STAGED AFFECTION
(Episode 8)
The next day, I woke up on time, determined to avoid another confrontation with Nichelle. Before she could even wake up, I was already leaving, trying to make a quick escape. But it was her mother who saw me, standing in the hallway as I was about to head out the door.
“Ahh, why are you leaving so early?” she asked, concern etched on her face.
I hesitated for a moment, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. “I have an early morning appointment,” I said finally. “I need to catch up with my client.”
Her mother nodded understandingly, but I could tell she was disappointed. “Come and eat at least,” she said, gesturing towards the kitchen.
But I shook my head, trying to avoid any further delay. “I can’t, I’m running late,” I said. “I need to meet up with my client as soon as possible.”
Her mother nodded again, though I could tell she wasn’t happy about me leaving without eating. “Okay, dear,” she said. “But be sure to come back on time and eat something in the evening, okay?”
I smiled and hugged her, trying to reassure her. “I will, ma,” I said. “I promise. It would be in the evening when I’m back.”
With that, I quickly made my exit, trying to avoid Nichelle. I was determined to avoid her problems for as long as possible, and I knew that meant staying out of her way.
As I left the house, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. I had escaped another confrontation, at least for now.
******************
I went straight to our main house, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I walked through the door. It was like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I could finally be myself again. KC was already there, lounging on the couch, and he looked up as I walked in.
“Hey, man, what’s up?” he asked, noticing the look on my face.
I collapsed onto the couch beside him, feeling exhausted. “Just trying to avoid Nichelle’s drama,” I said, shaking my head.
KC nodded sympathetically. “I feel you,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t know how you do it, man. Dealing with all that stress and tension.”
I sighed, running my hands through my hair. “I don’t know, man. Sometimes I feel like I’m losing myself in all of this. Like I’m just pretending to be someone I’m not.”
KC put a hand on my shoulder. “You’re not alone, bro,” he said. “We’re all pretending to be someone we’re not sometimes. But at least when you come home, you can be yourself, right?”
I nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards KC. “Yeah, man. That’s true. When I come home, I feel like I can finally relax and be myself.”
We sat there in silence for a moment, enjoying each other’s company. Then KC spoke up again.
“Hey, man, have you thought about what you’re going to do after this whole thing is over?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know, man. I will go back to my normal life of course.
What if her mother keeps visiting or something? Kc asked.
I haven’t really thought about that. I’m just trying to get through each day without losing my mind.”
KC nodded understandingly. “I feel you,” he said. “But maybe we should start thinking about it, man.
****************
In the evening, I went home, pretending to have just come back from work. When I got back, Nichelle was in the living room, but her mother was nowhere to be found. We didn’t exchange a word, we just ignored each other. I walked past her and went upstairs, eager to get some distance between us.
As I began to undress and prepare for a bath, Nichelle came into the room and spoke up. “I want to use the bathroom,” she said. “Don’t enter until I’m done.”
I looked at her but didn’t respond. I was determined to avoid any contact with her, especially when her mother wasn’t around to witness our fake relationship.
Nichelle went into the bathroom, and I sat down on the floor, waiting for her to finish. I was used to sitting on the floor, so I made myself comfortable, almost like a child.
A few minutes passed, and Nichelle came out of the bathroom. I got up and went in, relieved to have some time to myself. As I bathed and changed, I couldn’t help but think about how strained our relationship had become. It was clear that we were only pretending to be together for her mother’s sake.
When I came out of the bathroom, Nichelle was nowhere to be found. I assumed she had gone back downstairs, and I was relieved to have some space. I went to bed early, hoping to avoid any further interactions with her.
But as I lay there, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that this situation was unsustainable. We couldn’t keep pretending for a whole two weeks, and I wondered what would happen when the truth finally came out.
To be continued.
