“Becca! Becca!”I was whisked out of my thoughts by the voice of my friend
“Becca!, can’t you hear me? Are you okay” Nancy asked as she made her way to my sitting room.
“I am fine”, I replied slightly annoyed.
“But I have been calling your name for like forever, good thing I found the spare keys in my bag”, Nancy replied.
“I am sorry,” I said dryly.
Instinctively my friend Nancy knew something was wrong, she knew me like the back of her palm and that is why we are best friends.
“Hey are you sure you are fine?” she asked as she raised my head so she could probably look at my face.
“My friend I am sad,” I said not recognizing the sound that came out of my mouth.
“What’s making you sad dearie?” She asked concern laced in her voice.
“Nancy it’s Eddie!” I replied not hiding my frustration.
“What did he do?” She asked calmly.
“Nancy sometimes I wonder if Eddie loves me, like we are in a relationship but it feels like I’m in a relationship with just myself,” I said frustrated.
“Why would you say that?” She asked confused.
“I suspect that Eddie has so many cobwebs in his cupboard or explain to me why and how someone you’re dating would want to hide you from the rest of the world?”
“Ahh!” Nancy exclaimed.
“I have been dating Eddie for 8 months now and I do not know where he lives nor am I allowed to visit him at his office, he’d always tell me not to bother that he would come meet me up wherever I am” I frustratedly let it all out.
“Now this is serious my love”, Nancy said sympathetically.
“That’s not even all, we only go out at night and when we do we look like total strangers, he hates us taking pictures together, he said he is camera shy, the one time I took a picture of him when he wasn’t watching and posted it on my WhatsApp story he angrily asked me to take it down!”.
Nancy looked at me, her eyes spoke a thousand words, I could see it written on her face that she was sorry, she was sorry because I had fallen in love with the wrong person and I was still willing to continue it, she didn’t have to say it out loud, I got the message but just like every other person that was madly in love I shrugged out the feeling and looked at the bright side of our relationship.
Eddie has not been a complete failure as a partner but does he even consider me as his partner? I asked myself, I didn’t want to think that my case was that of unrequited love.
I stood up from the chair I was sitting on and made my way down to my room as it was 8:15 pm and I needed to talk to Eddie before 10 pm as he hated late-night calls.
“Goodnight young woman, see you tomorrow”. I said as I opened my bedroom door.
From the corners of my eyes I could see Nancy give me a sympathetic look, I knew she had a lot to say but didn’t know how to say it.
“Goodnight my love, sleep well”, she finally responded.
“Hi baby”, I said excitedly to Eddie over the phone.
“I will call you back babe, I am in the middle of something”, he hurriedly said.
“Babe, are you okay?”I worriedly asked.
“Yes I am, bye”. Just when he was about to end the call I heard some voices.
“Eddie, where are you?” I asked.
“I am at home”, he answered hurriedly again.
“You have company? I worriedly asked
“No baby it’s the TV”, he immediately said and ended the call.
I knew something was off that night but I didn't have any evidence to back up my suspicions so I let it slide.
Eddie and I kept going back and forth in our relationship more like we were stuck at the same level, there was nothing new.
I kept up with the relationship because I was crazy in love with Eddie as I used him as a yardstick to measure other eligible bachelors who showed interest in me.
My suspicions were finally confirmed on the 25th of April when the cat was let out of the bag
On that sunny afternoon, Eddie had dropped me in front of my office. He opened his wallet to give me some money for the week, and while he was trying to bring out some of the notes something fell off from his wallet, instinctively I bent down to pick it up.
Sighting the shining gold object I smiled, I smiled because Eddie was finally going to do right by me, in a split second I knew what my perfect gown would be like but it didn’t last long as my heart was shattered.
The gold object I had picked up was not an engagement ring but a wedding ring. I showed the ring to Eddie and I saw the facial expression I was praying never to see.
“Eddie you are married? Like you have a wife? I saw the colours drain out of his face and I knew what the perfect answer was.
With tears in my eyes, I grabbed my bag, stormed out of the car, and ran to take cover as I was about to cry my eyes out.
That was the last time I heard from Eddie.
All images are mine except otherwise stated.