Chapter Three– Platonic Relationships are a Scam

I went to check on Boateng since he stood up for himself. The way things were going, it looked like this was permanent. Usually, when Farida did something terrible, Boateng would act mad but then forgive her after she apologized with tears and a runny nose.

He was constantly sleeping and skipped three lectures. In the middle of Interim Assessment month? I suppose when they said ‘women will show you’ they had Farida in mind. From our conversations he was already looking for something or someone to fill the void.

“Hi. How’re you?” I asked sitting next to him. His roommate was out. He looked like he was lost in thought. He sat up and got closer to me. It wasn’t the first time we were in close proximity like that but it made me nervous.

“Nothing. I’ve just been thinking. I’ve kind of been thinking about us” he said.

“Us? What about us?”

“We’ve been friends for a while. Do you sometimes think of what it would be like for us if we dated?”

“Boateng don’t be silly” I retorted. I was getting very uncomfortable. The thought popped into my head and I quickly threw it out.

“I think I like you, Araba. I think I’ve always liked you” he said.

I was too stunned to speak. I know – me of all people; very shocking. He came closer to me and inched forward. I watched as his lips drew closer to mine and for some reason, I didn’t stop him. It’s not like I liked him, I just hadn’t thought of us that way before so it surprised me.

Just then we heard a key slip into the door and the lock turn. We separated as his roommate entered.

“Hi guys.”

“Hi Micah” we said.

For about three days I couldn’t stop thinking about our almost kiss. In fact, it was all I could think about while I wrote my test.

“Lara, what do you think about me and Boateng dating” I asked her one day.

“I don’t know. It’ll be weird. Then again you dating anyone will be weird because you’re never interested in romantic relationships”.

“I’m sure I would be better than Farida though” I joked. We laughed.

There was so much to unpack and think about. First of all, I was convinced I didn’t like Boateng. I was sure of it too because he always talked about his girlfriends and other romantic escapades and I had never been jealous. Sure, most of his girlfriends felt uncomfortable about me but we had never even once crossed that barrier.

But here I was faced with the reality of his confession. The fact that I was excited meant that there must have at least been a part of me that has always wanted it. It was like a bastard child who’d been locked away in the attic now seeking to be released.

Boateng had started to avoid me after our almost kiss and understandably so. He was embarrassed. He had poured his heart out to me and had essentially risked our platonic relationship in the hopes of something more.

It did feel good to know that Accra’s eligible Level 100 boy, was interested in me. I suppose I had never contemplated a relationship with him because a part of me felt he would not be interested. I was also feeling a little bad for him. All these years, he had flirted with countless girls and dated several but the reason nothing came of it was because he liked me.

I felt like one of those ‘It’ girls in the cheesy teen romcoms that Americans produce like rain every year. I was the Carly to Boateng’s Freddie. I was the Iris to his Barry; the Mary Jane to his Peter Parker and above all, the Rachel to his Ross.

After about one week of barely seeing each other, I decided to go and see him. Micah had gone out to see his friend so it was just us two. I couldn’t have planned it better.

‘’Hi” I said.

“Hi” he said.

“I haven’t seen you in like a week and I know it’s because of what happened. I think we should talk about it”.

“Okay. I think that’s good. I’ve been meaning to talk to you too. I just want to …”

“This is all very weird for me. You know I’ve never dated anyone before and I don’t know what it’s like to like someone. You and I have been friends for almost four years now and I don’t want us to lose that. At the same time, I think that us being friends for so long means that we know each other well and we get each other. That being said, I think I would like for us to see where this goes; this thing between us, I mean.”

Boateng was about to speak when Farida barged into the room. I stood and watched as she hugged him and gave him a peck. “Hi, Araba” she said with her arms still around him. I noticed he had his hands around her waist. I waited a while, expecting him to push her off and ask her what she was doing here. It never happened.

Reader, my face turned hot. My eyes began to burn and I thought my heart was too heavy for my chest. I had never been gladder to be black as at this moment. If I were white, I would have been as red as a cherry. If I tell you I was ashamed, I mean I was most mortified!

Ei! I had spent a week musing and fantasizing. I pictured myself being identified on Instagram as Boateng’s girl. I had already pictured my mother’s ecstasy at the news since she was very fond of him. Like a fool, I had carried myself one foot after the other to come and disgrace myself for free. For free o!

If the ground could have opened to swallow me like it did Korah in the Bible, I would have thanked God. This shame was too tangible. I didn’t just feel it in my heart, I could have held it in my hand. Can you imagine if I had told anyone what he had told me?

I must have stood there for a long time because Boateng asked Farida to wait on the balcony so he could talk to me. When she left, he searched my face to know what I was feeling. I was more confused than anything.

“I’m confused. Are you two back together?”. I wanted to smack his perfectly symmetrical face.

He nodded. I just stood there but, in my head, I shouted “heii!”. I threw my hands over my head and walked around in the crazed way that African mothers do when they feel that their child has acted in a way that would make their invisible enemies laugh at them.

“So, then all the things you said last week, what was that?”. My eyes began to sting. I knew if I stayed any longer I might make things worse by crying.

I didn’t need him to answer. The answer slapped me violently in the face. In fact, it knocked my spirit out of me, transported me to heaven and then returned me to my body. I had been hoodwinked and bamboozled. I was a victim. I was a victim of Boateng’s flirtations. I had seen him do it countless times. After a heartbreak, he would flirt mercilessly with one unlucky girl. They would probably kiss, she would feel fluttered, he would be elevated and then after about two weeks he wouldn’t even remember her name. That was his thing. I knew that was his thing but in all our years of friendship I never thought he could do it to me. Ted Bundy was a terrible person and yet, after all he did to those women, he never once attempted it on his girlfriend.

Sometimes, a girl has a boyfriend who is violent. He fights with everyone and is known to slap people every now and again, but she prides herself in the fact that only she gets him.; she possessed the ability to calm him down and he would never hurt her. It was kind of like Black Widow and the Hulk in Avengers Age of Ultron. Then, on some unfortunate day, she would have the rude awakening that fire does not discriminate. It will burn even the one who gave it life.

I was that unlucky girlfriend making that realization.

I would like to vividly describe to you how I made my exit to my room but I can’t because I don’t remember. I don’t suppose I waited for an answer because I don’t remember that either. All I know was that one second, I was aware of my stupidity, and the next second I was on my bed crying. I cried myself to sleep that night.