HOW I MET MY CHEATING GIRLFRIEND

Episode 11

After I had completed my end of semester exams, I was set to leave for home. Sweeney was to come back from Nairobi the following week. It had been awhile since we saw each other and I had to be ready to meet her. I passed by Otis' house to say bye to him. He was my best friend in campus. He knew almost all my secrets, so did I.

"Bro, I have found a lady somewhere. She's very beautiful by the way and still young. I need to settle with her." I told him.

"Wah, Oscar! (laughing) So you mean a whole you can settle with one lady right now? Don't cheat yourself bro..."

"Why that kind of laughter, Otis? What's wrong with that?"

"Truth be said, Oscar. I know you and we have been friends since first year. I even doubt if you will marry...haha, in fact, I pity that lady. But unless you change..."

"Change what?"

"Ooh, now you don't know? Of course your behaviours."

I failed to understand why Otis had to talk to me that way. I felt annoyed with him.

"So what do you mean? Should I leave her?"

"No, I never meant that. By the way, where is she?"

"She's currently in Nairobi but she comes from Kisumu. She's to join Moi University this September."

"Now bro, I don't want to cheat you. Now listen and listen carefully...did you have a girlfriend in your first year?"

"Yes."

"Were you single before joining campus?"

"No, I had a girlfriend whom we dated with for about six months until I joined here." I said, trying to ask myself why Otis had to interrogate me this way. He was just my peer. But again, I was interested in knowing exactly what he wanted to tell me about the love of my heart.

"Very simple question now. Do you think these guys joining campus had no relationships while being admitted? You had a girlfriend and you broke up when you joined campus. I believe even your first girlfriend, Nzau, also had a boyfriend before you could meet her. Listen, if you want to get the real heartbreak, date a girl who's going to join campus. My friend, you'll regret."

"Otis, not all people are the same." I was trying to console myself, though the example he gave especially on me was very right.

"My advice bro... don't trust that lady too much. She will disappoint you when she joins campus. And the worst of all, she will be in another university, far away from you. She will meet someone and easily forgets about you."

Otis was talking out of experience. I came to realize this when he told me part of his story with his ex-girlfriend.

"I had a girlfriend. We had dated for one year before she could join campus. I trusted that girl so much. I even did the introduction and she could talk to my mom, brothers and my sister over the phone. We had plans, my friend. We did a lot of things together that most I can't tell you because the story makes me to get pained much." He began to shed some tears as he was telling his story. I wished I could tell him to stop but I was as well much interested in getting exactly what happened.

"And what happened bro?" I asked in a low tone.

"So she joined campus. Her first semester was just okay. We could talk as always. She could tell me her day's schedule and at night, we could chat and have calls up to late. I mean, no night we could miss to talk. Now the problem came in when she was in her second semester. She changed. I could call and no response. Sometimes, I could call at 11pm and a different lady picks up the calls, saying she had come to charge her phone in her room. At times, I could occasionally hear male voices in the room when I called her. She was saying those were her roommate's visitors. I started to doubt her."

I was being carried by his story. I thought it could be the same case to me. But I was determined. I loved Sweeney so much. And Sweeney also loved me. She couldn't cheat on me or change her mind. "How did you know that she was playing you?" I asked Otis.

"Okay, what happened was this," clearing his throat, he continued, "I called her one night and she never responded. When I called again, the phone was already switched off. I received a message back from the voice mail that she had opened the phone. It was 1am. I was watching a game that night so I was never asleep. I decided to call. What I felt was never my imagination! A male voice picked up my call. As soon as I started asking him who he was, she took the phone and asked me why I had to call her at that time." Said Otis.

After Otis' story, it was late and I had to rush to get a bus to Kisumu. Sweeney could call me severally in a day, especially when I had finished exams. "Beb, am coming back next week. What should I bring for you?" She texted. I thought of the best thing to tell her, considering the costs as well. "Just what you like and feel is good with me, my love." I replied. Sweeney promised to bring for me a blue trouser that resembles the watch she had bought for me. She then suggested that she wanted to see my parents. I had no father and so, it was only mom that she could come to see. I was okay with it, although I had some little fear within me. From Otis' story, I thought Sweeney could also turn out to be the same.

"Good evening mom." I said to my mom when I reached home. I found her watching news at 7pm. "Good evening my son. Am happy to see you back." She responded. We had some conversations with her, before I could tell her that someone greeted her.

"Mom, someone told me to greet you." This was the only way to start off that conversation. Before I could tell her about Sweeney, I wanted to test how she could react.

"Have received the greetings my son. Was that your friend?"

"Yes mom. She's my friend." I have never told my mom about any lady, and this was the first time she was getting that from me. Before her, I was the most innocent person. I could see a shock and a happy face at the same time.

"Wow! Am glad. Why couldn't you tell her to come with you?" She asked. Traditionally, a point reaches that when a parent realizes that her son has begun to interact with ladies, it's always her pleasure, especially now that I was already done with my second year.

"No mom. We're not in the same campus. She will be joining Moi University this September. She said she wanted to see you next week." I said.

My mom was very happy and she was ready to welcome Sweeney. I had to accept because Sweeney could have doubted me if I could refuse. Maybe, she could think I had already done introduction with another lady.

The following week, Sweeney arrived home on Friday. Madam Mary, her mom, was having a seminar on Saturday and that means it was the best day for us to meet. Her dad was also to attend Kisumu Pharmacists Association (KPA) meeting. Alongside that, Sweeney still had to inform her mom about her being away on Saturday. She told her mom that she would like to visit her friend, Betty, in town who was studying in Moi University. She wanted Betty to tell her more about the university. Madam Mary gave her the permission to be out, advising her to be close to Betty so as to learn more.

"Deal sealed!" Sweeney texted me that night.

"Wow! Thanks sweetheart. Am now waiting to see you tomorrow..." I replied.

"Beb, I'll come at 10am, so that by 2pm, I'll be back home. My brother will be here alone and he will get bored."

"You're welcomed my dear. That's not bad. Mom really needs to see you."

"Tell her that her daughter-in-law is also yearning to meet her."

I informed my mom that Sweeney would come the following day. "I have to welcome my daughter here warmly, my son. Am very happy." Mama Joyce said.

Sweeney had sent me her photos. I showed her some of the pics. From them, my mom concluded that I had made the best choice. She appreciated her beauty and the general outlook even though she had not seen her physically. She developed a lot of anxieties that night. I was her first born son, and she was very anxious to see her daughter-in-law.

We broke for beds that night. The following morning, Sweeney called me at 6am.