Affairs- The New Year Fling 'Resolutions, Mistakes...Resolutions'

AFFAIRS: THE NEW YEAR FLING

The sound of a crying baby was certainly not how I dreamt of waking up this lovely day. I rolled to the side of the bed and reached out for my alarm clock. 3am.

‘What the hell?’ I said to myself.

I lay back down on the bed, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes until the baby’s scream pierced through my peaceful thoughts that were slowly leading me to the gates of Dreamland. I grumbled and got out of bed.

‘It is okay, Capri. I’m here now’ I whispered into her ears whilst I rocked her back to sleep. 
 If this was what I would have to go through every night then curses to all men, especially Ayo. No, I wasn’t going to think of him this time around.

My time with Capri, as nagging as she can be, is my favorite during the day and no silly douche is going to ruin it by creeping into my thoughts.

I carried her into my room. I thought it best she stayed there with me, in case she wakes up again. The best part about babies is how quickly they fall asleep unlike when they are older and can run around. I tucked her in nicely next to me and lay quietly next to her. I drifted into sleep watching her breathing, calmly and slowly. She is beautiful, just like her father.

‘Gee, is she with you? Is she OK?’

I heard my aunt’s soft voice whispering in my ears. I opened my eye slowly. Capri was next to me still sleeping quietly. My aunt rushed to her side and kissed her forehead. I climbed out of bed and wiped my sleepy face.

‘I heard her crying last night. What was wrong?’

‘I think she had a nightmare’, I replied smiling and stroking my upper arm.

Aunt lifted her up from the bed. She opened her eye slightly, as if to make sure she knew who was carrying her, smiled, made sucking movements with her lips and went back to sleep. I wish I were a baby with very little to care about in the world and painful memories that never stick.

‘Thanks a lot, Gee. Not to worry. Today, we get out of your hair. Your uncle starts work on Monday so we have to be home today.’

‘Are you leaving right now?’

‘No, we leave in a few hours. He is still asleep’, she replied pointing upstairs.

I sat on the bed and stared at the sleeping child.

‘I will miss her. I’m heading out today, in a few minutes. I have to go see big brother before I go to my place. I wouldn’t want to hear his complaints about me not coming to visit’

‘Trust me. I understand. We have had our fair share on his whining’

We both laughed.

‘Can I carry her before I leave?’

‘Sure thing. Better still hold her for me while I get her bath ready.  I think she might have made a doo doo’.

She handed Capri to me and left.

Aunt was so excited about Capri. I had never seen anyone so happy about a baby. With the way Capri cries and eats every day, I would have probably left her with her father most times, but whenever I hold her in my arms and look into those big eyes of hers, I understand why. She is beautiful; a perfect picture of peace and innocence.

A few hours later, I was on my way to my big brother’s apartment which was about two hours away from mine. Nothing feels better than the wind in your hair, your shades on and lovely music playing on the stereo. I was calm, safe and happy.

Thoughts about the past year began to rush in. 2010 had been drama and more drama. From Kojo to Ayo, it seemed like I had been through hell and back.

Ayo and I haven’t spoken since last year. I remembered that night when I was seated on the floor of my living room, gulping down alcohol and contemplating suicide. 

I had been feeling sick all through that week which made me feel like I was pregnant plus my period had been late. I had tried to dismiss it saying it was as a result of stress but the never ending headaches and tummy aches were not helping. I couldn’t summon the strength to go to the hospital to get tested so I figured why not save myself the shame and make Ayo live in pain forever knowing that my blood is on his hand.
 I had gotten up to be rid of myself with a knife, to kill the forbidden child that was growing in me, I immediately became nauseated and ran to the kitchen to vomit it.

As I was vomiting, Zara stepped in. She saw the knife, the empty bottles of Vodka and the vomiting me coming out of the kitchen and as silly as Zara is, she burst out laughing.

I’m here now. Alive, not pregnant, not HIV positive (I would still have to check in three months to be sure) and also with a new year’s resolution to stay away from casual, unprotected sex. For how long? Two years? 

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves but it was certainly not going to be happening anytime soon.

I smiled at myself, proud of my decision, as I turned into the junction that led to my big brother’s apartment. 

A lady who had been standing at the roadside and saw my transition from a straight face to a smiling one 

gave me a look that said that she thought I was losing it. As soon as I noticed her expression, I burst out laughing. I was happy.

I entered the street were big brother resides and there he was with his friends smoking on some cigarettes. 

One of them had a bottle of Vodka and the rest held red party cups.

I drove straight at them like I was about to run over them. All but one of them moved away quickly, Fiifi.

Fiifi has been a close friend of Big Brother as far back as I could. Tall, Slim; his hair braided in cornrows with that cute smile of his. Fiifi is a darling and that is why I have had a crush on him since I could remember. 

Big brother walked up to me and hugged me, lifting me off the ground.

‘Gee! You came!’ He spun me round and put me down. It took me a few seconds to get myself together and stop laughing.

‘I miss you too, love’ I pecked him. ‘So what you guys doing out here?’

They all lifted their red cups.

‘Isn’t it a bit too early for you to be drinking and smoking?’

‘Nope’, they all replied in unison.

‘You guys practiced your replies, didn’t you?’

‘Yep’, they replied together again and we all burst out laughing.

‘So no special hugs for your best-friend?’

Fiifi lifted me from behind. I screamed and began snickering.

‘Oh…because I’m slim, you all think you can toss me about?’

There was a second of silence and they replied together again.

‘Yes’.

‘You guys are silly’

Big brother introduced me to the rest of his friends. Fine boys always have fine friends. They poured me a cup of Vodka so I could officially become one of them and the plans for the evening began being laid out.

‘There’s a fashion show happening at The Palace tonight’, said one of the boys in a red shirt.

(Pardon me as I cannot remember their names for now, I shall point them out with their outfits or any striking features)

‘Ha! No. Not after what happened at the last show’, replied the tattooed one. Everyone looked at Fiifi and began laughing. ‘I think we should lay low for a while with the Fashion shows.’

‘Before some model scratches our face this time around’, said Big Brother.

‘I’m sure I’ll get the details of that story later so I won’t bother asking about it now.’

‘How about Naana’s birthday/pool party?’ suggested the built one.

‘But her house is a bit far. Would you drive?’ asked the tattooed one.

‘That’s not a problem. I can drive. Out of all you, I know how to get there best’, replied the one in a red shirt. ‘Remember what happened the last time we went there?’

Everyone began snickering and looked at Fiifi again.

‘You have gotten into a lot of trouble since I left’ I looked at him.

‘You have no idea’, said Big brother. ‘This is not even up to half of it’

I took a sip of my drink.

‘Pool party it is then. Good thing I brought my bikini.’

‘Hmmmmmmm…’ hummed all the boys. Big brother looked at them with a stern face and the laughter stopped. I began laughing.

A few hours later, a drizzle and one pool/birthday party later, we were at a drinking spot to say hello to a few more friends and to get more drinks.

Don’t worry. We made sure the one who was driving wasn’t even drinking a drop and boy, did he complain. Pure humor.

We all got into the car and started on our way home.

The drive was so smooth that those in the back seat had fallen asleep. I was seated in the passenger’s seat. 

Big brother, the tattooed one and the one in the red shirt, whose names, I finally got a hold off, Matthew and Fred, were seated at the back seat.

Fiifi didn’t come along for this outing, sadly. All that bikini and sexiness was a total waste for me.

The weather was cold and the road still a bit slippery, thanks to the drizzle. As we drove, he came to bend and in the process of trying to navigate past the curve, the car skid off the road; spun around, hit a light pole, kept spinning and hit the pole again before coming to a final stop.