CUSP

I didn’t even realise that he had walked into my room, I don’t even know how long he has been standing behind me and how much he has heard.

‘What are you doing here?’

‘So it is your boyfriend you were talking to.’

‘Besa just cut the rubbish, there is no way you are going to walk into my room without permission and you were supposed to be in the living room.’

He walks to my study table and settles there.

‘I have always wondered what your bedroom looks like, because you carry yourself as this tough girl and yet I know there is a side of you that is soft and fragile.’

‘Have you been drinking?’

‘Why would you say that?’

‘Besa get out of my room.’ I say trying to sound strong even though his mere presence is now frightening me but I can’t show me that I am afraid

‘Do I scare you?’

He is now standing and squaring me

‘Leave, I don’t want to repeat myself.’

‘You really are scared of me right?’

He is asking this and really close to me, his presence not only freaks me out but makes me want to crawl under my bed and hide there forever.

‘It was nice seeing you Wane.’ He says kissing my forehead

I hold in my breath until he has left the house and I hear his car drive out, I honestly don’t understand what just happened but whatever it is doesn’t sit well with me.

Trying not to think of it, I go to the kitchen and make myself busy by getting started with dinner. I was thinking Caleb and Nancy would be home soon but there is no sign of them.

After finishing off with dinner I get on my phone and weirdly I start stalking Astridah, her accounts are private and the only thing I am able to see are her profile photos the last four years and there is none where Besa is in them. I go to his profile and he is an open book with their photos littering everywhere. Now I get even more curious because I know us women are the ones who are usually public about our relationships, what is it that she is hiding and why is her account private?

I am still pondering on those thoughts when I hear noise in the yard, the two are back.

‘God what would I have done without you?’ Nancy says kissing her husband on the lips

I shake my head, these two will never grow up.

‘And why are you standing there looking at us like that?’ Caleb asks when he pulls away from her

I shake my head again but his time with a smile.

‘Nancy can I use your phone? I don’t have enough data and I want to go on some school material.’ I say knowing if I add school none of them will protest.

‘It’s high time we get that router.’ She says to her husband before handing me her phone

I go to google search and type in a topic I know too well about just so I don’t get her suspiciously then leave google and go to her WhatsApp chats, I am not sure how close she is with Astridah but I do know they have been talking.

In the search icon I type her name and she pops up in a conversation with Caleb, but then there is no personal chat between the two ladies. I open the conversation with my brother and I make out that they are planning a surprise engagement party, there is nothing there so I go to Facebook and search for her amongst her friends. Luckily they are and I go through her profile from there, she hasn’t posted anything personal in years. Just a few shares and the recent photo is of her hand showing her new tattoo, I go through the comments and everyone is appreciating how it looks but something tells me to zoom on it and it looks like she is covering up something with the tattoo. My curiosity keeps growing so I go to Nancy’s photos and I can’t find anything there, I check through the apps on her phone and find a locked app but I know her too well and there are a few things she could use as a password. After two failed attempts I finally get it right and open it, I was right after all because there is a photo showing Astridah’s hand before the tattoo and just before I can send it to my phone Caleb walks into the kitchen so I quickly leave the app.

‘You have been gone for a while.’ He says getting a beer from the fridge

‘Looks like I have finally found what I was looking for.’ I say with a smile

‘I thought we would find Besa, we still had some finalising to do for his surprise engagement.’

‘And it’s nolonger a secret.’ Nancy says walking in on us and I hand her the phone

‘It’s good that he wants to settle with her, she is a beautiful and calm girl.’

‘We pick them like that.’ Caleb responds kissing Nancy on the cheek and she smiles widely

‘Food is ready, let me take a bath and get some sleep. It’s been a long day.’

‘Have you eaten?’

‘Had too much to eat, I just want to sleep.’

I walk out of the kitchen and walk towards my room before Nancy stops me.

‘Hey.’

I turn to look at her.

‘Did Besa do anything to you?’

‘Why would he?’

‘Nothing.’ She says with a smile

‘Okay.’ I respond not wanting to dig information out of her, I guess I just need to be careful now but knowing myself I will try to dig out as much information as possible.

..

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Winnie

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