She got accustomed to the room pretty quickly as she focussed on remembering the good times when the room had bubbled with people and gossip and not the bleary image of Asa with her head cocked to one side, bleeding to death.
That night, people flocked to their room, asking of Asa. Apparently Asa was a favorite here and Oma realized that if anything ever happened to her, no one would really notice. She told them Asa was sick and in the hospital and luckily, no one suspected she'd actually harmed herself.
She had a few snacks she'd purchased for the night and watched videos on her phone. She tried to read, but the entire hostel building was so noisy, any form of reading was totally impossible. When she was tired of watching videos, she tried to sleep, but sleep wasn't forthcoming either.
She thought of Asa and her deadbeat father who'd all but forsaken her. She'd promised her he'd give her the money that evening, now she had to find the money somehow.
She dialed Nia's number.
"Hi dear." Nia sounded happy. She'd probably gotten a new business deal. This was the best time to call. Oma didn't really know what it was her mother did, it was weird but she really didn't know.
"Hi mum. Good evening." She said, feeling nervous. "How's everything going?"
"Everything is perfect. Do you need money?" Oma couldn't help but feel bad. She only called her mother when she needed money.
"No, I mean yes, but it's not for me."
There was silence on the other end.
"You know my friend, my roommate."
"Oh yes, the manly one. I liked that girl." Oma exhaled.
"Well, she's in the hospital and her mother just died last week. I want to pay for her bills..."
Nia gasped.
"Why would you just dump all that information on me in one sentence. Ah! What killed her mother, what sent her to the hospital?"
Oma told her everything, excluding the fact she'd tried to commit suicide and the fact they were probably sisters.
"Her father sounds just like your father. Useless people." Nia said with much emotion. "I'll send you the money right away. Will two hundred thousand naira be enough?"
That had gone way easier than she'd thought.
She showered and at once, the wave of sleep overtook her.
***
By five o clock the next morning, her alarm began to ring. She kept skipping and adding an extra five minutes until it was ten minutes to six. There was no way she'd be at Obi's place at exactly six.
She prepared sluggishly, taking her time as freely as she could. At exactly six o clock, her phone began to ring and she stared in disbelief. He seriously expected her to walk that scary road to his lodge this early in the morning when there was probably no means of transportation.
She watched it ring out and go off. She didn't pick the call because she was...scared. Meeting him, hearing his voice, meant seeing Nathi and addressing what had happened. The situation was both embarrassing and annoying to talk or think about.
Plus, she didn't know exactly where they were at the moment and how to act around him.
"Just open the door. I know you're awake."
She jumped, startled. The voice was coming from the door. He was there! She breathed in and out, automatically striking up a yoga pose before she remembered she had to open the door for him.
He walked into her room like it was his and sat on Asa's bed. He got up immediately when he recalled what'd happened there but slowly sat down again. Oma cackled inwardly; seeing him awkward made her feel more at ease.
"I thought you said I should be in your place by six. But now you're here."
She said after a minute of silence.
"Yeah. I realized how dangerous it'll be for you so I decided to come. "
He stared at her intently, making her uncomfortable all over again.
"How prepared are you for exams?"
She shrugged.
"It's an evening paper so I have enough time."
He took off his shoes and rested his back on the wall.
"I didn't sleep well at night."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. Was just thinking. I don't even know how ready I am for the exam."
"We can read before then, revise."
She said, picking up the book.
"Ok. Let me call Nathi." He said. He didn't try to bring out his phone or anything, just kept staring at her to watch her reaction to the news.
"Nevermind. You can both read together without me."
There was silence.
"Care to talk about it?"
She dropped the book she had no plans of reading and sighed.
"You know Asher's been cheating, right?" When he nodded she continued. "Well I realized yesterday she's been the one he's been cheating with."
"His own cousin. Really?"
Obi asked, giving her a look that clearly said he didn't believe her one bit. She felt insulted.
"Why on earth would I make that up?" She yelled. "I even met him yesterday and he told me everything. How they've been together back in south Africa and she followed him here."
He still didn't believe her, but now he was looking at her like he thought she'd run mad.
"I know you don't like her at the moment and when she said what she said yesterday..."
She got up. "You really think I'll make up such a disgusting accusation just because I love you and you're with her? We've known each other for quite a while, does that seem in any way like something I would do?"
He was unmoved and it only fueled her anger further.
"You've done a lot of strange things recently..."
He had to be trying purposely to rile her up.
"You're unbelievable!..."
"Sit down." He said calmly, pointing back on her bed. She suddenly realized she was still in her nightwear and quickly sat down. He didn't seem to have noticed.
"When did you realize and why didn't you ever tell me?"
Now he was being reasonable.
"I went through his love messages with a contact named Beside on his phone and she said the meaning of her name, I..." Now she said it out loud, it sounded ridiculous.
"Asher usually saves people's names with their English translations I don't know why..."
She stopped talking.
"And you beat her up just because of the coincidence? Without even talking with her first? What if it was just a misunderstanding?"
She couldn't believe her ears.
She'd known their meeting would be a bit awkward but she hadn't expected him to completely be on Nathi's side.
"He confessed everything!"
He shrugged.
"And you never wondered whether he could have made the whole thing up just to get you out of the picture? Maybe he had a problem with Nathi and wanted what happened to happen. It's been established that he's not all okay, you know."
She glared at him with wide eyes, unable to say anything for several minutes.
What could she say? When everything that came out of her mouth was turned against her.
"What's your deal?"
"I want you to thrash this out with Nathi, because your story isn't correlating with hers. She's in my room now and..."
