Notes

“Now that it’s finally happened, what would you do next?”, I asked Collins.

He had predicted since the third month of his relationship that he and Fred wouldn’t last. Yes, they cared about each other but things did not go well with Collins. It seemed like their being together caused more emotional stress for him. I have been friends with Col for about 6 years and one thing that everyone close to him knows is that he doesn’t like stress. Yes, he’s playful, annoying and can fight if the situation at hand requires him to but anything that stretches him emotionally or bothers him is a no no. He gets bothered but he doesn’t like it. And when Fred started to bother him like daily, I noticed.

“What's going on with you?”, I asked.

“Nothing. Work has just been a little busy, that’s all”, he replied.

As is the regular reply for when he’s bothered about something more than just 'work', I pushed a little more.

Then he smiled and said, “Fred doesn’t get that”. 


“Get what?”

“That when I’m bothered and I say it’s nothing, he doesn’t get that you should push a little more or just be there. He just gets angry because he tells you stuff and you don’t reciprocate. I mean, not everyone is as open-minded and free as he is and I don’t know, it’s getting tiring to always say sorry.”

There! I knew it had to do with that man.

I wouldn’t agree that they went on with their stuff because he had been sighing a lot and needing a lot of hugs from me but he’s a big man, he wanted to go on, so as his friend, I just supported him and show up whenever he needed me.

“I still stand by my claim that he’s a man child.”, I said out of annoyance.

It is true, he had been saying sorry a lot for little things and I was not feeling the whole thing anymore. I told him to talk to him about it but he said he was tired and would just let it go. After all, it was the “struggles of a relationship”. So I just comforted him and tried to cheer him up.

*Fast forward to this day …

*

Col and I went out to eat after work and Fred came to join us. We all started talking and they started talking about some of their friends so I just listened in. I got distracted by a message that came into my phone, it was one of my toasters so I left Col and Fred to talk their thing. 

Until I heard Fred shout at Col, “I don’t think you even love me anymore!!”.

The conversation had somehow managed to become a small argument (I don’t know how) and he said that to my friend. I was going to ask him to calm down when I heard my friend say with anger in his tired eyes:



“How dare you say that to me?”



“Tell me that it’s not true”, he replied.

What a fool!



I looked at Col. Puzzled, I was going to ask for an explanation but I could tell from his face that he had had enough of the bullshit with Fred.



“You know what? I don’t want to do this anymore. The whole of this. Fight with you. Makeup with you. Punish me. Make me sad and lonely and then constantly accuse me of this nonsense. It’s over Fred.”


“Babe, no. I didn’t mean it. I'm sorry. What you said hurt me and I just wanted you to feel the hurt that I felt”.

I heard that and got furiousss!!! Is this what my friend has been putting up with? Making him feel guilty about things and making him hurt? How dare he? Wow, just wow!!!

“TF is that?”, I stood up angry like I was going to beat him.

Col gestured for me to chill and he said: “Well, this is over so I’m free from that loop now. Have a good life Fred”. And he stood up to walk out of the restaurant.

“YOU ARE TERRIBLE”, I added before joining my friend on his way out.



I decided to stay with him that night because I knew he was going to be very sad.

“Now that it’s finally happened, what would you do next?”, I asked. 



“Well, hurt a little, work plenty, find the first piece of my heart and myself, then the other pieces gradually and put them all back together. I’m just glad you’re here to help me with that”. He said and I felt that and hugged him.

POINT TO THIS SHORT NOT WELL WRITTEN STORY: 

Sometimes, being single brings so much peace than being in a relationship. Know what works for you and don’t kill yourself, abeg!!!!