CHAPTER 16: YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO US, STUPID!
MAYA.
"Maya Virginia-Elizabeth Jones, you crazy fucking bitch! Did you finally lose your God-damn fucking mind?"
That was the first thing Sasha said fuming with rage when I opened the door to my apartment letting her and Eric in as she tossed her Louis Vuitton messenger's bag on the sofa before forcing me into a bone crushing hug as Eric joined in looking like he's about to cry and it made me feel even more worse than I was already feeling for disappearing on them like I did last night.
I should have know better than to disappear without giving them a heads up first. But when you really think about it even I did not anticipate the outcome of last night's events. Everything happened so fast that I didn't even have time to think about anything or anyone, I just acted based on how I was feeling at the moment.
"I'm so freaking mad at you!" "Me too, I fucking hate you!" Both Eric and Sasha echoed simultaneously nuzzling their faces into the crook of my neck and I felt some dampness from Sasha's side signifying she's crying.
No, not the crying!
If she starts crying then we start crying.
"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry guys. I just didn't know what to do" I tried apologizing which just made everything worse because we were all crying by the time those words left my my mouth. The quiet walls of my apartment was filled with crying, hiccups and a whole lot of snots sounds. Gosh! I hope my neighbors don't hear that.
I can't say exactly when this weird phenomenon started or how it started but group crying is one of the many acts we do together that shows our love and care for each other. My earliest memory of us crying together would probably be the first time Eric got nosebleed from hugging a basketball with his face during PE back in middle school.
Sasha and I thought we were going to lose our best friend so we started crying uncontrollably and Eric in his attempt to calm us down but to no avail joined in on what would later be known by the whole school as the 'Three Crying Princesses of Blossom Middle School' or 'TCPBMS' for short as they often called us when they thought we weren't listening.
It was the single most horrific period of our academic career. We literally had to change schools just to escape that horrendous nickname, but crying and laughing together somewhat became a tradition to the three of us and seeing how we're almost 20 and we're still crying together, I don't think we're going to outgrow that behavior anytime soon.
"No, we're sorry" "Yes, it's us who should be sorry" They said after a while as we pulled apart from the group hug.
"We're sorry, we didn't notice what you were going through"
"C'mon guys don't pin this on yourselves. You didn't even know" I tried reasoning with them but they both shake their heads.
"That's the thing, Maya. We should've known, we're your best friends" Eric said somberly. My heart hurts from hearing him sound like that.
"Yeah, why didn't we notice anything?" Sasha mumbled in confusion.
"I guess I was good at hiding it?" I faked a laugh and Sasha cringed at my lame attempt to lighten the mood.
"Well...don't do that next time, okay? We care about you" Eric said as if I didn't already know that.
"Yeah, you mean the world to us stupid!" Exclaimed Sasha.
I couldn't help but laugh after Sasha said that. The laughter was real. Like a hearty laughter with heavy breathing and all. And suddenly everything feels better. The log-like feeling that has been weighing down on my chest since earlier today suddenly gone and I feel lighter than I've felt in months.
"So, what exactly happened?" Eric asked and Sasha nods vigorously saying...-- "Yeah, tell us! We still don't know what actually happened"
I had to tell them everything from the very beginning. I told them about how I got a random phone call from this strange man claiming to be my father about six months ago and how ignoring his calls only made him call more. Before that, there were countless emails asking if I was Maya and requesting more details from me if I was indeed Maya but I ignored all of it thinking some jobless kid from my Uni was messing with me and they'd quit it once they've had their fill.
But then the call came and I can't put it into words what I've had to endure these past few months anytime my phone rang or beeped with messages from him.
I even let them read only some of the texts he sent over the past few days because it'd take them hours or even days to go through all of the old ones if I allow them.
"What an absolute ass!" Sasha said out loud when Eric read the part where he said he'd come to Nigeria in person if I don't pick his calls or reply his messages.
I told them how he actually showed up in Mrs. D's place yesterday like he was expecting me to welcome him with open arms or something. I told them everything from then to how Andrew found me and gave me a place to stay last night because I didn't want them to see me in the state I was. I left out the part where we might've gotten intimate last night and how I literally made-out with Andrew's ears this morning of course. I can't have them asking questions when I still don't have the full details of what actually happened between us while I was drunk.
"The nerve of that man!" "He had no right to treat you that way after all these years!" Sasha and Eric said almost at the same time looking like they wanted to kill someone as they finished reading the messages from the man who calls himself my father and I totally understand where they're coming from because I would do the same for them if anyone messes with them.
"What did your auntie say about all of this?" Eric asked referring to Andrew's mother and I shrugged.
"Nothing, I don't think she knew" As far as I know she was as confused about him showing up yesterday as I was. If anything I should hear what she has to say before I decide on how I feel about all of this.
Author's Note.
As always, thank you guys for reading.
Love you guys a lot!!!
Happy new year.
Stay safe!