Chapter Thirty-One – Hall Week Celebrations and Sankofa

Mara’s heart thumped heavily in her chest and she played with her fingers incessantly. Miss. Gyan had agreed to break the news to her parents and she was nervous. The look of disappointment on her parents’ faces would be the death of her.

Mr. and Mrs. Wilson sat in disbelief as Miss. Gyan narrated the story to them.

“So, you’re telling me this man touched our daughter and did all these things to her?” Mr. Wilson asked. He watched as the video played. Miss. Gyan replied in the affirmative. They were silent for a while, digesting the information.

“We are so disappointed in you Marianne, and not because you got an F but because instead of telling us about it, you chose instead to put yourself through this painful ordeal. What is the worst thing we could have done to you?” her mother said, shaking her head.

This was true. Reader, sometimes we’re scared to tell our parents the terrible things we have done and only make matters worse trying to cover it up. They’re our parents. They’re supposed to help us when we mess up.

However, this very reaction is why Mara didn’t say anything. The look of disappointment and being told that you’ve let them down is enough to drive you to great extremes. Mrs. Wilson didn’t understand why her daughter didn’t come to her and without realizing, she showed exactly why.

*

Hall week celebrations are a time where drunkenness and immorality are abound. You cannot expect anything good to come out of a hall week celebration. Relationships end in painful tears, people contract STIs and suffer severe medical complications from the weird concoctions they consume.

Being our first hall week, we wanted to experience everything. So, we sat down to make a list of the things we were going to do together. Mind you, interim tests were just two weeks away. University is just like a great test. Will you sleep or go to class? Will you study or play? It really is a test of character. Imagine coming out of secondary school where every second of every day was calculated for you and into this world of freedom where no one tells you what to do.

While we made plans, Boateng was making headway in his search for progress and healing. I was very proud of him for skipping this brainstorm session with us to go and seek help.

He sat opposite the counselor who took out her notepad and pen and then looked directly at him. The direct look was so uncomfortable for him that he had to look away.

“So, Boateng, tell me about yourself.”

You like the tea but let’s give them some privacy. Oh, that rhymed. I’m just too good at this. Anyway, back to the story.

Remember what I said about hall weeks and red-hot tears. Yes, well the festival was about to begin.

Inasmuch as I made plans with my friends, I still had to make room for my man. As a responsible girlfriend, I cannot deprive him of my company for too long. That’s like taking away his oxygen. Ladies, remember that your man needs you to survive. Without you, he’ll waste away into oblivion.

I set out Monday night to try out one of the drinking booths with Sly and his friends. As the hall week approached, he would not stop raving about it and I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to scout the place for my escapades with my friends later.

Ian was there. For those of you who don’t remember, he’s the one Sly and I met at the kebab joint and he’s also the one that brought my Val’s Day surprise.

All in all, we were having a really good time when this lady walked in. Do you know how beautiful you have to be for another girl to nearly choke on her drink upon seeing you. I could not take my eyes off her. She was the likeness of a Nubian queen. She dressed and walked like she knew she was pretty.

“Hey guys” she said, joining us. Whatever confidence I had been feeling before vanished out of my body with a quickness. She did not even put up a fight. Really? After all the seminars, you’re going to leave so suddenly?

My mother always says monkeys play in sizes. This wasn’t an ordinary monkey. This was a gorilla. I was a chipmunk at best. Even worse, I was like the little monkey from friends next to this diamond of a woman.

Why are goddesses casually floating in my boyfriend’s friend group? In what world is that fair?

Sly was at the bar getting drinks when she walked in so he didn’t see her. The way his eyes brightened when he returned gave me the 'ick', because as my man why are you smiling and showing your teeth when you see another girl. He looked like he had won a prize. Who was this girl and why was he looking like a schoolboy who had just been gifted a football.

I sat there and watched as the two hugged right in front of me. Reader, it was no ordinary hug. It was the kind where the parties swayed from side to side. As they swayed my heart was moving through the different regions in my body. By the time they were done it was resting in my rectum. What was this barbaric display?

The audacity! The disrespect! The gull! The shear shamelessness of it all!

Ick! Ick! Ick!

When he was done with this inappropriate display of affection, he came over to me with our drinks, which he had set aside to commit those atrocities. I took it graciously and smiled. He smiled sheepishly at this mystery girl as they exchanged the usual ‘long time no see’ pleasantries.

When he was fully satisfied that he was done hurting my heart, he decided to introduce me as his girlfriend to this angel parading as a human. Her name was Trudy. Damn! A nice name too. I had hoped for some ancient and outmoded name like Agatha. That’s no disrespect to the Agatha’s of the world.

Her face made a slight reaction of surprise when he mentioned my title. Yes, sis. I’m his girlfriend. How dare you casually sit there like a Vogue model and talk to my man.

Reader, do you know what made it worse? She was friendly. Gosh! At least be a bitch. You’ve got me out here liking you and things. What’s all this?

The rest of the night to me was ruined. Who is this Miss. Universe sitting among us like a commoner? I needed to know.

*

Mr. Mintah had decided to play dirty. After throwing subtle shots in class, he decided to take the issue to the press. It was no longer just a university issue and that’s how he wanted to be. Out there, he knew that people would be less likely to believe the victim over a reputable lecturer.

He held a press conference with his wife and children where his wife came forward to publicly declare her support for him. “My husband is a faithful man and responsible father. He would never do something like this, especially to his students. This girl is clearly aggrieved that she failed a course and wants to tarnish my husband’s image as revenge. We look forward to the investigations where my husband’s innocence will be proved.”

He didn’t end there. He was in our class when he said “One of you decided to report me to the Dean of Student Affairs and say that I was sexually harassing them. If I have sexually harassed you before, please raise your hand.” No hand went up. “You, see? These are all lies and once I’m cleared, the student will be dismissed from the school. I can promise you that.”

Mara was uncomfortable. There was no way she could survive being lectured by such a person. With interim tests approaching, she would be in serious trouble. Asking herself what Lara would do, she decided to go and see the Dean of Student Affairs and report her grievances.

How it didn’t occur to them to do something about him teaching her is beyond me. The system is indeed broken.

*

Two steps forward, three steps back. Those three steps found Boateng paying Marilyn a visit. Well, there goes his attempt at being alone. Marilyn made the offer once and he turned it down. He was not about to make the same mistake twice.

He reasoned that this was different and he was justified. His session with the counselor had showed him all the ways he was messed up and how much he would have to do to change that. Maybe just for an hour or two he needed to think about something entirely different, but actions will always have consequences. Always.

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