"You can go back to her and I'm not thrashing anything with anyone. If you want to believe her because she's your girlfriend, I understand but don't treat me like a child." She was seething. "Just get out, please. I want to be alone."
"I didn't mean to offend you..."
He started, coming closer.
"But you have. I'm always the crazy one when it comes to me and Nathi, when I see things that apparently aren't there. I don't even have to explain anything to you. If you truly believe I can make up such a story because you think I'm suddenly obsessed with you, then you're absolutely mistaken. You're as replaceable as they come!"
She shut her eyes when she felt them begin to water. She wouldn't cry in front of him.
"You're supposed to be my friend but you go out of your way to see me suffer. You act like you really like me and give me hope when it's truly Nathi you're in love with. Why did you even kiss me in the first place?!"
He opened his mouth to say something but closed it again as his face contorted into a deep frown.
He moved to the edge of the opposite bed.
"Do you seriously think I'm doing all of these because I'm so in love with Nathi ? She's driving me crazy! Everyone knows she's crazy."
"Then why are you on her side..."
"Because she's been going through a lot with family and her grades and..."
She sat with her back on the wall, watching him.
"Did Nathi tell you she was going through a lot?" When he nodded, she added " don't you see they're both liars?"
He sighed.
She crossed her arms across her chest.
"Do you love her?" She asked and inwardly cringed.
He didn't answer and she repeated her question.
"No." He said simply.
"Do you love me?" She asked, inwardly trembling.
"Do you really want me to answer that question?" He asked.
"Yes."
He looked away.
"I always have." She heaved a sigh of relief.
"Say it."
"Say what?"
"That you love me."
He looked into her eyes and humored her.
"I'm in love with you."
In spite of her anger, she blushed, feeling that warm fuzzy feeling that came.
"I want to kiss you." She said, wondering where the boldness came from. She'd never had to say it out before.
He smirked and pulled her closer.
"I do too."
He tenderly touched the back of her neck, pulling her to him. He kissed her on her neck first, everywhere, Light kisses which made her immediately so alert. He made his way up and lightly grazed her lips with his finger, staring into them with his own lips slightly parted like he was eyeing the most beautiful thing ever.
When his lips finally met hers, they were warm and perfect. He lightly sucked on her lower lip, and alternated, quietly tasting and testing her. His tongue gracefully glided her parted lips and mated with hers, eliciting a low moan from her. She felt herself pooling underneath; she'd never been this turned on by a kiss.
She placed her arms around his neck and came closer until she was basically straddling him. His hands were all over her body which was soft and bare under the silky material she had on. His hand cupped her butt while the other played with her nipple from her nightdress. When he realized she wasn't wearing any underwear, he groaned. She felt him growing incredibly quickly from where she was sitting on him...
He stopped abruptly and slowly lifted her off him. She didn't say anything and silence ensued.
"Why are you still with her?" She had to ask.
He didn't say anything.
"Is it the sex? You think I'm not better?"
He shuddered. "Oma, shut the fuck up." He said it so calmly.
"I don't know why I'm still with her. I feel great when I'm with her but I know it's not love. I pity her most of the time."
"A relationship can't be based on pity."
"I know."
She placed her head on his lap which made him shake involuntarily.
"Break up with her and date me. She'll move on." She didn't want to think about what she'd seen at the club. They'd cross that bridge later.
"Don't you feel bad about all of this?" He asked, looking uncomfortable.
"I don't care about her feelings because she didn't care about mine when she fucked my ex boyfriend and still cajoled us to be together." She touched his beard which unlike Asher, he never shaved.
"No one cares about us but us. I'm done thinking about how anyone will react before doing anything. I want you and I know you do too. Screw everyone else. "
He picked her up again, sat her back on his lap and engulfed her lips with his.
****
For people who didn't read, the exams went by smoothly. They sat together for hours, just the two of them before the exams had begun. Nathi was nowhere to be found and after numerous calls from Obi to her went unanswered, they moved on.
Nathi had missed numerous tests and one exam already, missing another one wouldn't be such a big deal for her, Oma thought.
Oma and Obi came into the class together, which had begun to fill with people. Obi held her hand as he led her through the front and now, she didn't feel even the least bit intimidated. She felt powerful. She leaned in closer to him confidently.
She'd thought that people would begin to make snide remarks concerning the fight that had occurred the day before but no one was even looking at her.
She realized then that no one had even ever been looking at her, waiting for her to mess up as she'd thought.
After the exams, she and Obi spent the next few hours in his room...
She told him later she was going to bring Asa back to their room and he asked to follow her. She took her ATM card to withdraw the money for Asa's stay at the hospital when her mother called her.
Two times in one day, that was new.
"Omalicha." Her mother sounded nervous.
"Yes, ma..."
"You said your friend doesn't really have anywhere to go. Can you ask her if she wants to stay with us? Maybe you can come back with her..."
Oma was so happy. "Yes, yes."
She couldn't believe her mother had actually made the suggestion. She couldn't wait to tell Asa. Hopefully, she wouldn't reject the invitation. She hadn't stated how long, but Nia was rarely in the house so it didn't really matter.
"So I'll be expecting you when?"
"Next week. "
"Ok..."
The line went dead.
They got into the Uber altogether after they'd released her from the hospital. Asa didn't ask about her dad. She was too busy sneaking knowing glances at Oma (for coming with Obi), who desperately tried to ignore her and keep from laughing.
Obi and Asa discussed like old friends and Oma couldn't be more content . These were the people who really mattered in her life.
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It's your fav author again. This book is coming to a close and I'm really going to miss writing it.
Who's cutting onions?
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