CHAPTER 1

I had been online all day because I was bored. I was bored because it was weekend and I was indoors without electricity. There had been a power outage for almost four hours and if the battery of my phone wasn’t durable, it would have run down. I had visited several pages on Facebook, but none seemed to interest me. I was about to turn off my data and catch a nap when I saw a post that was gender related, and I commented under the post favouring the male gender.

Two minutes later, I received a notification that someone had commented under my comment. I clicked on the notification and realized that there were lots of females replying to my comment and basically roasting me. Any wise man would know that it was foolish to argue with the other gender, especially on a public platform. So, I decided to ignore them, turned off my data and dozed off.

Two hours later, I was awoken by cries of my neighbour’s child. Vexed, I took my phone and turned on my data. Amongst all the notifications I had received, there was one that caught my attention. It was from one of the ladies who had been replying to my comment. However, this particular lady wasn’t against me, she was instead telling the other ladies to leave me alone. Her name was Faith.

I had met her a few times in real life. She worked at a gas plant, and I had been there a few times to refill my cooking gas cylinder. However, I hadn’t taken any particular note of her. She on the other hand, had taken note of me and was even able to recognize me on Facebook.

The next time I went to refill my gas, I was delighted to meet her. After haven filled my cylinder, she asked:

“Why were those ladies roasting you on Facebook?”

“They were just being feminists.” I replied. “Don’t mind them.”

“I pitied you so much that I had to come to your rescue.” She laughed. I laughed too.

“Thank you for rescuing me.”

“You are welcome. What do you do?”

“I am an aspiring actor.” I replied.

“That’s cool. I have once been into showbiz too. However, I left because there was no gain from it.” She revealed.

“Really? Tell me about it.”

“I was into acting and script writing. I actually have scripts that I have written. I intend to one day make movies out of them.”

“That’s great. I would like to take a look at some of your scripts. We could work together and do a movie, even if it’s just a short one.”

Our conversation was interrupted by a customer. So, I had to leave but not before we exchanged contacts. Late that night, I wrote to her on Whatsapp.

“Hi Faith”

“Hi. Who am I talking to?”

“Veron”

“Veron? Who is Veron?”

“The guy with whom you exchanged numbers earlier today, the actor.”

“Ohhh!! Yeah, I am so sorry. I got so busy that I forgot to save your number.”

“That’s alright. I was just checking on you.”

“Thank you so much. I will save your number now.”

That was the beginning of a new friendship between Faith and me. We chatted almost every night. Most of our conversations were based on making movies. We talked a lot about doing romance movies where I would play the main male character and she would be the female lead character. We imagined falling in love in the story and kissing in the process.

“Hmm, I would love a movie that involves kissing.” I told her and she laughed out loud.

“Are you a good kisser?” She asked.

“As far as I know. But everyone doesn’t appreciate the same. You might find me a bad kisser.”

“How am I going to know that. I have no intentions of kissing you, except in the movie of course.” She laughed and then asked. “What do you think about kissing in general?”

“Well, actually, I am not a huge fan of kissing in general. I find it too intimate, even more intimate than sex. For a start, you can’t use any protection while kissing. Hence, you have to share someone’s saliva, yuck!!” I laughed and continued. “But with sex, at least you can use protection and no bodily fluids will be shared.”

“But sexually transmitted diseases do not usually pass through kissing, right?” She asked.

“You may say so. However, there are some that can be transmitted through kissing. An example is hepatitis B. It’s very dangerous.”

“That’s true”

One day, she asked me where I lived, and I gave her the directions to my house. She promised to visit me the next Sunday. I wasn’t anticipating her coming because I didn’t think she would actually show up. However, around 4:00 PM. She rang my phone and told me that she was in my neighbourhood. I went to where she was and brought her home.

“A nice home you have here. You are really classy.” She commended.

“I like nice things. My boss calls me Hollywood.”

“Why?”

“The way I dress, the way I walk, everything.” We both laughed at that. “What do I get for you?”

“A glass of water.”

“Just that?”

“Just that.”

Two hours later, I took her back to the road, where she got a bike and headed home. When she got home, she texted me.

“Thank you for being a good host.”

“Thank you for thanking me.” I replied and she laughed.

“You are so funny.”

“I am a comedian.”

She laughed again.

“You are such a nice guy. Whoever is dating you is very lucky.”

“That’s true.”

“Unfortunately for me, we are just friends. How sad.” She spoke.

“That’s life.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes.”

“For a long time now, I haven’t dated anybody. I haven’t made love to anyone. I need someone who can love me and be there for me. I am sure a handsome and good-looking man mike you would most understandably have someone in your life. So, I am asking if it’s possible that we become besties.”

“Hmm!! Besties!! What if I end up eating you?” I asked, laughing. “There is a very thin line between being someone’s bestie and actually dating the person.”

“Bad boy. I don’t like besties who shift pants. I want just a normal bestie. Can you be that?” She asked.

“I am at your service.”

“Thank you very much, bestie.”

“Thank you, too.”

Our friendship had now moved from being normal to becoming besties. We hung out every now and then and she visited me quite often. Her colleagues and my neighbours thought that we were dating. However, we were not. One day, she called to ask me if I was home. I answered in the affirmative. A few minutes later, she came to my house. It was a Sunday, and she was looking really good.

“Where have you been?” I asked.

“Had a party to attend. We just finished. I was about going home when I thought I should see you first.”

“No leftovers from the party?”

“Of course, there are leftovers. I brought you something.”

“Thank you. I know you have drunk a lot already. But you are a guest in my house. So, what should I get for you?” I asked.

“You mean like a drink?”

“Yowa”

“Get me a can of Van Pur Malt.”

An hour later, she was ready to go. As she was putting her phone, keys and wallet in her purse, she said:

“Your house really looks good. Your landlord has good tastes.”

“Yes, he lives overseas.”

“Now, that makes sense.” She said, nodding. “This is a clear example of money meeting taste.”

I laughed. She was ready to go now. As she approached the door, MBC 2 started showing a new movie. She hesitated a little to watch the beginning. If she had gone immediately, nothing would have happened. But she stayed longer and it was clear that both of us wanted more than just being besties. I moved closer to her.

“What do you want?” She asked, looking at me deep in my eyes.

“A goodbye kiss.”

“Besties shouldn’t kiss.”

“No harm done, as long as we don’t exceed the kissing.”

“Sure?”

“Sure”

Our mouths and met and from the emotions that emanated from both of us, it was clear that we both wanted to do this badly. Our mouths were locked together for about three minutes and before we knew it, we had fallen on the sofa. There we stayed as we caressed each other wildly. My hands went to her back and I started unstrapping her bra. That was when she halted me.

“Stop! Stop!!” She whispered.

“What?”

“You are going to far. Remember we are not dating. We are just besties.”

“That’s true. I am sorry.” I said.

I took her to the road and got her a bike. As the bike sped away, I realized that she and I had already crossed the line, and no matter what we may think, we could never be just besties again. I knew that the next time she showed up to my house, things were going to happen. But one question remained. How much do I know her? That was a question I would have struggled to answer before getting close to her. Now that I had taken the second step before the first one. I knew I would pay for it someday.

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