guest.

Host: …..I’m laughing out loud.

Host: Did you ever develop feelings for Sophie? Like a crush or something?

Paul Kay: When I was sick? Yeah. She showed me care those wicked boys won’t show me.

Host: Who was the weirdest amongst you all. Like in your opinion?

Paul Kay: Sophie

Host: Why?

Paul Kay: Sophie scared me one night oo. Her mood swings were so, so rapid.

Host: Hmm, any reason for that? Like was there anything you could point to as the cause of the mood swings? Besides, what did she do that particular night?

Paul Kay: Had no idea. She had slept in a neighbor’s room, we thought she would pass the night. But by 1 am, she knocked; I really was scared.

Host: (laughs) That shouldn’t be such a big deal now, I thought she wanted to kill someone or something like that.
Paul Kay: Oh! (chuckles)
Host: Yup, did you believe there was any couple in the house?Paul Kay: I suspected Honour and Sophie.
Host: What made you suspicious?
Paul Kay: They got close, quite closer than any other person. Just that Honour had a girlfriend at the time.
Host: (chuckles) So they couldn’t have been together, I guess. What a bummer! See me thinking I’ve got some juicy details here (laughs).

Host: what’s the funniest memory you have of you all?
Paul Kay: (laughs) Our graduation party, I was the one who conceived the idea. But it turned out good.
Host: Awwnnn.

Paul Kay: So many things happened. Some said I pulled my boxers.

Host: That means you were drunk?😂😂😂

Paul Kay: I knew I didn’t, they were trying to catch fun with me

Host: 😂😂😂😂….. I love your roomies more

Host: If you were asked to share the room with one person, who would it be?

Paul Kay: Who? (thinking) I can’t even pick one.

Host: Oh, why?

Paul Kay: Cos they have their good and bad.

Host: We are putting a wrap on things already, if you were given the opportunity to pick three roommates, would you pick them again?
Paul Kay: Sure. It’d be awesome because now we’ve had a previous one. I’m sure I’d have troubles with them, but I miss them all.
Host: Finally, if you saw females and males trying to live together, what would be your counsel to them?
Paul Kay: Don’t sleep with one another; it would get very awkward. If I had slept with Sophie, it would have been very awkward.
Host: Honestly, I had a swell time with you; thank you so much for giving me your time and answering all my questions.
Paul Kay: Anytime, Highbee.

SECOND ROOMMATE: EMMANUEL COOKEY

Host: Hello good evening; I am Sekibo Ibinabo, your host for the interview session. A lot of persons today want to know what it is like having roommates of both sex, and so if you wouldn’t mind , would you please introduce yourself?
Emmanuel Cookey: I’m Emmanuel Cookey
Host: Okay. Anything else more than your name? Like some qualities that if mentioned, I would instantly know it’s you they are referring to.
Emmanuel Cookey: You mean my ex roomies?
Host: Nope, I mean something more about yourself.
Emmanuel Cookey: I’m usually quiet. (further thinking) I actually don’t talk much.

Host: Oh, noted. Emmanuel, I don’t think I would live with some one of the opposite sex I am not related to romantically or by family; and so, my first question goes thus: did you ever think you would be living with someone you aren’t related to romantically or by family?
Emmanuel Cookey: Not really
Host: What brought all of you together?
Emmanuel Cookey: Actually, we were course mates. But Sophie dropped out in our second year. So she informed Paul that she would like to come and live with us; that was during our final year.
Host: And I got to know he didn’t inform you all earlier, how did you feel about it? What was your reaction?
Emmanuel Cookey: Well, I was happy to help Sophie; but at least, he should informed us earlier. I still didn’t have any issue with Sophie coming to stay with us though.

Host: Did you have a girlfriend at that time? And how did she feel about a girl in the house, if you did?
Emmanuel Cookey: Nope, I didn’t have any serious date at the moment.
Host: Oh, so was there any sexual tension in the house?
Emmanuel Cookey: How do you mean?
Host: You know living with a girl that’s not your sister is not easy, especially on cold nights (winks). Any attraction, crush or something like that?
Emmanuel Cookey: Yeah… there was this night I was alone with Sophie in the room. like my other roomies were away for the weekend. I had this weird thought of fucking Sophie that night.
Host: Wow wow wow
Emmanuel Cookey: (chuckles) If I had made a move, I think she would have agreed. I think she felt something too.

Host: So what stopped you from making the move?
Emmanuel Cookey: I didn’t want it to make it look as if I was trying to take advantage of her because she was living with us.
Host: Awwnn, that’s so thoughtful of you.
Emmanuel Cookey: Was kinda shy sha.
Host: Oh my God! First time, I’m hearing a guy being shy, because y’all are usually instigators though.

Host: What individual characteristic did you love in each of your roommates?
Emmanuel Cookey: Sophie was very caring. Honour was a clown, like you can’t stay five minutes with him without laughing. Paul Kay was like the father of the house, I actually learnt a lot from him sha.

Host: So, you know that first night when Sophie had to stay, what were your thoughts?
Emmanuel Cookey: On the first night she came, I was kind of tipsy; because we attended a friend’s birthday party. So I took some alcohol, I wasn’t really concerned with what was happening.
Host: OK. If you were asked to share the house with one person, who would it be?
Emmanuel Cookey: Hmm. It’s a hard one though. I’ll pick Sophie.
Host: OK, why?
Emmanuel Cookey: This interview na M.B.B.S exam oo. I just feel she would be a better roomie.
Host: (laughs hard) Well what’s the funniest memory you can remember?
Emmanuel Cookey: We were eating Afang together one day; then I stole the one remaining meat from the soup and laid allegation on Honour’s head. Then Paul sided me.

Host: 😂😂😂, best part is all of you have different views on your favourite memory, giving me a peek into your lives
Emmanuel Cookey: Ok
Host: Who was the weirdest amongst all of you
Emmanuel Cookey: Sophie, very weird most times.
Host: Oh, well, why would you say so? I thought you guys had your moments, like you and her?
Emmanuel Cookey: She usually had mood swings.

Host: So continuing from where we stopped; would there be a reason you would have wanted to change room mates?
Emmanuel Cookey: Nope, they were the best.
Host: Awwnn. What quality did you hate and wished they would change?
Emmanuel Cookey: Paul gets angry easily, he needs to work on that. Honour was kinda lazy. Sophie? hmm… She talks too much and she likes hanging undies on the gate.
Host: (laughs)
Emmanuel Cookey: Yea

Host: Putting aside the fact that you didn’t want it to seem like you were taking advantage of Sophie, if you had the opportunity to shoot your shot at Sophie, would you have done that?
Emmanuel Cookey: Why not? She is a beautiful girl now.
Host: Awwnnn, so I heard of something I termed an in-house protest; where the house was so dirty, you guys had to wear your footwear inside the house at all times.
Emmanuel Cookey: Yeah, No body refused to sweep.

Host: But I got to know you were the first person to give up and clean the house, why?
Emmanuel Cookey: I couldn’t keep up with it. I don’t like dirty environment.
Host: That’s good though.
Emmanuel Cookey: Yea
Host: So if you were to pick three room mates, would you still pick them?
Emmanuel Cookey: Yes, sure. I’ll pick u too though, to make it four.
Host: (smiles) I feel honoured, thank you.
Emmanuel Cookey: You’re welcome.

Host: Finally, if you saw males and females trying to live together what would  be your counsel to them?
Emmanuel Cookey: to live in harmony
Host: OK, thank you so much for your time, and answering all my questions.