Chapter 2

Farrah woke up to the sound of someone knocking frantically on her front door and chiming the doorbell simultaneously. For a moment, she thought she was dreaming but then realized that she hadn’t even dreamt at all. A quick look at her bedside clock told her the time was a few minutes past 8 a.m.

Who on earth could that person be? Farrah wondered as the noise from her front door continued. Why couldn’t the person just call her on the phone instead? She looked around for her mobile phone and found it on her dresser, switched off. Oh…

It was then she remembered that she had turned off the phone last night and unplugged her landline after Alex had continuously bombarded with phone calls and texts, none of which she’d responded to. Was he the one knocking on her door right now?

Farrah dragged her tired self to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She took her sweet time while she was at it. There was nothing Alex could say now that would fix the damage he had done to their relationship, so no need to rush through her Saturday morning routine just to go and listen to a bunch of lies coming from the mouth of a familiar stranger. She considered applying her Himalayan bentonite clay mask to her face before going to answer the door, then changed her mind. She’d better go get rid of him fast before his endless noisemaking annoyed her neighbors.

She strolled to the living room and pulled the front door open just as another round of knocking subsided. To her surprise, she saw Kessiana at the door, looking worried.

“Thank goodness you’re okay, Farrah!” she exclaimed, grabbing Farrah by the shoulders and looking her over as if searching for a missing limb. “What happened? Your phones were switched off and I’ve been here for almost an hour knocking on your door and ringing the doorbell like a maniac.”

“I’m sorry, Kess. I didn’t know it was you,” Farrah apologized.

“Of course you didn’t,” Kessiana said as she stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind her.

“What are you doing here, by the way?” Farrah asked.

“Good question, but before I answer that, please make me a cup of green tea. I didn’t get a chance to make one for myself this morning before leaving home.”

Kessiana’s love for green tea was legendary and she literally couldn’t function unless she drank a cup of it first thing in the morning. That she missed her customary morning tea to be here, intrigued Farrah.

“Come over to the kitchen then, let’s talk while I make your morning potion.”

Kessiana laughed and followed Farrah to the kitchen where she took a spot on one of the stools in front of the island. Like every other part of the 2-bedroom apartment, the kitchen was neat and designed with minimalist furniture and fittings. The first time Alex came to Farrah’s place, he’d complained that the house was too plain and had offered to send his interior decorator over to “fix up the place,” but Farrah had declined. This apartment was her haven and she’d wanted it to reflect her style and taste. Good thing she’d stuck to her decision, otherwise, her apartment would’ve been transformed into a mini version of Alex’s over-the-top mansion. Imagine living in a house that constantly reminded her of the man that had betrayed her trust and thrown her love back in her face.

“Okay Kess, open up. Why are you here this early?” Farrah said as he set down a steaming cup of green tea in front of Kessiana.

“I came to check on you,” Kessiana replied promptly.

“Yeah, right! Don’t keep me in suspense. What’s up?”

Kessiana took a tentative sip from her steaming cup of tea before responding. “So…early this morning, Alex—your Alex, called me and said he’d been trying to reach you all night, but your phones were switched off. He sounded like he’d been crying and that got me worried, so I asked him what the matter was and why weren’t you at his place, since that was where you went to yesterday from the office.”

“Uh-huh?” Farrah prompted.

“Well, he said you were at his place briefly, but something happened and you had to leave. He wouldn’t tell me what happened, but he said you weren’t physically hurt as at when you left his place, but he needed to know if you got home safely. That sounded weird to me, so I asked why he couldn’t just come over here to check on you himself, but he kept stuttering and muttering words I couldn’t quite understand. I just hung up on him and rushed down here. I needed to come to see for myself and be sure that you are okay.”

Farrah sighed. “Thank you, Kess. This is sweet of you.”

Kessiana shrugged. “What are friends for?”

“Now, are you going to tell me what happened or, do I have to squeeze it out of you?” Kessiana asked. She knew there was more to the story, especially because Alex, her archenemy had called her to help him out. Something was fishy about all this, and she was afraid it was something stinky.

“So, what’s the real story?” she asked again.

Farrah took a seat across from her friend and exhaled slowly. “The truth is,” she started quietly, “Alex has been cheating on me.”

“I knew it!” Kessiana said between clenched teeth. “That lying bastard!”

“Oh, hold on darling. There’s more,” Farrah said with a pained smile. “I walked in on him having sex with his lover yesterday.”

“What!” Kessiana gasped.

“And the worst part? It was Priye. It was Priye all along!”

Farrah finally gave in to her emotions and broke down in tears. “Those two played me for a fool. For the past two years, they’ve been toying with my emotions and my life.”

