Too Good to Be Real

chapter 33

"What's wrong with her?" Nathi asked, bringing the attention back to herself.

"Nathi." Asa scowled. They still didn't like each other. Luckily, before anything nasty could happen, Nathi's roommate called her.

With Nathi gone, Oma discussed with Asa alone. She realised she hadn't been to any of her classes in two days and after much convincing, Asa agreed and they both left, but only after Oma promised to visit her mum with her at the hospital, during the weekend.

***

Oma sat beside Nathi in class who said she didn't want to sit with Obi, which was weird but she didn't give any reasons and Oma didn't ask. She was only thinking about Asher and the possibility of him not being a Christian. She wondered if it was supposed to be a big deal. People dated and even married people of different religions so this one wasn't supposed to be a problem, she told herself. It wasn't like she was a serious christian either.
It was a Friday and like all Fridays, it was a lazy day. The first teacher who came in came with news to share with them.

"Most people will come to bribe the lecturers with money, but we won't accept it. Some will, but I won't." He began, smiling as if it to say "I've outsmarted you."

There was a lot of snickering. Someone behind her said he was actually the biggest bribe collector ever. Someone else said he taught the most useless course in school. She didn't know what to believe. She just hoped she'd never need to bribe anyone. The lecturer began to move up, till he was close to her roll.

"Some others, the girls will demand sex for grades. Most lecturers will agree, some will even bring it up, but I don't do such." He continued and for some reason, he looked at Nathi who didn't look back at him. She was so gloomy that day, it was almost contagious.

The same person who'd accused the lecturer of being a bribe collector made another statement, claiming the lecturer was also into sex for grades. She didn't want to listen to this. She wanted tips on areas to read.

"I see most of you squeezing your faces like you don't want to hear what I'm saying but it's still you people that'll come to disturb me for these things." He began to go back down and Oma was thankful.

"That man is a bastard." Nathi said under her breath.

"What did he do?" Oma asked but Nathi didn't answer. It was almost as if she was trying to make her gloomy with her on purpose. Oma wasn't going to let that happen.

"Tell us exactly where to read from." Someone yelled from the crowd and others concurred with whomever it was.

"Read chapter one to the last chapter of all your textbooks." He replied and a lot of people groaned.

She rolled her eyes and tried to imagine this annoying lecturer wasn't there. Her eyes began to roam round the class, absently looking for something that'll distract her. She found it - a pair of eyes looking back at her behind lopsided goggles.
She broke eye contact immediately. She snuck a glance back at him again and this time, he smiled.
She smiled back and her heart did a dance. He tore his eyes away from hers and stared downwards. She was crestfallen. Had the smile been an accident?

Her phone beeped. A text. From Obi saying hi. She replied immediately, beaming and they began to text.
Luckily, the lecturer was too busy annoying everyone to realise they were using their phones.

"Who are you texting?" Nathi asked.

"Obi."

"Oh." She replied. "From the way you're smiling, someone would think you were texting your boyfriend." She said with no expression at all. Her face was so dull. Nathi was someone who always slathered her face with makeup and wore bright clothes, but today she hadn't even brushed her hair and her clothes were black.

Oma did a double take. She hated when Nathi was like this. Unnecessarily mean for no reason.

"If one only smiles when they're texting their boyfriend, then you would never smile in your life." Oma said with a tight smile.
To her surprise, Nathi laughed and said, "good one."

Before long, the classes were over and Oma was happily chatting away with Obi. Nathi was there as well but she said nothing, just stared at them.
Oma was so excited. She and Obi had finally reconciled and they hadn't even needed to ceremoniously apologise to each other. They talked about everytjing, from what the lecturer had said to a show he wanted to go to that evening. An hour later, they were still talking and Nathi was just right there, still saying nothing.

"I was hoping you'd come with me to the show." Obi asked with a hand under his neck.

"Yes." She is immediately, and just on cue, she got a text from Asher telling her he was coming to get her. "I mean no I can't. I promised Asher I would see him this evening."

His face fell and she felt bad. But she didn't really want to go to a show with Obi. They'd be so much noise and what she needed right now was just peace and quiet and a broad chest to lie on. She needed all the rest she could get before going to meet Asa's mother on Saturday.

"It's okay." He said and he glanced at Nathi.

"I'll come with you if you like." She said. "I don't have any boyfriend I'm going home to."

Nathi squeezed his left palm and Oma grimaced. This girl never learns, she thought. Obi would probably remove his hand from hers and tell her to leave him alone.

To Oma's surprise he didn't.
He squeezed Nathi's palm back with his other one and smiled at her. It was a short smile but obvious enough for anyone who wanted to see.

"Oma." She turned back and found Asher looking down at her. He stretched his hand out to Obi and he took it. They actually shook hands albeit stiffly and said something they both laughed at.

"See you later, Iminathi."
Asher said as they were leaving.
Nathi said something Oma didn't understand, but Asher laughed.
She turned back to say goodbye to Obi, but he and Nathi were already engrossed in whatever it was they were talking about.

Something about that wasn't comfortable.

"You better warn your friend."
Asher said when they got into his car.
"Nathi seems interested in him."

"Hmm." She didn't want to talk about them. She just wanted to create an atmosphere where she could ask Asher if he was religious.

"He's in for a ride."

"What are you talking about?" She asked since he didn't want to let it go.

"Nathi isn't someone that can 'date' someone. She's too 'free' if you get what I mean."

"It's their life. Besides no one said they're dating. He just wants someone to follow him to one show like that." She said, looking out of the window. He got the drift and dropped the topic.

The rest of the ride was quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. Nathi and Obi. She didn't like that at all. But she couldn't find a reason why she didn't.

As she followed the trees speeding by her, she tried to shake off the uncomfortable feeling she felt.
Something wasn't right. Maybe it was with Nathi, or maybe, it was really her instead.