Chapter Fifty-Nine – Did I Actually Say That

The next day after my alcohol infused shenanigans, my head was pounding. If someone told me I was pounding my head against the wall all night it would have made so much sense to me.

Boateng didn’t come over the entire day, which I thought was odd. He didn’t even text me to find out if I was okay. I thought that was very strange and unlike him but then again, my getting drunk was very strange and unlike me. Not that it was my first time, but it was my first time to his knowledge.

He had hated dating Farida because of her reckless partying so it made sense that he’d be a bit distant. Still, this was us.

While I was worrying about that, Mara was doing some thinking of her own. Funds were getting tighter and tighter for her and relying solely on her parents was no longer an option. She’d seen how the sugar daddy scene had played out for Lara and she was not about to find out. Besides, the sex for grades scandal was enough to remind her that relying on a man for your success was top three terrible things you could do.

The question though was, how was she going to make money. As she sat thinking, one of her roommates exclaimed. “Guys, can you believe that the girl who started the makeup business downstairs has opened a shop in Haatso” she said.

All three girls scurried over to the exclaiming roommate to see pictures of the shop opening. Hmmm. This was interesting. What if she started a business of her own? But what?

I was escorting Lara to pick some of her clothes from the drying line and I couldn’t hold back my curiosity any longer.

“You know Boateng hasn’t texted to check up on me all day. I texted him and he hasn’t replied either. I’m wondering if I did something wrong.”

Lara’s brow furrowed and she seemed oddly engaged in taking of the peg on one of the clothes. I inched closer so she could see me looking at her. She dropped her shoulders in resignation and dumped the dress in the empty bucket.

“I’m guessing you don’t remember the things you said last night?”

I made a face to say ‘obviously’. If I did, would I be asking her?

“Araba, I love the two of you and so really I don’t want to get involved. Not this time. Why don’t you go and talk to him yourself? He’s not mad at you but you do need to talk.”

I walked to Boateng’s room with a lump in my chest. What really could I have said that was so bad that Boateng couldn’t text me and Lara couldn’t tell me?

Meanwhile, Mara had made a breakthrough in her business plan. She would sell hair products. The beautiful thing about them was that they never expired, every girl needed them and there was no way it could fail. The next hurdle was finding a supplier and then the funds to buy her first batch of products.

She’d worry about the money later. First, she needed to find a supplier and the perfect place to go was Madina market but with whom?

Boateng seemed surprised to see me and I could tell by the awkward tension that whatever I had said or done must have been so awful. Did I strip myself naked or something? Oh, my goodness! That would simply be terrible. Why would I do that? How much did he see? If that was really the case then I don’t think I could look him in the face ever again.

“I hadn’t heard from you all day so I came to see what’s up? I kind of figured you’d have called to check on me this morning but you never did and I texted you but there was no response.”

His laptop was open on the bed and an episode of Big Bang Theory was playing. He took one chair and I sat on the other. He couldn’t even look me in the eye.

“I assumed you needed your space, as did I.”

“Space because?”

A look of realization flashed on his face but he didn’t want to be presumptuous.

“You don’t remember our conversation?”

These silly questions were beginning to annoy me because there was no reason for me to pretend I didn’t when I did.

See, reader, this is why drunkenness is ill-advised. I woke up nursing an awful headache. I lost my appetite. I behaved like a complete fool at a party and danced with a complete stranger who I hopefully never see again, now I’m answering silly questions and there’s a chance I might have said something so awful my friend isn’t going to speak to me again.

“You said that you hated Aseda and I asked why. Then you said “isn’t it obvious. It’s because I like you. I want us to be together”. I asked if you were sure and then you said positive.”

Um.