Chapter Seventy-Three – Last Last

I put on a red dress I’d been saving all year for my birthday and we headed for the drive. We’d go up to the Aburi mountains and look at the Accra lights from there. Not that there were many lights to look at anyway given that the leaders of this country lack vision and foresight. I digress.

As we moved out of campus, I got increasingly confused with the roads that Boateng was using.

“Boateng, I thought we were going to Aburi. You have to pass through Adenta, but where you’re going now, we’ll be in Adjiringanor.”

“I know” he said with a grin.

I looked around, trying to understand where we were going and then I realized we were on the way to his house.

“Boateng, we literally just told each other our feelings and two seconds later you want to take me to your house alone. Look, I know that’s maybe how you usually roll but I’m not…”

As we pulled into the compound, I heard a loud “surprise” that almost gave me a heart attack.

Lara was standing there with party poppers in her hand and the rest of the group were cheering loudly beside her. My mentee was there. The people from the Bible Study and almost everyone I knew.

I walked over to Lara almost crying. She hugged me tightly.

“I know I’ve been a shitty friend and I am so so sorry. I really wanted to make it up to you and I realized you said you’d never been surprised. So, surprise!”

“Oh, Lara. I love you.”

We embraced again.

The party was an absolute blast. Boateng’s father had allowed him to use the empty boys’ quarters and as he and his new girlfriend were out of town, we had the entire compound to ourselves. Lara had used some of the money she swore she’d never touch to organize the party. I thought it was so sweet that she’d done that for me because she had resolved that even if she needed one pesewa from that money to save her life, she’d rather have died. Yet she’d reneged for me. I am really loved, aren’t I?

We danced. We drank. We sang. I had never been happier. That is usually when the devil likes to strike. When your guard is down and your heart is full. It’s like an animal, waiting for you to be full and slow and then he pounces on you because he knows you cannot run away.

I was coming out of the washroom when I was met by Aseda. I was surprised to see her.

“Aseda, what are you doing here?” I asked before realizing that she probably thought we were more cordial than we were.

“Phyllis told me about the surprise party and I just had to be here to surprise you too. Happy birthday” she said, flashing her pearly white teeth.

“Thank you” I said to end the conversation. She cut me off as I tried to move away.

“I hear you and Boateng are figuring things out officially now” she said, still smiling and bopping to the beat.

“Yes” I said with growing irritation. What business was that of hers? I decided to calm down, maybe she was just trying to be nice. All semester, she’d been trying to get in my good graces, using Phyllis as some kind of middleman.

After she and Boateng had kissed, she’d been trying extra hard. She’d asked Phyllis when she and I usually met for discussion, attempted to join twice and succeeded in joining once. It was giving obsessed.

“Congratulations. I am happy for you. I hear you’re still a virgin.”

I was taken aback. First because why was that something she felt comfortable saying to me and second because if she heard then she must have been intrigued by my sex life which was frankly none of her business. Then the next thing was who was telling her these things? I was too gob smacked to speak.

She continued. “That’s very nice. Boateng is a very sexual person and so I’m pretty sure that will change soon …”

“I don’t think this is a conversation I want to have with you…”

“Oh, I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. On the contrary, I think the two of you are a lovely couple and I’d love to help you. If you need any tips on the things he likes, just let me know.”

“Aseda, if and that’s a big if. If I needed tips, why in God’s name would I come to you?”

Aseda chuckled. “Boateng and I have been together. So, I think I would know a thing or two about what he likes.”

I wanted to throw up. My head was spinning. Together as in they sat together or that type of together? Silly question. Obviously, it was that type of together.

Aseda feigned shock. “Oh, he didn’t tell you? I’m so sorry. I thought you guys had been honest and open with each other. At least that’s what he told me. After you had some kind of argument or something. He came to see me and one thing led to another and we had sex. I suppose in many ways you should be thanking me. It gave him the clarity he needed.”

I was too shocked to process words but with the little that came to me, I asked her to leave.

“Oh, are you upset?”

I didn’t think it was necessary to remain and entertain her, so I pushed past her and left. As I moved robotically around the room, Burna Boy’s Last Last started to play. Burna sang “I no go fit take your insult o”.

Boateng and the rest of the group came into view.