Chapter Thirty-Six – It's Time to Party

Kwame had planned quite the night for Lara. He’d pulled strings to get a nice location and invited all her friends that he could get into contact with. I was impressed. We’d all contributed for the event but he had given all of his savings and pocket money for this.

We had a few more hours and so Boateng and I had to go on rounds to secure drinks and snacks.

“I’m glad we’re doing this. I miss spending time with you” I admitted to Boateng.

“Me too. I just wanted to give you space.”

“How’s counseling?”

“It’s great.”

My question made him drift back to his session earlier in the week.

The counsellor had been scribbling on her notepad after Boateng admitted that he had began a fling with his ex and this was not the first time.

“Why do you feel that you keep going back?” the counsellor asked.

Boateng was quiet for several minutes, partly because he didn’t know the answer and also because he thought it was a stupid question. Wasn’t it the counsellor’s job to answer these questions?

“Boateng, I think you don’t love yourself nearly as much as you think you do. Here’s my assignment for you this week; I want you to go home and write down 10 things you like about yourself. Bring it for our next meeting.”

Apparently, he kept going back because he was too afraid to be alone and part of that fear stemmed from not liking himself. That sounds like almost this entire generation.

Since he had been given the assignment, he hadn’t been able to come up with anything and it really bothered him. This morning, he had written down that he liked that he was good looking. He quickly canceled it. Truth be told, the only reason he believed he was was because people always said it and so it had to be true.

“Can I ask you something?” I said too preoccupied with my own concerns to notice that he had gone quiet after his answer. “Sure.”

“Do you think it matters that Sly has kissed his ex and not me? Lara said if he has kissed his ex and not me it could mean he’s not really interested in me.”

Boateng laughed. “Are you sure you want to be asking me this?”

“Yes. You’re a guy and so I think you would know.”

“It depends.”

“On what?”

“On so many factors. Generally speaking if a guy usually is intimate with his ex and isn’t with his current girl, it could mean he’s not as interested. It could also mean that he’s trying to do things differently. I don’t think you should sweat it.”

“Are you sure? Why hasn’t he tried to kiss me though? I thought men like these things. It could be that he’s not even attracted to me. Omg. This is so embarrassing. My boyfriend doesn’t like me.”

I began to spiral. Boateng laughed so hard he nearly veered off the road. I scowled at him.

“Araba, you’re so prim and proper he probably thinks you’re a prude. You’re not the most open person. I’m pretty sure he thinks you wouldn’t want that. He's only trying to be respectful of you. Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Do you want to him to do that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Honestly, don’t rush it and don’t sweat it. I’m sure he really cares about you. Don’t stress or do something you don’t want to.”

Boateng, giving good advice? Counselling really does work.

*

Evening came by pretty fast. Mara and I took Lara to get her makeup done because we were supposed to be going out for a dinner but in actual fact, everyone was waiting for her at the garden that Kwame had secured.

While she was getting ready, Kwame nervously paced up and down. To occupy himself, he went over everything to make sure it was all in order. That was probably the fifteenth time he was doing that. Carl rolled his eyes in irritation. “Where’s Boateng?” he asked. He needed someone to escape to.

Boateng sat in front of his desk, staring at the blank paper where he was supposed to write the things he liked about himself. Finally, in frustration, he threw the paper aside and burst into tears. Was there really nothing to like about himself?

He replayed his interaction with Marilyn a few days prior. After the session, Boateng realized he really needed to end things with Marilyn if he wanted to move forward. She was just another part of the cycle he needed to break away from.

No sooner had he left the counselling room than Marilyn called him that they needed to talk immediately.

*

Lara looked around in confusion. “Guys, are you sure this is the way to the restaurant? I checked it on the maps and this doesn’t look right.”

Mara and I shared knowing looks.

We pulled up to the venue and as soon as she got out of the car, everybody screamed “surprise!”. She let out a joyful squeal and rushed to hug Kwame who was standing close to the front. His palms were sweaty from the nervousness.

“Did you really do all this for me?” Lara asked with tears in her eyes. Kwame laughed nervously.

“Yeah.”

She enveloped him in another hug and gave him a peck. “Thank you. I love it.”

“I love you, Lara.” He felt his soul leave his body as the words came out. Lara froze. She pulled back and looked at his face thinking that perhaps he may have made some kind of mistake or uttered the words out of nervousness.

Kwame searched her eyes hoping that he hadn’t just ruined things. It took a lot of courage for him to say it and he was hoping she would say it back.

“I love you too” Lara replied.

You know the world is not right when Lara and Kwame keep consistently being the most functional relationship in the friendship group. I mean, how?

Boateng’s date for the night was a bottle of tequila. He had already had about 6 shots before I approached him. “Should you be drinking that much” I asked. He had driven to the garden and I could only assume that he would want to drive back even though he knew he was not nearly as sober enough.

He tried to laugh it off. I smiled stiffly. He set aside the bottle. “Okay, I’m done. Happy?”. I nodded. He sat on one of the benches and I sat next to him. Even though it had taken me an obscenely long time to notice, I finally saw that his eyes looked the way it did every time he was trying to hide something he was worried about. His lips were slightly downturned which meant he was currently thinking about that thing.

“Are you okay?”

“Not really. My counsellor asked me to write 10 things I like about myself. I couldn’t come up with a single thing.”

“What? That’s crazy. There are so many things. You’re funny, kind, intelligent, gentle and loving. I could do this assignment in my sleep. How could you come up with nothing?”

“I guess I don’t love myself enough.”

I gave him a hug. We stayed there for a while.

“Araba, there’s something I have to tell you.”

I released myself and looked at him. With him, it could be anything. Perhaps we was about to confess that he was in love with me all over again.

“Marilyn is pregnant.”