Kessiana went over to where Farrah sat and gathered her weeping friend in her arms. “Do you mean that two-faced Priye who brought you and Alex together also hooked him up with a girlfriend? What a vile human being! I’ve always known there was something off about that Priye guy—his ‘over-friendliness’, the theatrics, and that jolly-good-fellow act he kept putting up. He was just pretending all along.”

“You don’t get it, Kess,” Farrah sobbed. “It was Priye. Alex and Priye are lovers. That was what I saw yesterday, Kess. They were both having sex on our bed. I mean Alex’s bed.”

That piece of information took a moment to sink in, and when it did, Kessiana let go of Farrah immediately with a look of utter disbelief on her face. “What did you say?” she whispered.

“You heard me, Kessiana. Alex and Priye are lovers, and I think they’ve been together long before I came into the picture. They were just using me, Kess. And I thought that Alex truly loved me. The way he cared for me and pampered me…his excitement about the wedding…I thought it was all for real.”

“Oh my god…” Kessiana breathed. She was reeling from the shock of Farrah’s revelation. “That’s insane.”

“It’s beyond insane; it’s a real-life nightmare.”

“Oh Farrah, I’m so sorry this happened to you,” Kessiana said as she gathered Farrah in her arms again. “You are such a good person, and you don’t deserve this.”

She let Farrah cry while rubbing her back gently. She knew her friend needed to let the pain out and mourn the loss of her relationship. When it seemed like Farrah had calmed down, Kessiana led her to the bathroom and ran a hot bath for her. After Farrah had bathed, she wore a comfy cotton lounge dress before lying in bed. Without saying a word, Kessiana lay beside her under the covers and cuddled her friend till she fell into a deep fitful sleep.

******

“Now it all makes sense,” Kessiana said as she transferred a slice of pancake from the frying pan into the plate, she’d laid out for herself on the kitchen island. Farrah was already eating her share with a big mug of chocolate milk to wash it all down.

It was already past noon and Farrah was grateful for Kessiana’s presence. She didn’t know how she would have coped all by herself on a day like this after her disastrous heartbreak.

“Priye always being around and tagging along with you and Alex like a homeless puppy…I always suspected that there was something odd about their friendship, but never in a million years would I have ever guessed that they were lovers. They both seemed so…manly.”

Farrah scoffed. “Priye didn’t seem manly yesterday with his pink wig and bikini top.”

“What?” Kessiana guffawed as she sat down to eat. “They were playing dress-up?”

“He was. At least Alex was naked. Ugh, I don’t want to remember that scene again. I wish I can wipe it out of my memory forever.”

“I can imagine how you feel boo,” Kessiana said sympathetically.

They ate in companionable silence for a while before Kessiana spoke again. “So, what do we call Alex? Gay or bisexual?” Kessiana asked.

“I don’t care whatever label he goes by,” Farrah said. “Look, I don’t have a problem with him being a queer guy, but my question is, why rope into their relationship? Why did Priye choose me to be his lover’s girlfriend and subsequent fiancée? If I hadn’t caught them yesterday, I would have gone on to marry Alex and then become the side chic in my marriage.”

“When you describe it that way, it truly seems horrible,” Kessiana agreed. “He was probably trying to use you as a front, to appear ‘normal’ in a society that doesn’t encourage homosexual relationships. So, to the rest of the world, he’s happily married to you; while on the other hand, he’s having a full-blown relationship with his long-time lover, Priye. If truth be told, it’s all very sad.”

“You know, I find it even more insulting that they were carrying on right under my nose and I didn’t even see it. Never suspected it. Gosh, I’ve been so stupid.”

“No, Farrah. Please don’t say that. None of this is your fault. You are the victim here.”

Farrah pushed her plate away. She’d suddenly lost her appetite.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Kessiana asked.

Farrah shrugged. “I have to tell my parents the wedding is off. Let Alex inform his parents by himself.”

“Your mom would be livid.”

“She’ll get over it. It was supposed to be my wedding, not hers.”

Kessiana laughed. “Don’t get it twisted, Farrah. That was supposed to be Dame Kareena Njoku’s wedding featuring Farrah and Alex as the couple.”

Farrah couldn’t help but laugh. Kessiana was right. Her mother was way more enthusiastic about the wedding than she the bride. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how devastated her mother would be once she learned of this unfortunate turn of events.

“Come to think of it, what would I tell my parents?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean what would I tell them if they asked me why I was calling off the wedding?”

Kessiana was confused. “Are you kidding? You’d tell them the truth of course. Alex was cheating on you—”

“With his best friend?”

“Well, yeah!”

“Come on, Kess. I don’t think they should hear that from me. Let Alex be the one to tell them what he did.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Why are you keeping his secret?”

“Look, I know Alex broke my heart and I’m very hurt right now, but I just can’t bring myself to hate him. Maybe I’m just in denial but I want to give him a chance to come clean about who he truly is. I don’t want to force him out of the closet. If he’s going to come out, let him do it at his own time.”

