CHAPTER 26; THEN

"Wassup," was all Funky stated, and then a pin-drop silence followed. Funky was a bit weird in character. He liked girls, of course, but his character was undeniably lacking. I don't know if I am saying this because I feel jealous, or if I am just being real.

He was the type of man who enjoyed the chase. He was the type of man who would steal any girl from you, and I hated knowing that. He stole our class representative's naughty girlfriend.

Well, not to forget, he even won the hand of my queen bee's friend without even trying. Her boyfriend was always buying her flowers and ice cream, but he, Fuunky, just came and told her, 'I like you,' and that was it. She just flew into his arms, only to be dumped the next month. Despite, he was a keeper indeed, I would give him that. At least he stayed a few more days with a girl than his messed-up best friends.

"Darling, how was work?" Kate came in and questioned as she sat on the arm of this small chair. She should sit on me, for the sake of ownership, but I did not feel the need to force it.

Funky was watching who knows what on the screen.

"Nice, not much tiring," I stated, as I gave her a little smile, trying to steady my legs, as if telling her to sit on my lap, but she ignored me and went to the kitchen and brought in some supper. Some rice, some rice and beef.

"Dude, how did you get that job?" Funky asked in between his movie, his eyes still glued to the screen.

 "Just some connection," I randomly stated.

"Why don't you connect me, man?" he said.

"There is an opportunity at the chemist near school, Downbridge or something. You can go and ask there."

"Dude, just tell them I'm in the same course as you, and then let it be a wrap. Do I have to speak for myself?" Funky asked, now putting his feet on the carpeted floor and looking at me steadily. One thing I hated about these friends, Funky and his funny messed-up friends, is that they were all too lazy to do anything for themselves, especially in regard to coursework. As I stated earlier, Funky was doing medicine to please his wealthy dad anyway. So I just looked at him and felt no need to answer him.

"Why are you here?" It blurted out before I could even think, and I knew... I cursed myself, but at the same time, I thanked God it came out.

"To visit a friend," he stated steadily, and shrugged as he continued to watch the movie. He was too comfortable in here.

Right when I have Kate, this dude shows up. I never saw Kate with any male friends, maybe the so much reason why I wanted and yearned for the pursue. I was never one too comfortable with another man at a woman's place, and now being my girlfriend's, I felt no need to stay here, despite my heart screaming otherwise. I would stay feeling emotionally hurt, so I quickly ate the dinner Kate provided, and then headed to where she was chilling on the balcony, with the intention of telling her I was leaving.

"Hey, darling__.., I think I should go. Tomorrow is a huge day," I said, not maintaining eye contact with Kate and trying to be casual as possible. I don't know why, I was suddenly feeling nervous in front of her. Of course, I was. I was afraid, I was just afraid of a lot of things, like Funky being here alone with her, like her wondering why I was choosing to leave, like me wondering what I am going to do in my place alone. Damn!

"Do you always have to fight with Funky?" Kate asked as she watched the glimmering sky from the city lights.

"We are just two people on different sides of the coin," I stated.

"Don't you think I feel sad when you two fight?" she asked.

"I... I just cannot help it, it just... I'm just a little bit insecure," I stated.

"Okay," was all she said.

"But I can bend all that, it's okay. I know he is your friend and all, I will try my best to be on good behavior, I promise," I added, and she just nodded. "So, then... how are you feeling? How is the baby? Any cravings? Doesn't he crave his daddy?"

"I want a she," she stated, and I just smiled.

"She... a baby girl, me and my girl, traveling... with her mother. We will be such a blessed family, don't you think?" I asked as I wrapped my hands around her shoulders. I seemed not to really impact her, but I didn't care much. She was sometimes like this when it came to me. Maybe it was the mood swings from the pregnancy.

When I hugged her, sometimes she would push me away, and others just become overly clingy.

"Okay, bye," she said as she kissed one of my knuckles.

It was a blunt bye, but I just, I just fell into the warmth of that kiss.., and her perfect lips on my hands, so I decided to add and give her a little neck kiss, and finally said bye.

"Take care," I stated, and then left her, as Funky was still watching the movie. I should not leave Funky with her, was all my head was screaming, but I just opened the door and left.

'The outside is cold,' I said to myself as I felt my heart starting to clench and ache. Why was I suddenly feeling all this pain? 'Kate is a good girl, she would never,' I told myself over and over again as I opened my door, kicked off my shoes, closed the door, and headed to my bed without caring to even look at the room. I had not even carried my phone from Kate's place, it was charging. Shit, was all I muttered, and I just lay there.

One minute. Two minutes. Thirty minutes. No sleep.

I tossed, turned, went and drank some water, sat on the floor, threw some dice on my wall-mounted dice board, did twenty push-ups... but nothing. I was thinking beyond what a normal man was supposed to think, and it all centered on one woman, 'Kate.' Did Funky leave? was the question. I felt like heading to her house to just knock and pretend I was picking up my phone, but the fear of meeting Funky there made me scared even more. I needed not to disappoint Kate; I just needed to trust her, was all my mind stated to me. However, I just could not calm down.

I already felt like a family man. I was already a family man, and Funky was now getting in the way of my interactions with Kate. I knew the child was not indeed my intention, but I knew right when I risked it that any consequences were for me to carry. I for sure knew it.

But all these thoughts did not let me sleep. I never smoked cigarettes, which would at least ease my nerves. I never tasted alcohol, but today I just wanted to feel how nerve-wracking and exciting those things were.

I was lost in my thoughts. What if Funky tries something? What if Kate can't resist? I haven't touched her since I heard the news. Some people say it's healthy to have sex during pregnancy, but others say it isn't.

Maybe Funky left, I told myself over and over again. But my mind was a room, a roomful of unbidden thoughts. This thing was killing me, and I opened my door, onto my door's rail. It was, of course, at night, God knows what time, and I looked at Kate's room. I really observed it, for the first time anyone would literally see me observing it, and I was sober. I always was sober, but I seemed to be in fear.

She was the first girl who made me feel this type of way;

 The type of way where you feel like giving the world to someone.

The type of way where you feel the twenty-four hours of a day are very few to be with her.

It was a challenging feeling, a challenging one when she was not around, but a great one when she was around.

If I had my phone, I would call her to know if she was okay. I was goddamn feeling jealous, insecure, and overly impatient. I did not even notice the cold and the mosquitoes that had started feasting on my blood. I was in my favorite black shorts and a short-sleeved white t-shirt, but that was no matter.

'She is asleep,' I told myself... as I entered back into my rental and into my room. I just needed sleep, and one thing I knew is, I have never slept well when my mind is stressed. Sleep just never chimes in, and if it does, well, dreams just embrace me. They embrace me with the same thoughts, but I don't know. I just lay here, in this bed, that for the first time felt very cold and very big indeed.

Indeed very huge, but tomorrow, I would still be working... and Funky would still have the time with my girl, and that sucked.