Chapter Seventy-Two – I Want You

The wind was blowing my braids in the wind. It felt like I was the main character walking along the beach at the climax of the romcom. I tried to walk a bit more briskly to keep myself from getting too cold in the December air.

I saw Boateng’s figure approaching, walking just as fast. I hadn’t expected him to be coming from the library so soon.

“What’s up” he shouted before we got within hearing of each other, “Lara told me that you wanted to see me and it was urgent” he added.

Of course, she did!

“I just wanted to say, I…I…I am done being dumb” I said, struggling to find my words. I thought I was going to cry at any moment and did my best to steady myself. With the first words out, I had a bit more confidence to continue. “I’m done beating about the bush. Today, I know what I want, tomorrow I don’t. I know what I want now.”

From the darkness of the sidewalk, I could see the probing look in Boateng’s eyes. The words came gushing forth like candies out of an opened piñata.

“It’s you. It’s always been you. From the very first moment we met, I knew it was you. I want you. I should have never asked you to wait. I want you.”

PDA isn’t a thing in Ghana but I was way too overwhelmed to care. I leapt (because Boateng was several inches taller than me) and threw my hands around his neck, planting my lips on his.

Remember when I said his kiss with Aseda was good? Well, this was great. This was the best. This is what we’d waited five years for. For this very moment. It was all worth it. Everything had finally fallen into place. The pieces were connected.

As he wrapped his arms around me, I felt warm inside.

The war I’d been fighting in my heart all semester had come to an end. My mind was finally waving the white flag. All was calm.

***

We spent the week in pure bliss. Finally, we could be together without any interruptions and it was a perfect way for us to end the semester. It was also such perfect timing because my birthday was coming up. I was eager to see what birthdays would be like between us. Yes, we’d had several birthdays already but everything was different now. We’d be experiencing the same things for the first time as a couple.

Lara was back to the room now but Mara actually never left. We were all in the room, gushing and chatting about December plans when there was a knock at the door.

I opened it to find Boateng standing there with a red envelope in his hand.

“Hey” he said, standing so close to me, a pin could barely pass between us. “Hey” I responded, smiling shyly.

He handed me the envelope. Without breaking the closeness, I struggled to open the envelope and read it. He was inviting me to join him for a drive for my birthday. I looked up to find him smiling sheepishly.

“Boateng, you didn’t have…”

“Yes, I did” he interrupted. He passed his hands through my hair and I thought I was going to faint. He planted a peck on my lips and then brushed past me to say hi to the girls in the room.

“Hiiiii” they chorused, laughing and giggling like little school girls.

He held my hand and said he’d see me later. Then kissed me and left. The girls screamed “aawww”. I grabbed the nearest pillow after he’d left and threw it at them.

“Boateng and Araba, sitting on a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G” Lara sang and Mara joined.

I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t you guys have deliveries to pack?” I demanded in mock annoyance.

My life was literally perfect.