Campus Life; Good Boy Gone Bad: #2-04……..Aftermath “Matata”

I tried to open my eyes but my eyelids were still heavy and I had to squint.  Chema was in view, sitting in my bed. I shut my eyes only for my memory to be re-awakened with a split headache. I pulled the blanket again to head back to the world of darkness.

As though the headache was not enough, my mind had to weigh the implications of the hangover. First of all, I had to quit drinking, but then again when did I start being a drunkard? How did I get to my bed? What happened last night?  

“Hey you, wake up!” Chema said as she pulled the blanket from me.

“Mhhhh,” I groaned out.

“It’s already noon, and I need to go,” Chema said sharply.

“What? Why do you need to go?” I said sitting up and rubbing my eyeballs several times.  “What happened last night? It was fun wasn’t it? Can you tell me what happened after I blackened out?” I said pulling a wry smile.

“Fun? Rain look at you! Since when did all this mess become fun?” Chema said raising her voice. She was angry, I could see her gritted teeth instead of a smile, instead of a dimples a few wrinkles were sprinkled on her face.

She was the one who had suggested we join the rugby players and I wondered why all the acrimony. Had something happened to her? Had Charlie and his boys tried something? What?

“Tell me Chema, did Charlie try anything stupid yesterday?” I asked authoritatively.

“Who talked about Charlie? You are the one to stop acting stupid,”

“Acting stupid? What did I do? Oh common Chema,”

“Yes Rain,” She now faced me directly. “Do you think I am a fool?” She said then stood up.

“This has nothing to do with last night does it?” I asked. “I am still drunk?” I pulled out a smile.

“Oh please Rain, that smile is pathetic!”

Clearly there was something else, why couldn’t I recall it? My phone rang and Chema reached for it. She glanced and it and then threw it to me, “there she is,” she said. The phone landed on my face hitting my nose with force. It was Stella.

“Hallo? Rain?” Stella’s anxious voice came through the phone.

“Hi,” I said studying Chema.

“Rain, I have been worried! You have not picked up my calls and you haven’t returned my text messages! Are you okay?” Stella said on the other end.

“I am okay,” I replied. “Will call you later, my phone battery….” With that I pressed the off button on my phone for a long, until it went off.

“Oh come on Chema, don’t tell me you are mad about her,” I said trying to sound in control of things.

“For your information, yes I am,” Chema said as she hurriedly clipped her hair.

“Please, she is just a friend,” I replied still maintaining my cool.

“Oh really? What about all those fancy messages? All those good gifts?”

Now it came clearly to me. Chema must have read the text messages Stella had sent. Stella can be quite creative with text messages and especially on the vista of the life ahead: Rain, Junior and Stella walking on the beach talking about nothing but the colour of the ocean and the sun setting at the horizon and probably chasing after Junior on the pristine sandy beaches. A family where Rain is this father who loves his kids and is always available for them, talks to them, does homework with them and compliments their mother on the sumptuous food. That was her dream, and out of the dream she directly hit the phone’s keypad and sent the message to Rain.

 I would have heard a quick solution but the headache had now grown to intolerable limits, I could not think first enough! (was there a new ‘update’ to speed up my memory even when inebriated: Microsoft please can you answer me on that?)

“I am leaving, Rain you are clearly not serious with anything,” Chema said then stood up.

“Come on Chema, wait!” she did not, instead she banged the door forceful as she left. “Oh come on, even the door?” I said but the only recipient to that was my ten by four rat hole that was my room.