Chapter 7

I didn't hear from Gideon for a while after that night. He didn't return my calls nor texts. He didn't answer them too. It seem like he was avoiding me. I couldn't go to his house to look for him, all I could pray for was that he was okay.

My mum was angry that my dad pulled out that bullshît. She called him a bloody fool and a stupid old fool. It was funny but then it wasn't. One minute I was laughing the next I wasn't. Whenever I remembered that incident all I wanted to do was murder that man and his wife. I thought about it countless times.

He just ruined my opportunity of having a better life outside of this dump, he hurt my future and for that I'll never ever forgive him.

///

My phone beeped and blurred with a text from Gideon. He wanted to meet tonight. I just hoped everything was okay.

***

When I met Gideon that night. He wasn't himself. He was unusually quite. He seemed sad. He hugged his knees to his chest tightly rocking back and forth. The state he was in made me sad in a whole new level. I wasn't used to him being sad.

"What is it Gideon. Why do you look so sad? Did something happen, did someone die?" I asked him but he didn't talk. I was horrible at comforting someone so I didn't know what to do. "Gideon please talk to me. What is the problem?"

"My BECE results are out. My dad is making me go back to the US to continue schooling there" he finally spoke with his voice muffled due to having his face between his knees.

Oh no!

"Isn't that a good thing? Gideon you get to have a good education, so why are you sad?" I said to him. I was trying desperately to comfort him.

But inside I was dying, my heart was squeezing and beating fast. My only source of happiness was leaving me. But I couldn't be selfish about this. I just couldn't hold him back. I can't.

"But I don't want to leave you Adede. With all you are going through, I'd like to be here with you. For you! And if I leave I'm sorry but I don't know if I'd be able to ever return. Maybe I might return when I become independent but that's a long time from now." He raised his head to look at me I saw tears in his eyes. Which was weird cause usually I did the crying.

I fought back my tears. Swallowed the lamp that was forming in my throat hard and loudly. My heart was in pain and so was my body. Dad hit me again today because his wife said I 'disobeyed' her.

I couldn't tell Gideon, he needed to be comforted and I'll be the one to do that.

It broke my heart that was going to leave me in this dump but I had to suck it up.

I didn't want to make the situation any worse. Being dramatic will just worsen the situation.

"It's okay Gideon. As long as you don't forget me I'll be fine with that. And hey I have a phone. So we can talk. You and I will always find our way back to each other if we are meant to be" I tried my best to soothe him but it felt like my heart needed to be soothed.

My best friend was leaving me.

He touched my face with his cold fingers.

He looked me right in the eyes and leaned in again to repeat what he did the other night. But this time it was longer. It wasn't just a peck. It was a real kiss but without tongues. It felt weird cause I'd never been kissed before so I didn't know how to go about it. I followed his lead and tried my best to keep up.

We pulled apart breathlessly and stared at each other. Soon his lips were on mine again, he left me lips to trail small shallow kisses down my neck and then back to my lips. The kiss got heated and soon I was on my back on the grass.

He was touching me, caressing my body softly. I wondered how he knew all those things. I anxiously waited for his next move. Soon he was exploring on my boobs, softly pinching them and nipping on my neck. He was on top of me and I felt something hard against my thighs.

Sounds left my lip that I knew nothing about. He groaned deeply.

I didn't want this now. But it felt so good my mind went foggy. Slowly he slipped a hand into my pants and I jerked up immediately pushing him off.

"No please not today. I don't want my first time to be like this and here" I said breathlessly.

"Come on 'mido' it'll be this one time"

"No Gideon please listen, we are not matured to do this yet!"

"Yeah I guess you are right. I promise to come back and marry you so I can make your first time special"

"And I promise to keep myself for you Gideon. If it's not you then it's no one else. Just please keep in touch with me"

"I will. But you know even if we do it now it'll still be the same thing right" he spoke up after moments on silent. inching his fingers up my thighs and I slapped it away.

"Uhhh no? What if I get pregnant and you're not here? And besides I don't have breast to feed the baby we might just die of hunger before you find us" I screeched and that caused him to laugh out loud into the night.

Well I wasn't wrong. I heard stories about how people got pregnant right after they did the 'deed'. Mum warmed me seriously before leaving. She made me hold my ears with two hands and warned me severely about that. She said my life would be destroyed if I tried it, so I wasn't gonna try it now.

By the time he stopped laughing he had tears in his eyes. I just pouted. I didn't know what was so funny about that. I rolled my eyes at him.

"First of all people don't get pregnant when they haven't gotten their periods yet and you my friend haven't gotten it yet! Secondly what do you have on your chest if it's not breast?" He said between laughters, wiping tears from his eyes.

"It's not breast. It's not even developed into oranges yet. I want it huge like my Mum's. Tell me one thing, wouldn't you rather wait till maybe I'm fully developed?" I pouted, he was just making fun of me.

"You're right though, I'll wait. I'll be back for you and make you my wife. Then you can't say no!"

"And I promise to wait for you Gideon" I said to him.

He laid on his back, and I laid my head on his chest. Listening to his steady heartbeat. It was soothing, mixed with the whispers of the night and chirps of insects.

"Wait there's on more thing I want" he sat up and so did I breaking the silence that enveloped is.

Snap!

I felt the light flash brightly against my eyes. I was taken off guard.

He took a picture of me! On his phone!

"What was that!" He showed me the photo. The picture wasn't the best. My eyes were caught red and I hated it instantly. "You better delete that picture it's ugly" I said trying to snatch his phone but he stretched out of my reach.

"Not a chance! I like it" he said as he laid back down and pulled me into his chest again. "I want to spend this last night with you in my arms, I might not see you again before I leave." he rose up his head and kissed my head. Unlike him I didn't have hair.

I fulfilled his wish. We laid there silently until we fell asleep.

We parted our ways at dawn. He kissed my cheeks and forehead and then he was gone. I stood silently watching him disappear into the pitch the black night.

I waited till he was out of ear reach and broke down. I cried so hard. I couldn't believe he was actually leaving me. The one person who was there for me is now gone. And now I'm all alone all over again.

It would've been better if he never showered up at all. At least I'd still be dealing with my problems my own way.

But now he showed up out of no where and made me get used to him and now he's gone.

How could I have something so amazingly beautiful only to loose it again?

It felt like I wasn't destined to have good  things happen to me...

**