Chapter Sixty-Seven – The Part Where We Fight

You would think with Boateng reassuring me that he’d wait for me, I would feel better. Well, no. I was even more confused because Sly and I had been talking a lot more and I felt all those old feelings resurfacing. I wonder if they ever went away, after all. Is it possible to like two people at the same time? Oh sorry, make that two and a half because I half like Alex.

Oh, I’m doomed.

While I was spiraling, Lara was on the up and out. Bible study with Kwame had done wonders for her peace of mind and he’d introduced her to Pastor Dave who turned out to be a great listener. The business with Mara was doing so well that our room was now overrun with boxes of inventory.

I forgot to say or rather I didn’t want to say; Sly called me one night and we spoke for an hour. It was just as friends, of course. It was meant to be one-time, really. But you can never plan these things now, can you? One-time turned into two-time that turned into three-time and so on and so forth. You get the drift.

Alex had asked me out on a date once and I’d said yes. It was such a good time. He was a perfect gentleman – holding my hand, helping me with my purse, paying – it was all too perfect. He asked me out again and given that we’d had such a good time I said yes. Of course, I knew that exams were fast approaching but I planned to spend the night catching up on all my outstanding revision.

Lara and I were relaxing on our respective beds when a knock came at the door and it was Alex. I was too excited to register the disapproving look on Lara’s face.

“Alex and I are going to the benches at mid-campus, I’ll be back” I told Lara.

“Him again” she said. I found that response very odd but ever since her father had resurfaced and she’d started that Bible Study she was always brooding and pensive.

Being in the room by herself. Lara had time to think. Her father had invited her for a family dinner. Some of his new political partners were coming over and he wanted them to meet his family.

Of course, Lara wasn’t expecting an apology from her father but for him to just so blatantly use her that way, made her so angry. Her sisters didn’t see anything wrong with it. They were happy and said she should be too. She was lucky. Mr. Johnson would never have forgiven her if he didn’t need her.

About thirty minutes after I left, Boateng came knocking on the door hoping to see me. Lara let him in and disdainfully let him know that I was out with Alex again. Boateng sat on my bed in resignation. He moved his fingers over the pattern on my bed. It was all so melancholy like an R&B music video.

“I’m sorry” Lara said, registering Boateng’s disappointment. In that moment, she saw herself in him. Even though I must mention that the two situations were not even remotely related. The brain is just weird.

“I just figured after we spoke three weeks ago, things might be different” he said, chuckling. “I guess it’s my turn to feel what it’s like to want what you can’t have. It doesn’t feel good at all” Boateng mused. He was trying to be jovial about it all but Lara could tell that he didn’t find any of this funny.

“I have no idea what’s going on with Araba. It’s like she’s a completely different person and I hate it. It’s not fair what she’s doing to you and you need to stand up for yourself” Lara emphasized.

Boateng just sighed. Right about now, he could have been talking about everything and nothing with Aseda. This must be the price for love. He stood, bade goodbye and left.

***

Alex and I had a blast and I returned to my room feeling so joyful. Being with him was easy because I didn’t have any of the history that I had with Sly and Boateng. It was just natural.

Lara rained on my parade immediately I set my bag down.

“How was your date” she asked drily. I could tell from the tone that she wasn’t interested to know.

“It was good” I said, choosing not to give into it. She could try her intimidation tactics with the likes of Mara, not me.

“It’s like you’re a completely different person and it’s honestly frightening” Lara continued.  I had my back turned to her, so she came over to face me. She was a little too close for comfort.

“Okay, so first of all, go back. Second of all, what’s all this about?” I asked in confusion.

“It’s about you, Araba. It’s about you acting like some sort of bad bitch, hopping from one man to the other. Today, you’re going out with Alex, giggling at his texts. Tomorrow, you’re on the phone with Sly all night, laughing like you didn’t sit here crying and cursing him just a month ago. All the while, you have Boateng just hanging there by a leash. You’re just stringing the boy along. Is that how friends are supposed to treat each other? It’s truly pathetic. I can’t stand it and honestly, I’m not sure I want to be friends with someone who’s okay doing these things.”

I was shocked. Yes, Lara’s points were true. I was definitely hurting Boateng and it wasn’t fair but it’s not like that was my intention. More importantly though, why was Lara talking like I had killed someone and she wanted to be done with me?

“What exactly are you saying to me right now?” I asked Lara. I was really hoping she would take her words back.

“I am saying that you’re pissing me off and I don’t want to be around you anymore.”

“Eii! So let me get this straight. You’re mad at me because of how I’m treating Boateng and how I’m handling my relationships?”

Lara folded her arms and looked at me.

I cackled. “This is so rich coming from you. You? Lara I can’t even believe this. You are mad at me for my mistakes. Meanwhile, you are the same one who was sleeping with someone’s boyfriend. The same one who had unprotected sex and an unsafe abortion. The same one who went to live with a guy too old for her. When he abused you, it was my house that you came to live in. Through all of your many, many terrible decisions I have stood beside you and been a friend. Now this is what you’re telling me? I cannot believe it. Am I dreaming?”

My words convicted Lara but she was not backing down.

“Boateng is also my friend and I care about him. What you’re doing is very bad. You’re being very pathetic.”

“So, because of small Bible study you’ve been going for you now think you are the high and mighty judge to condemn someone. I’m not the one whose parents cut her off because of her dumb decisions. I am also not the one who keeps having panic attacks because of the consequences of my own actions and I am certainly not the one who’s broke as hell running a stupid hair business meanwhile, I have enough money sitting in my bank account to not even bother. You are the one who is pathetic. They couldn’t even pay me a million dollars to live your pathetic life.”

I was fuming. Even as I spat out the last words, I felt I had gone too far. But I was justified, wasn’t I? Lara was supposed to offer me unconditional support but instead, here she was painting me out to be Satan’s apprentice.

We stood in silence for a while. We’d never fought like this before. Yes, we had petty squabbles but they were easily solved. I walked out of the room, banging the door on my way out.

You wouldn’t believe where I went next.