A and I walked into the banquet hall, which was already in full swing. It was her cousin’s wedding and she had me as her ‘plus one’. This particular decision, had only transpired between us barely thirty-six hours ago. When the guy she was dating, decided he would not be going. Or so I thought and was made to believe, as I grumbled under my breath. At the indecency, that was him. Feeling a knot of exasperation, rising from my chest to the back of my neck. More so, when I saw my friend sobbing.
She had come to my apartment the past Thursday evening, to pick up an evening clutch and a matching brooch. I had promised her, that she could have it. When she asked for it over the phone, about two weeks earlier. She had seen it on me once. And was sure that it was a perfect match, for the dress she would be wearing to the wedding. When I got home late and exhausted from work that evening, she was waiting in my building lobby.
We had originally planned, that she would pick up the items on Friday afternoon. We would meet at a nearby café, during my lunch time. So you can imagine or understand, the surprise turned to fleeting fear. Eventually turned to questioning look, on my face when I saw A. “I am meeting with D tomorrow.” She rushed to explain “He and I, will be making our final arrangement for Saturday. So I decided to come and wait for you this evening instead.” She concluded, riveting her eyes.
“Alright then,” I acknowledged. “Sorry I am a little later than usual. There was so much traffic on 1st Avenue, as a result of the ongoing UN conference. And I had no idea, you were here waiting for me.” I hugged her and we headed upstairs, to my fifth floor apartment. I had made a mental note during my evening commute, to simply devour some left-overs from the previous evening. However, with A around. I decided to fix something fresh and quick, yet simple. A and I chatted, as we ate. Catching up with stuff, ranging from the mundane to mind boggling. Everything that was going on with us and the world around.
As soon as we were done with dinner, A asked to use my house phone to make a quick call. I agreed and carried the dirty dishes, into the kitchen to wash. I wasn’t in there for five minutes, when I heard A’s voice raised in screeching anger. I continued with my cleaning, attributing the noise to a heated argument between lovers. Barely seconds later, I heard what sounded like my flower vase. Being hurled across the room. I figured it was time to interrupt, the romantic rumble.
When I walked back into the living room, A promptly thrust the mobile receiver into my hand. “You talk to him,” she shouted and ran into the bathroom. “Talk to him?” I queried the phone in my hand, as I wiped the other still wet hand on my apron. “Hello?” I said and asked tentatively, slightly afraid of what was at the other side of the receiver. “Who is it?” I continued with the sudden entrusted and defeating task.
“Hi Chioma, it’s D.”
“Oh D, hi. How are you?”
“Okay, I guess.” He paused and then continued. “So sorry you had to be involved in this mess,” he sounded exasperated. “I did not know, that she was calling me from your house. She told me she was at her apartment.”
“Oh,” was all the sound I could muster. Meanwhile, my eyes were riveted to A, who had just staggered back into the living room. And was now diligently pumping her fist, into my couch pillow.
“I am so tired….” The voice on the phone continued. Jostling me back, to the present and appointed task. Pulling me away, from the confusion that was watching A fight with the furniture. “Oh yes and so am I.” I quickly plunged into a familiar and current subject, grateful for the distraction from ‘demolition dame’. “It has been such a long day. And my commute took a longer time than usual, because of…. “ “No I mean with your friend.” I was slightly miffed at the interruption, but kept quiet.
The person on the other line, did sound frustrated. So I resolved to stay silent, hear them out and maybe just maybe, salvage some of my property. “She told me about this wedding and a host of other functions, which I subsequently turned down.” I was listening intently now. “When she came up with this wedding about a month ago, I told her I could not go with her. Yet she continued to make her plans, around the fact that I was going with her. Completely ignoring if ever she acknowledged it, my input.”
I had no words at the moment, so I heaved a sigh. To let him know I was still on the line. “She called two weeks ago, telling me she had bought the gift for the couple. She said she had signed it, from both of us. Again I reminded her, that I had never met the couple. And I still was not going to the wedding, with her. Therefore, I had no intention of sending them a gift. She went ahead to say, that you (Chioma). Thought that she and I, would both have a great time….” “Me? I said what?” Now it was my time to interrupt.
“She said you were very excited about she and I going to an event finally. Which is quite insane. How can you be excited, about something. Which was never happening from the onset?” I noticed he had stopped talking. I had been swept off my feet, from the absurdity of what I was hearing. Not sure if the concluding question, was meant to be answered or just content to be rhetoric. I decided on the former. But before I could even begin to formulate, a possible answer. He picked up his oratory again.
“She calls me now,” he really sounded irritated. “And asks what time we should meet tomorrow, to make the final arrangements. Meet tomorrow? What arrangements? Have you not heard a word I have been saying?!” His voice suddenly raised a little, startling me into acute attentiveness. Then realizing I might think, that the question was directed at me. Offered an explanation; “I am sorry, I was just repeating the conversation we just had….”
To be continued shortly....
