HOW I MET MY CHEATING GIRLFRIEND

Episode 14

"What are you trying to talk about? Why do you regret when I thought you were with your girlfriend?" I asked.

"Oscar, I don't understand whether I was blinded with Betty's beauty or what! I never talked with her over her past relationships."

"So what exactly happened..." I started to develop some eagerness.

"Bro, I don't want mom to get this. Please don't share with her." Peter began to cry.

"Peter, I won't tell her anything. Just stop crying and be a gentle man! I mean, be strong brother. Am here for you."

"I...I... Be...be... Betty..."

"Betty did what? Listen, Peter, am your elder brother. Have crossed various bridges that you've not even reached at in your age. Am here to help you. Now talk to me."

Peter took off his top and used it to wipe out his tears that were flowing down his cheeks. He was truly in pain. He remained with his white vest. Towards his waist, I saw some red spots on his vest. My worries began! "What do you want to do? Instead of talking to me, you're crying and undressing yourself." He kept quiet.

He removed his blue jeans trouser. I could see him trembling and consequently losing his stand. I decided to take him more seriously. With his silence on me, I began to get angry. I could make my voice get louder, but I didn't want my mom to get us arguing or quarreling. Peter removed his inner short, yellow in colour. Along his upper thighs, I could see lines of a clotted blood. He had no boxer, which he later told me he had dipped it inside the toilet before he could get into the house that evening. It had some blood droplets.

From the observations, I made myself a conclusion. I found no need to ask him exactly what happened. Peter got intimate with Betty! This was his first attempt, hence, the presence of some blood.

"Now bro, am so sorry. Have seen what happened. Did you inform her it was your first attempt?" I asked.

"No." He responded.

"You ought to have informed her. I guess she could have treated you as a beginner. Any protection you used?" With this, a lot of tears began to come out from him.

"No...she...she..." He continued to stammer as he talked. I had to give him some times to explain himself. "She told me that... that if I was really loving her...(Peter cries)...then no need for it."

Peter's biggest fear was their failure to get intimate without protection. He met Betty the other day. They had not gone for the HIV/AIDS tests and he thought he might have been infected, if at all Betty was positive.

"You don't need to worry. Forget about the blood. Because it was your first attempt, you had to develop some cuts. Just rush to the bathroom and take a shower properly," I said, "don't think you're now positive for HIV, no! Next week but one you'll go to VCT to check your status." I added.

After he got back from the bathroom, I took his phone to ask Betty about her HIV status, should she be knowing. I was chatting with her as if it was Peter. "Baby, how are you? The day was just awesome my girl." I texted.

"Am fine Daddy. Yes it was...more to come yeeees haha." Betty replied.

"But please, I wanted us to protect ourselves but you refused. You know am HIV positive." I wanted her to only tell me the truth. From my question, the way she was to react could tell me whether she was HIV positive or not.

"Wtf is this! Peter! Peter!" Betty replied and called immediately that night. I gave Peter his phone to talk to her. With the loudspeaker on, Betty cried bitterly, cursing herself and why she had to admit they go a free way. I told Peter to insist that he was HIV positive, because she might just be pretending.

"When last did you get tested?" Peter asked her.

"Last week, just before I could come back home from school. Sina AIDS! Now what have you done to me surely Peter? I better die now! I can't live with this for sure. My dad will kill me!" She said.

At this point of mentioning death, and probably having suicidal thoughts, I began to find another way to make the situation neutralise. From Betty's reactions, I had confirmed to myself she was not positive for HIV. I wanted to cool down Peter's perception on the occurrence. I saw a smile on his face.

"Oscar, and how will she know that I was just kidding? I fear she can take this thing serious and lose her life as she had begun to say." Peter asked me after hanging up the call.

"Hehe, little bro, you don't need to worry. Your mistake was that you went out without telling me anything. But it's my pleasure to see you in a stable condition." I continued, "Now, you'll call and tell her that you only thought you could be having the virus because the last time you got tested was when you were in Primary School. And again, she saw the blood. Just tell her you were virgin so you had no virus. A deal!"

Peter called Betty. It was fortunate! She picked up the call. Peter told her exactly the way I directed him to say. He had been like a brick wall but the condition made him to change. He began to make out my pieces of advice. Betty accepted the challenge, but only insisted on them knowing their statuses. She was worried anyway. They set to meet for the test the following day.

Being a close friend to Sweeney, I wanted them to go for the tests as soon as they could. If Betty could believe that Peter was HIV positive, she could tell Sweeney about it. But personally, I maintained regular tests and I was okay.

It was past midnight and we both began to have heavy eyes. I left Peter in his room and went to sleep.

At dawn, I was woken up with the ringing of the phone. It was Sweeney. At first, I cancelled the call thinking it was an alarm for 4am. Sweeney called to tell me that she had a dream.

"Honey, have just dreamt that you came to our home. My dad and mom welcomed you warmly. You came to propose. You were really looking nice; in a black bowtie, blue suit and you had a another friend who was in a maroon suit. My mom was very happy. After you had proposed, I held your hands and while going to kiss you in front of them, I immediately woke up and found myself holding my Barbie doll..."

"Wow! The dream means that our relationship must lead to marriage. I love you sweetheart." I said happily but with a sleepy voice.

We began to chat in WhatsApp till 5am. She made me appear in her WhatsApp statuses, describing me and the love we had. Not only on her WhatsApp statuses, but she also made me as her profile picture. This was indeed a true love! She reassured me that if her parents could ask her about the picture, she was ready to say "it's the man I love".

As the day was unfolding, we agreed with Peter to make a deal so as to allow him meet Betty in town for the checkups. The following week they were to open schools for the Second Term. That means he only had that week to make the test possible. We never wanted mom to sense anything.

After the breakfast, I told mom that there was a Political Mentorship program that was to commence that day at the Kisumu County Governor's office. As a political scientist, that was my best opportunity to learn more - just like a field work.

"That's okay. I wanted something from town and I think you'll now help me get it." She said.

"What is it, momma?" I asked willingly.

"Oops! I had sent one of my customers. You are free my son. Just try to be back home earlier."

"And mom, you know Peter is here and has never seen even the Governor's office, plus the governor himself." We all laughed. "Why can't you let him go with me, I believe he will learn a lot as well." I added.

"Peter, so you're just a villager..." Mom cracked the joke. "Yes, go with him and show him town." She said.

Peter and I left for town. We found Betty waiting for us. "Bro, I'll be waiting for you here. I want to let both of you proceed to hospital and then when you're done, you call me." I said to Peter as they left for hospital.