Titi Iku: Until Death (Sequel To Irikuri)

9-Until Unfortunate Arrangements

The day had started off on the wrong foot. The weed helped me sleep right through my alarm and I scrambled to get to campus on time to move in my items. Ade was still sleeping and luckily didn't wake up as I collected my things. Regardless of what happened yesterday, my worst fear for us had come true, I had crossed a boundary and now we could never return. The tension and awkwardness was way too much for me and if I wanted us to have any chance of moving on, I would have to stick to my plan of distancing myself. I had called Asante the day before to ask her to help me move in since she didn't leave for Johns Hopkins University until Tuesday. She agreed to meet me for breakfast before we headed to campus and as I sped down the road I told her I was five minutes away. It was a bold faced lie. Since I had barely left the house and New York traffic sucked, I'd probably be lucky to get there in ten minutes. But, in my defense she was probably running late too. I arrived at a cafe just outside the subway stop I knew Asante would arrive at. Just as I predicted, she was even later than I was and eight minutes later she ran up the stairs huffing and puffing about 'delays' and a train breakdown. I smiled at her and pulled her into a hug, ignoring the fact that I knew she was lying because I genuinely missed my friend. I had seen her a couple times since I moved out of my parents' house and she had met Ade once or twice, but it still wasn't enough. 

"Wow, I'll never get used to you hugging me."

"Sorry, is it weird? I can stop-" I got self conscious, pulling away until she pulled me back in even tighter.

"Never. I've known you for a long time Nani. This is who you really are. That cold person - who I loved nonetheless - still wasn't you. I can't say enough how glad I am that you're healing."

"You've always been a sappy ass bitch haven't you?" I snorted and began to walk into the cafe with her in tow.

"Hey! You know that's crazy, hoes get a man and all of a sudden they just be treating their best friend anyhow. Bitches ain't shit."

"He's not my man!" I yelled before turning to see the barista at the counter staring waiting for me to order. "Hey sorry can I get two medium mocha fraps and breakfast bagel sandwiches?" I pulled out my wallet to pay. 

"Didn't your parents cut you off? Let me pay." I looked at Asante for a second, debating how to tell her that I had access to Ade's account without explaining that I was married to him and why. 

"Girl don't worry about it, I'm good." I swiped my card before she could react and took our receipt. "My parents forget that I barely went anywhere my entire high school career, so almost every dollar anyone has ever given me has been sitting in an account multiplying. Plus my mother's been depositing a couple hundred bucks in it here and there. The whole 'cutting me off' thing was more baba's idea." Everything I said was true, but that was still not the money I used to buy our meal. Ade had convinced me that I was entitled to some of his money as payment for my help bringing Ximenes down and as his legal 'wife'. I didn't really buy it, but to be honest at that point I didn't care. I did not see us getting divorced, so when I made money it went into our joint account as well. What was mine was his and vice versa. Plus, it was free money, the fuck?

"Hmm and that's it? Your billionaire boo has nothing to do with it? "

"No..."

"You must think I'm booboo the damn fool. Girl you think I ain't seen the paparazzi photos of you out and about with him?"

"We're friends."

"You didn't even look at Ian the way you look at Ade."

"Don't bring that ugly motherfucker into this."

"Uh- girl you didn't think he was ugly back in the day. Speaking of, did he hit you up after you came back?"

"Nah, he knows I despise his ass. Why?"

"Umm...He was crying all over social media about you talm bout sum 'If I had one more chance' and '#bringmybabyback'. Bro, I had to send people to jump his ass."

"You did WHAT?"

"He was annoying me."

"Girl!" I cackled so hard I choked on my coffee."He's trash. Anyways Ade has made it clear he doesn't want a relationship with me, so let's leave it at that."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Our number was called and we went to collect our food before sitting at a booth. I proceeded to tell her about the incident at the beach house and a couple of my other encounters with him, leaving out incriminating details such as our marriage. She listened intently, inserting the occasional 'girl!', 'chile....', and 'he did what!'. When I was finished she inhaled, sipping her drink dramatically and shaking her head.

"I say we beat the nigga's ass."

"Girl what? He barely did anything."

"Yeah I know I just like the idea of beating ass. To be honest I like Ade a lot. I think he brings out the best in you and although you're just friends for now, I think he definitely has feelings for you. Beyond that, there's a lot about your relationship I don't know. I think something definitely went down with you and him while you were gone but you can't tell me for legal reasons. I definitely don't buy the story y'all are selling that Ade just stumbled upon you after Ximenes Moreno ran away and you supposedly struck up a friendship." my jaw dropped "You'll tell me on your own time, I'm not bothered. I'm just happy to see you happy, and I think he really makes you happy. You're a very difficult person to figure out y'know, but in this short time he already knows you almost as well as I do, if not better in some ways. That man is completely sprung on you, just be patient and don't hate on yourself! I can hear your insecurities projecting from the way you told the story."

"Thank you Asante, I love you. Anyways only time will tell. Just because I'm pretty doesn't mean he has to be into me. Maybe I'm not his type."

"Girl we are everybody's type. Fine is fine."

"I hate your cocky ass. Speaking of, how's your man?"

"My man? Oh. We broke up, remember?"

"Yes, I do. I'm talking about the reason you broke up, that man."

"Ohhh you mean Kofi. Girl I'll probably never see him again."

"What?"

"Well I told you my parents didn't approve. My mom said it was for cultural reasons but my dad's American ass didn't like him either. It's very clear that because he's poor they don't want me with him."

"Oh my god...Maybe they'll change their minds? Maybe you can find him when you go back? It'll be okay."

"No it won't. I'm practically in love with him and I think about him every day but I don't have any idea how to find him. My parents yanked me out of Ghana before I could even begin to figure out how to keep in touch. He doesn't have a phone."

"Aw man. He's the only person you've dated that I don't despise."

"Same with Ade to me."

"That's different. We aren't dating, and even before him I didn't actually date people. I just said yes to things until I got bored."

"That's true, you're a mess."

We talked casually as we hopped into the used car my mother secretly bought me in an attempt to get me back home. Her attempt didn't work, but I was definitely enjoying the car. When we arrived at the campus we were directed to my assigned dorm room. I pulled open the room door hesitantly, sensing that my roommate was already there. As she turned all three of us gasped. I didn't understand why Asante gasped, but I sure the hell knew why I did. I recognized her thick black curls and tan skin. 

It was Lola.