Bitter or sweet

‘Yes, that’s why I didn’t go to work’ he answered trying to raise himself to a sitting position on the bed. ‘You are welcome Aunty.’ Kamal added.‘Thank you’ I answered sitting on the chair by his writing table. ‘So what is wrong with you?’‘I think its Malaria.’ He replied, simply.‘You think its Malaria? You mean […]

‘Yes, that’s why I didn’t go to work’ he answered trying to raise himself to a sitting position on the bed. ‘You are welcome Aunty.’ Kamal added.
‘Thank you’ I answered sitting on the chair by his writing table. ‘So what is wrong with you?’
‘I think its Malaria.’ He replied, simply.
‘You think its Malaria? You mean you haven’t gone to hospital?’ I demanded.
‘No Aunty, who goes to hospital over a little thing like Malaria these days? There are lots of anti-malarials over-the-counter, in any pharmacy one cares to look.’ Kamal explained.
‘So are you feeling better now, after your self-medication?’ I asked.
‘Yes, much better actually.’ He answered. I raised my hand and touched his forehead and was surprised to see just how cool his temperature was.  
‘You must have taken a wonder-drug’ I observed, ‘You are completely fever-free.’ I observed.
‘Yes, it worked like magic.’ He replied uneasily.
‘I knew something was missing the moment I stepped foot into your bedroom, now I know, it’s that beautiful picture of Walidah. Where is it now?’ I asked.
‘It must have fallen down there. I haven’t seen it.’ Kamal replied.
‘But it has always been on this table, you couldn’t have failed to notice its absence.’ I said.
‘I was too sick to notice.’ He claimed, looking away.
‘Just one evening of sickness and you couldn’t notice the disappearance of something that has been on your bedside table for years? Well maybe you were really very ill, then you must have had a miraculous recovery. I think I better take the name of this wonder-drug and prescribe it to anyone with Malaria. What is its name?’ I asked.
‘Ah, I can’t remember the name.’ Kamal replied.
‘Well let me have the pack, the name should be written there.’ I insisted.
‘I threw it away this morning, it is that kind of one-dose treatment.’ He said.
‘Well then where did you buy it? Let me know so I can go there and ask for a one-off anti-malarial that isn’t Fansidar.’ I suggested.
‘Okay Aunty, you’ve got me there. I really didn’t have Malaria. I wasn’t really sick, at least not physically.’ Kamal confessed.
‘Really, then why did you lie to your parents about being ill?’ I queried.
‘Because I need to be alone for a few days to sort out my life. Like I said, I may not be sick physically, but I am far from all right.’ He explained, mysteriously.
‘Please don’t speak to me in riddles. What exactly is wrong with you?’ I demanded.
‘Walidah is getting married to Yusuf in a few weeks time.’ He stated simply.
‘What? How can this be? Isn’t he your best friend? Or which Yusuf are you talking about?’ I babbled.
‘He is indeed the same one.’ Kamal replied, looking up at the ceiling.
‘But how did this happen? Walidah has been your fiancée for years. We were all waiting for her to graduate so we can see you happily married. I had no idea you two had parted ways and your dear mother didn’t see it fit to tell me.’ I complained.
‘But Mummy doesn’t even know what I told you now. That’s why I told her I was ill, I didn’t know how to break the news to her when I returned from work yesterday. I wanted to be calm and in control, but I knew I will be incapable of that if I attempted to speak last night. That’s why I lied about being ill. As for Walidah, we never really parted ways. We were still betrothed and courting when apparently they began to prefer each other. You know Yusuf and I were always together. We often visited her together. And any time we had a lover’s quarrel it was to him that I rushed. I would tell him everything and he will advise me on how to win her back. Honestly I considered him the brother I never had.’ He concluded, dejectedly.
‘Then how did you find out?’ I asked in confusion.
‘Three weeks ago Walidah called and said she wanted me to keep away for a while because she is reading for her finals and after all the time that was wasted due to ASUU strike, she needed to study hard to catch up. I understood her position and decided to keep away. Of course I phoned her every day and text her every evening to assure her of my love and wish her luck. But yesterday our mutual friend Idris came to my office and on seeing her picture on my table asked who she was. I told him she was my fiancée and he quickly asked whether she had a twin sister who is about to marry Yusuf. I told him no and asked who told him Yusuf was about to marry now. Idris went ahead to tell me that Yusuf himself introduced a girl who looked exactly like Walidah to him, the day before, and told him that they were getting married in a few weeks’ time. So sure was I that he was wrong that I laughed and said:
“Look, if Yusuf is getting married, I should be the first to know. As for him marrying someone who looked exactly like my fiancée, all I can say is you need a pair of glasses because Walidah is not a twin and there isn’t another girl in this town who looks like her.” I told him smugly.
“I am sure that this is the girl I saw with him. As for you thinking you would be the first to know if he is getting married, will he tell you if he has snatched your fiancée? Will he be stupid enough to alert you about what he did?” Idris insisted.
“Maybe Yusuf is capable of deceiving me but not Walidah, she will never betray me like that. So this must be a clear case of mistaken identity.” I insisted.
“When did you see her last? Because I think you’ll need to clear with her who is the girl that is being seen in town with your friend.” Idris urged, before rising up to leave.
“I couldn’t even answer him as he made his way out of my office. I placed a call to Walidah immediately but couldn’t get her. Then I placed another to Yusuf who picked up immediately. I asked him whether it is true that he is getting married and he said yes. I wondered aloud how he could get married without telling me and he said:
“Sorry brother, I was waiting for the right moment to tell you.”
“The right moment? I am your best friend Yusuf, I ought to know before everyone else but why am I hearing it apparently through the grapevine? What are you hiding?” I demanded, suddenly suspicious.
“I’m sorry about that” he said “but believe me I planned to tell you soon.”
“And so who is the lucky lady?” I asked cautiously.
“It is Walidah, she told me that you had broken up while she was at home during the strike, and well since I had known her for long, I decided to give the relationship a chance.” He explained.
“She told you we had broken up and you didn’t bother to confirm from me? What kind of a best friend are you?” I asked when I finally found my voice. At that point I hung up. I couldn’t  bear to hear his voice anymore. When I got over the initial shock, I started trying her again, but Walidah just wouldn’t pick her calls. I think at this point in time she has learnt that I had heard everything. I prayed Asr then closed from work and came straight home. I was too confused and too heartbroken to do anything else.
To be continued