"So, you had your first kiss on a mountain?" Wumi laughed hard than she had ever did in her life. She struggled to catch her breath in between her laughter. "So, while by watched by those reptiles and other animals on the mountain, you were busy devouring succulent lips." She picked her laughter up from where she stopped. "And you didn't know when you started moaning in his mouth..." She held her chest, struggling for air. She coughed several times. Nancy sat there, on her plastic chair, blankly staring at her. She already predicted a moment like this when she called Wumi two days ago to tell her about what happened. Only the kiss aspect cracked Wumi up this much. Nancy wished she could laugh, but she was the one being laughed at. She found it hilarious as well after telling Wumi, but Wumi was taking her laughter to another level. A first kiss on a mountain didn't sound weird. After all, they didn't make out.
After a while, Wumi caught her breath and stopped laughing. She put on her serious look, but a couple of snickers would escape her mouth. Nancy still watched her expressionlessly.
"Okay, I'm sorry for laughing but it's funny. So, after the kiss, what later happened? Are you both a thing now?"
'a thing huh. I really never know if we'd be a thing.' she thought in herr head.
"Well, I told him I can't."
Wumi sat uprightly. "you can't what?"
"Well, date him."
Now, Wumi was stunned. "Huh? So, after the hot kiss, both of you decided not to date?"
"Don't make it seem like that, Babes. It was solely my decision. I...I...I was..." She exhaled. "I don't even know anymore." She twisted her left index finger with her right thumb and right index finger. Wumi watched with keen interest. She knew her friend was in a hot dilemma. She was helpless as well because she could only advise her friend, not choose for her. She cleared her throat and asked gently, "Nancy, relieve your chest to me. You'll feel less burdened after that. Tell me, why did you make that decision?"
Nancy looked up and exhaled again. "Wumi, I love him. I love him beyond my expectations, I love him more than I could ever imagine. But then I feel sorry for him. Both emotions weigh equally in my heart and it makes me wonder if I love him out of sympathy or the love came before the sympathy. The more I keep searching for answer, the more I keep falling into the hollow of dilemma. I wish I hadn't heard his past from anyone else except from him. I told him I wanted to think about it, to know if what I felt was true or not." She blinked the tears away. Then she remembered how Dave flicked the tears with his thumb and she burst into tears. Wumi crawled towards her on the bed and hugged her. She patted her shoulder, while assuring her that everything would be fine. When she stopped crying, Wumi began,
"Nancy, don't regret your decision. You chose right for yourself. It'd be better than being in a relationship with him when your heart doesn't even know what's its feeling for him. Whatever the case may be, you'll find your answers when time is right. I just want you to know that I'm always here for you. Don't panic, don't rush the time. It'll come to you sooner or later. Enjoy the moment, act like nothing happened, don't poke your heart for answers, it'll respond itself. Okay? Don't poke your heart for answers."
Nancy nodded as she wiped her eyes with the back of her palm like a toddler. She smiled faintly and hugged Wumi. Truly, a best friend is all one needs.
*******
At The Wilsons, Dave had refused to come out of his room. He thought he had the rejection under control, he was wrong. He didn't have it under complete control. He began to overthink it: was he not normal enough? What does normal even mean? Would he ever find a genuine love? Will every lady reject him? Why does he even exist?
When he realized the suicidal thoughts were revealing themselves, he quickly snapped himself out of it. His thoughts mustn't escalate to that extent, he's an adult now, he can control what his mind says. However, he had lost appetite since the rejection. This has gotten Auntie Ella worried. His parents had gone back to the States; although Mrs. Wilson regained her memories that night, she had gone back to her predicament. However, she still remembers everyone's identity, her weirdness were still there. She'd rock her empty arms, sing lullabies, and the likes.
"I won't knock next time, I'll break in if you don't come out now for your breakfast." Ella shouted from behind Dave's door. Dave knew he had to let her know he was fine. From the stairway, Tina approached Ella, yawning. She just woke up.
"Is brother Dave still in his room? Bro, are you really gonna do this? Since two days ago, you've refused to eat. Merely because you got rejected. Do you know the numerous times I've gotten rejected this year alone?"
Ella turned to her, "you don't accept rejections, you dash them out."
Tina motioned to her to keep quiet. She mouthed to her that she wanted to provoke her brother to come out. Ella nodded and smiled.
"Yes, do you know how many times she has been rejected? Countless times. She never cried or left food alone. She ate to her satisfaction." Ella buttressed.
"Of course. I ate and played around like it was nothing. Come out now o."
They heard footsteps approaching the door from behind. When the footsteps stopped, they heard the door knob getting turned, and a slight chuckle. The door opened slowly and Dave peeped his head, laughing. "You that had never been in any relationship was getting rejections? Nicely played both of you."
They burst into laughter as Tina got hold of his right hand and pulled him out of the room.
"C'mon out big bro. It's not worth it."
They all ate breakfast together.
"And I did my best by telling Nancy not to hurt you." Tina began after they had finished eating.
"She didn't hurt me, Tina. I thought I had my emotions under control."
"But you were indoors for three days..."
"Two."
"No difference."
"There is. She didn't hurt me, tho. I was just flustered to how everything unfolded. A part of me was expecting a rejection."
"She loves you. Just give her time as she had said."
Dave had explained everything to them, everything except for the kiss. They'd taunt him till eternity if they knew about it. But thinking back at the scene, the kiss was the best he had ever received. Reminiscing about it makes his toes curl in lust. He wished she was his so he could taste every other part of hers. He quickly snapped out of the lustful thought when he realized he was getting erected and he mustn't let everyone present to see it. He calmed himself down and was amazed by his ultimate level of control.
"I wish she was mine." He heard himself announce.
"Same here too. She is adorable."
****
After a week, Tina went back to the apartment. She hoped to see Nancy and speak with her. More like convincing her even though she had zero to none optimism that she'd heed. She got to Nancy's door, it was locked. She'd check on her later in the evening, she probably went to work. At night, she got to her entrance and it was same thing. Same thing the following morning. Around afternoon, she checked again.
"Ah, aunty Gina..."
She turned and saw Musa, the security. She smiled at the way he pronounced her name.
"It's Tina, Musa."
"Toorh. How you dey?"
"I dey fine o. I no see Nancy since yesterday..."
"Oh, she don comot o."
Tina's smile vanished. "Comot, like how?" Could she have packed out?
"She don travel."
"Ohh." She breathed calmly. "I didn't know. You sabi when she go come back?"
"I dunno o. E be like say she talk say she no go come back soon."
"Ohh, thank you, Musa." She dragged her feet away from her entrance as Musa went on with his business. Nancy had traveled, the chance of her accepting Dave had gone from slim to empty. Tina hoped her brother would heal on his own till he finds his own lady.