“Wow,” Kessiana said in admiration. “You’re truly something aren’t you, Farrah?”

“I know, right.” Farrah chuckled. “I’m a softie.”

“And that’s the more reason why I’m sad that you’re going through this. You deserve better.”

Farrah sighed. “Do you think his parents are aware of his sexuality?”

Kessiana scoffed. “Of course not. His mum is a freaking deaconess for crying out loud, and his dad is one of the senators who have been threatening fire and brimstone on anyone caught having a gay relationship in this country. I don’t think they know that their son is one of the people they preach against. I’m sure that’s why he’s going through the charade of getting married so his family would never suspect his true identity.”

Kessiana was right and Farrah knew it. Alex’s mother was a retired Chief Justice who was now a deaconess in one of the most popular Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. His father, a former investment banker and seasoned economist was currently serving his second term in office as a senator. His older sister, who was married to an obscenely wealthy businessman in Kano, was a renowned medical doctor and the personal physician of the First Lady of the state. Alex came from a very respectable family and exposing his sexuality unceremoniously in a country where being gay was regarded as a crime would immediately turn into a huge scandal.

Despite being disappointed, Farrah felt sorry for Alex. Nobody should have to live a double life just to hide who they truly were. Everyone deserved to love and be loved the way they wanted, and if Alex and Priye were in love with each other, they shouldn’t have to hide it or force themselves into loveless marriages with unsuspecting women just so they could fit in with society’s standard or to appear ‘normal’ as Kessiana put it. It just wasn’t fair.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Kessiana asked.

“I honestly don’t know yet, but let’s just take this one day at a time.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Kessiana agreed. “Are you going to eat that?”

Farrah gladly pushed her plate of pancakes over to Kessiana. “It’s all yours, darling. Knock yourself out.”

******

Kessiana left Farrah’s place late in the evening even though she’d offered to stay overnight, but Farrah had asked her not to. She needed some alone time to properly process what was happening in her life presently.

She poured herself a glass of white wine and sat curled up on her couch to watch one of those cheesy romcom movies showing on the Hallmark channel. She knew it was an odd choice for someone who’d just been heartbroken by the man she thought she loved, but she couldn’t help herself. Alex had called her a couple of times during the day and also left several voicemail messages, but she just couldn’t bring herself to take the calls or listen to the voicemails.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and she scrubbed them off with her palm. One minute she was living her best life and looking forward to getting married to the love of her life, and the next minute she’s completely shattered and wondering what would become of her now. Where do I go from here? She thought.

Her phone rang beside her, jolting her back to reality. She checked the caller ID, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was her mom calling.

Does she know? Farrah wondered. Has Alex called to report himself?

Her hand shook slightly as she pressed the receive button on the phone. “Hello, Mom.”

“Farrah, darling! How are you, my love?” her mother greeted a little too cheerfully. Farrah’s brain immediately sent off warning signals.

“I’m doing well, Ma. And you?”

“Excellent, darling. Excellent! And how is Alex?”

Farrah almost fainted with relief. Whew! She doesn’t know yet.

“Alex is fine,” she replied.

“Good, good.” Her mother sounded pleased. “Why guess what darling. Your uncle, Ranveer is here. He came to spend some time with us, and he’ll be staying until the wedding. Isn’t that fabulous, darling?”

Farrah blinked. “But Ma, the wedding is still a couple of months away, why did he have to come to Nigeria so early?”

Ranveer was her mother’s youngest sibling who could never hold down a decent job because of his gambling habit. Farrah knew her uncle didn’t travel from India just to sit around and wait for her wedding. He’d probably raised some dust back home and he was now in Nigeria to escape from it until the storm died down. She had a feeling he would be staying for quite a long time and her wedding was the perfect excuse to run away from Bombay to Lagos.

“Don’t be silly dear,” her mother chided. “Ranveer has been dying to see you. Why don’t you come home tomorrow to say hi to him? After all, you’re the reason he’s here.”

“Ma, I don’t think—”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Farrah! What is it going to take for you to come home? You haven’t been here in months.”

Here comes the drama. “Mom, I was home three weeks ago. Remember?”

“Would it kill you to visit your parents every week then?”

“No…”

“Then please come over tomorrow, darling. You know your dad would be very pleased to see you, and there’s also Ranveer who can’t wait to see you too.”

She knew her mother wouldn’t stop bugging her until she gave in, so she did. “Ok, Mum. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“That’s my girl!” her mother exclaimed happily. “I’ll have Neemah prepare your favorite dish. Goodnight, darling.”

“Goodnight, Ma.”

After she hung up, the apprehension she’d kept at bay for the past few minutes returned. How was she going to break the news of her breakup with Alex to her parents? How would they react, especially her mother?

This is going to be tougher than I thought, she mused.