The Single Girl Diary (Part 9) By Mimi Adebayo

‘The Austin? Austin Okwudili? That bastard? Is he still on the phone? Give it to me!’

Ronke’s questions were swirling around me in a faded haze. Something was happening to me that was vaguely familiar. It was what had happened to me at the church, standing at the altar, groom-less. I didn’t seem to have control of my limbs. I wanted to speak but I couldn’t. I just sat there, frozen.

‘Babe, babe. Calm down. You’re shaking.’

She was gripping my shoulders....

‘Did he say anything to you?’ she asked.

‘He called me Kay-Kay,’ I finally whispered.

‘Oh crap. Bastard. Why didn’t you tell me? I would have given him a mouthful.’

‘He left me at the altar, Ronke. Me.’

‘He is stupid. He doesn’t deserve you.’

‘Mummy warned me. She said Igbo men are not to be trusted,’ the words spilling from my mouth sound loosely familiar. It was a tirade I had been through before. When I had been depressed, the words of my mother kept ringing in my head.

‘Babe, no. Don’t do that…’

‘Am I not good enough? Am I not pretty enough? What is wrong with me?’

‘Shut up! We’ve been through this before. This is not about anything being wrong with you. You are beautiful and smart and sexy…Austin is just plain stupid and a coward.’

‘Do you think he’s married now?’ I asked, blankly.

‘If you don’t stop that, I’ll slap some sense into you. Ahn ahn!’

The sound of my phone ringing cut through the atmosphere and I flinched as Ronke lunged for it.

‘Is that his number?’ she shoved the ringing phone in my face.

I nodded, too lost to speak.

‘Hello. No, this isn’t Kay-Kay. And who even gave you the right to call her that, you spineless animal? That name expired as soon as you walked out on the best thing that could have happened to you…what? No, you listen to me. Never call this number again. She has moved on, idiot coward! No, I will not give her the phone…she doesn’t want to speak with you. You…you are worse than Judas. At least it was only one kiss he shared with Jesus. Your own betrayal is worse!’

I almost laughed then. I had known my friend was feisty but I had never seen her fight like a lioness protecting her cubs before and even though it warmed me, I felt terrible that I hadn’t been able to stand up or myself. I had prided myself on having recovered and yet one call from him had melted my defences.

I looked at Ronke as she spoke and I realised I was returning to normal. The trembling had stopped and I could actually think clearly.

‘Just stay away, you hear! Rubbish!’

‘You hung up?’ I asked knowing how much Austin hated being hung up on.

‘Of course. Couldn’t stand listening to his crap anymore.’

‘What did he say he wanted?’ I asked, dully.

‘You won’t believe it. First, are you okay now?’

‘Yes, yes. What did he want? Do you know if he’s married now?’

‘Why would I ask him that?’ she rolled her eyes at me.

‘Okay, what did he want?’

‘To wish you happy birthday.’