2022

CHAPTER THREE - The First Problem

~January 27, 2022.

You must all be wondering, what am I going to say? Well, that's the thing, I don't know but here's something. Remember I mentioned earlier that Selena's parents don't really let her go out. Wait a second, I did not mention that, did I?

So a little rewind, Selena's parents are, I won't say strict, I don't know but they are the type that don't really let Selena go outside the house like to play with friends or anything because they know how us 'boys' are. Well, I won't put myself under that category because I'm different, Hehe.

So, they feel it's safer if Selena's friends go there to play with Selena from there Yeah, you get what I mean. I mean, I understand why they'd do that. Come on, imagine you have a beautiful daughter and that's your first born daughter, you wouldn't want any unfamiliar dirty boy hands getting all over her. So yeah, we can say that's how it was.

Now that you're up to date, let's get back into the story. So you're all wondering how it got to Selena's mother finding out. Schools opened the same week on a Monday on 24th January. So, the same week, on a Thursday, nah bro, I now remember clearly, it was on a Friday because I remember Selena was in her school tracksuit. So Thursday happened on a Friday.

Selena came home with Esther after school and found me asleep. I don't know what they did after that but all I know is when I woke up, Selena and Esther got back from wherever they went. Selena came to my room to give me a hug while Esther just stood there, looking.

So sometime after that, Selena and Esther left and were at Selena's gate, I clearly remember bypassing them as I went to the shop with Michael. Here in Zambia, we call it a shop, even if it's not a mall.

So when coming, Esther followed us and I saw Selena standing at her gate, she really looked sad like she wanted to follow us back home but she couldn't because we both knew her parents were arriving any time soon.

A little fast forward to around 18:38. Selena said her parents still weren't home and I was sent to the shop, again and I told Selena that I'm going the shop and she told me that she was outside in the yard, so when I reached her gate, she opened up and I found her drinking juice in a glass cup, yes I tasted that juice and I remember it very well, it was, Just juice, pineapple flavor.

So I went to the shop and told her I'm on my way back now, that's when she told me that she was still outside. That's the time I said to myself, "this is my chance" I don't know why I said that like it'd be my first time. So I texted her saying, I could really use a hug (My superpower, it seems) Then she said I should come and get it, that's the time I entered her yard and didn't get my hug, I got a kiss.

Wait, wait, and wait. Hold up. Oh, I asked for a kiss and not a hug, I remember very well. Okay then later after that, I went home and was in my room, in the dark, I never like the light on because I'm sensitive to light and this was before I got my spectacles. Everyone else was in the living ro- Wait, sitting room! Everyone else was in the sitting room.

At this time, it was 19:48, 2 minutes before a Filipino series we watch starts and that's when I noticed that Selena was leaving all my messages on blue ticks (seen/Read) and I texted again and saw that the message was read immediately. Something about me, I'm able to tell when something is not right. It was at that time I texted saying, "You're beginning to scare me" then I texted again and said, "Something's not right"

I remember my sim card was in a press me hard phone because my sim slots for my smartphone were tripping. I was using my MiFi for my bundles. In case you're wondering, a press me hard phone is a button phone. So I was just praying that I don't get a call.

About a minute later, the press me hard phone started vibrating. With that vibration that is loud enough to wake up someone. Like I don't even need to add volume for an alarm, that vibration can wake you up.

It was at that time, I checked who was calling and saw that it was Selena. Before answering, I just closed my eyes and said to myself, "I am finished." And the thing is Selena's parents and my parents know each other. My heart was under my feet.

I picked up and didn't say a word, waiting to hear a voice and that's when I heard Selena's voice in fear or something and she said, "Gabriel", I replied, "Yes?" In that scared voice that almost seemed to go away. It was at that time that Selena said, "My mum knows everything" and I just said, "Oh, uh, okay".

I literally heard her mother in the background saying, "Tell him never to text you again or talk to you again" And Selena did that. I then heard her mother saying, "Give me the phone" and I knew, I was done for. Well, let's call her Mrs. K, for the dialogue.

Mrs. K: What's wrong with you?

Me: (Not knowing what to say) Nothing.

Mrs. K: Why are you saying such things?

Me: I'm sorry.

Mrs. K: You want me to tell your mother?

Me: No ma'am

Mrs. K: I should tell your mother?

Me: No.

Mrs. K: Never text Selena again. You are still too young. Even if it's not with Selena, you are still young. Focus on school, do you hear me?

Me: Yes, ma'am, I'm sorry.

She hang up and I was blocked on WhatsApp. I remained frozen on my bed like, what, just happened? Now you must be wondering, what happened after this between Gabriel and Selena?

Stay tuned.