Chapter Eighty-Two – The World Doesn’t Revolve Around Me

Reader, it is I. I know you’ve missed me. As have I. Missed me, I mean. Yes, I missed you but I missed me more. Can you blame me? I am so funny and entertaining and chronicling my life is one of my favorite past times.

It’s been too long and I apologize. At this point, you should know that it is to be expected. I would say that I’ve changed but why should I lie?

Back to the story as that is why you’re here in the first place, you gossip. Anima’s bid for presidency proved successful. Kudos to her. As I had initially suspected, she did indeed want the position. I was happy for her as I myself had voted for her.

Anima reached out to me because she wanted an Easter production made for the Economics department and she wanted me to lead that. Of course, I had accepted.

Our first meeting to discuss plans for the Easter celebration was slated for that morning after the first lecture. I had gathered my friends to join me for the meeting. There was also an open call for anyone in the department interested in taking part.

“I need you guys to be cool today” I said to Mara and Lara as I waited at the entrance to the auditorium where the meeting was to be held. They both looked at each other and looked away. I was about to give another warning when I heard an obnoxious voice call my name and say hi.

I turned to find Aseda standing close to us with a broad smile on her face.

“How are you?” she asked, she attempted to offer a hug which I not so subtly refused. She persisted regardless. “I hope you’re not still mad about what happened at your party. I didn’t mean to ruin your special day.”

All three of us gave no response.

“I also heard you and Boateng are no longer together. I’m so…”

“First of all, you need to stop hearing things about me. What I’ve got going on is none of your concern” I said. I was about to say more when a surprising feeling shot through me.

“If anything, I feel sorry for you. A man slept with you and right after, determined that he was in love with somebody else. That must have been extremely embarrassing for you. I think you’re the victim in this situation. Now, if you’re going to be joining the Easter production, you can go in and sit down. If not, then I will see you another time.”

The smug did in fact, wipe off her face and she looked like I’d given her a lot to think about. She hesitated undecided whether or not to go in. Lara offered some assistance. “Phyllis is already inside so you can sit next to her.” Aseda thanked her and went inside.

I suddenly felt so free about the whole situation. Perhaps it was time to put it all behind me.

Boateng was in his room when I went looking for him. He was engrossed in a Michael Critchton novel and was surprised to find me standing at his door.

“Are you going to let me come in?” I asked. He opened the door wider and still didn’t say a word. Good. I wanted to be the one to speak.

“I met Aseda today,” I began. His face dropped and I noticed him mentally bracing himself for what was to come.

“You know, I was so busy making myself the victim – the one who was slighted. Don’t get me wrong, I was. I asked one thing of you and you turned around and betrayed that, knowing how vulnerable I was at the time.”

Boateng wanted to start apologizing again. “Let me land, please. But today when I met Aseda, my opinion changed. She was just the unlucky girl that got stuck in the middle of us. How many other unlucky people are there, Boateng?”

He didn’t know what to say. I sat on the bed; my arms folded.

If both of us were being honest, the reason our relationships hadn’t worked out in the past was because of us and this toxic dynamic. Freda. Marilyn. Sly. All casualties of us not seeing what was right in front of us. Both of us being too immature to realize that it was always going to be the two of us. They saw what we couldn’t.

“I came to say that I’m sorry because I don’t think I ever did say it. I asked you to wait for me and all the while I was doing me. I was seeing who I wanted and I was treating you like an option. That wasn’t fair to you.”

Boateng was still speechless. He had never considered himself justified since everything went down. Yet here I was, apologizing and taking responsibility for my part in our fallout.

“Araba, I don’t know what to say,” he replied. “Thank you for saying that. It doesn’t excuse what I did to you. I wasn’t thinking with my head and I…”

“Neither was I,” I interrupted. “But do you know who was? Aseda. That girl liked you and she wanted to be with you. Then I made you cut her off. After that you went back and slept with her. Immediately abandoning her and coming back to me. You used her. She’s deserves an apology from you.”

Boateng nodded.

I stood up and headed for the door.

“So, then where do we stand now?” Boateng asked.

“I’m not sure,” I replied honestly. I had a breakthrough in all this. To see myself outside of the situation and to look at everyone else. I didn’t like who I had been these past couple of months and all I knew was that there needed to be a change. I just wasn’t sure what change had to be made.