What was the price for gratitude? Kemi wondered as she cried profusely in her room. What was the cost of friendship? She asked herself repeatedly as the reality of what had happened dawned on her. Sade had betrayed her. Her best friend had stabbed her in the back, she would never have imagined it would come to this. Sade who she loved as a sister, Sade who had been there for her through tough and trying times. She could feel the pain of Sade's betrayal from the depth of her heart. Kemi and Sade had been best friends from their first year studying Chemistry at the University of Benin.
Kemi was tall, slender and fair with a shy, gentle and sweet disposition. Sade was petite, curvy and dark with a bubbly and outspoken personality. Kemi came from a more humble background, her father was a local carpenter and her mother was a petty trader. While Sade came from a very wealthy home, her father was a business tycoon and her mother was a successful lawyer. Both girls bonded as though they were sisters irrespective of their family backgrounds and opposite personalities. Sade did so much for Kemi while they were in school.
She asked Kemi to move in with her when Kemi had accommodation problems in their second year, she bought textbooks and hand outs for both of them because Kemi always had money problems. She practically fed, clothed and took care of Kemi all through their third year in school. In their fourth year things got worse for Kemi's parents and Kemi almost dropped out of school but for Sade's timely intervention. Sade talked to her parents who had met Kemi by then and were taken with her. They insisted they would take care of all her educational needs, and Kemi's parents were forever grateful to Sade's parents.
Few months after that, Kemi met Tony, a handsome final year medical student who was smitten with her. Tony had pursued her relentlessly till she finally gave in and realized he was an amazing guy. She fell hopelessly in love with him and by the time he rounded up his final Medical School Examination they were already talking about plans for their future. Sade on the other hand seemed to have no problem jumping from one guy to the next. The two girls had completely different notions on love and sex. Sade constantly teased Kemi about her devotion to Tony while Kemi teased her about her disinterest in finding a meaningful relationship with a guy.
So it completely rocked her world that hot afternoon, when she returned to their apartment after classes unexpectedly, instead of visiting her parents as she had planned, only to find Tony and Sade in bed together, locked in a passionate embrace underneath the duvet, they froze in shock as she stood by the door. Everything stood still for Kemi as she took in the scenario. Tony scrambled out of the bed and struggled into his clothes refusing to look at her. Sade threw on an over sized t-shirt and stared at the ceiling, flushed with shame.
"What's going on? What is this?" Kemi blinked back the tears already welling in her eyes. Tony still would not look her in the face. "Tony! Sade! How could you do this? How long has this been going on?" She screamed at them.
"Kemi let me explain...it was a mistake. I came here to see you and...I swear it was a mistake" He pleaded trying to reach for her but she backed away.
"So everything was a lie. You were using me Tony" the tears started spilling and could no longer be stopped. “You have been lying to me all these while. All those promises that we were going to spend our lives together was all a lie" Kemi had sobbed.
"Tony I think it's time you leave. Go home." Sade had finally spoken, her voice wavy and shaky. Tony, relieved to be released from the compromising situation had immediately rushed off. Kemi had wanted to call him back but she felt she had nothing more to say to him at the moment. She turned to Sade who now sat calmly on the bed.
"I know you're hurt Kemi. I did not do this to hurt you, I swear I never wanted it to go this far. It started out as a harmless flirtation, to lingering looks whenever you were not looking, and then one day I was looking for a rebound hook up and he came looking for you and it just happened. We just could not stop after the first time, I am so sorry Kemi. If I could go back in time and fix this I would, I swear." Sade confessed tearfully. Kemi had stood there quietly sobbing. "Kemi please say something" Sade pleaded.
Kemi remained motionless, she had stopped crying and was trying to keep it together. "I am so sorry Kemi." Sade continued pleading "At first it was purely physical but I soon realized I was having feelings for him and I just could not stop, he also confessed he had feelings for me too and.... Oh God what have I done? Please forgive me Kemi." Sade began to weep.
Kemi was still reeling from the shock of discovering her boyfriend in bed with her best friend. Sade had supported her through school when she almost dropped out due to financial difficulties. Shade had been her provider. She had been more than a sister to her. What was she going to do? If she confronted Tony and it turned out he had serious feelings for Sade what would she do? She couldn't say anything. She sat quietly on the rug and cried.
Things became very awkward between the two friends during the following weeks as they prepared for their final year exams. There was a constant tension between the two of them and things were no longer the same. Kemi called Tony but he refused to answer her calls. All she got was a text message from him that he was so sorry he had hurt her deeply and he needed some time alone to deal with some personal conflict. He had passed his final Medical School Exams and was starting his houseman ship so he was also very preoccupied at the moment.
Kemi and Sade finished their final exams and said very awkward goodbyes and both returned to their families. Kemi tried reaching Tony but he refused to answer her calls so she stopped calling. When she called Sade their conversation had been stilted and weird, it was like they had become strangers. She did not hear from Sade or Tony for months. She did not even see Sade in school when she went to check her results. She noticed their other friends had become aware that something had transpired between them because they began acting strange around her. She had no idea she was in for another shock.
Few months later she was finalizing her clearance exercise in school when she bumped into a friend from her department Ajoke, whom everyone referred to as Joke, a notorious gossip. They greeted each other excitedly and she congratulated Kemi for coming out with a 2:1 before dropping the bomb on her.
"My dear you look great. How are you holding up? Cause if it were me I would be a total wreck." Joke declared. Kemi was dumbfounded.
"What are you talking about?" She asked.
"You mean you have not heard!" Joke exclaimed.
"Heard what?" Kemi smiled. Thinking Joke as usual was exaggerating.
"Sade and Tony are engaged." She announced. "It was all on Facebook and Twitter. I even heard Sade is pregnant." The world practically spun as Kemi struggled to hold her composure. She had been totally disconnected from social media after her finals, too lost in her misery over her broken friendship with Sade and lost relationship with Tony. Joke reached out to steady her as she swayed. "I am so sorry Kemi, I had no idea you did not know" Joke apologized as she led Kemi to a nearby cafeteria so they could sit somewhere.
"Are you sure?" Kemi asked still refusing to believe what she heard. Joke brought out her phone and showed pictures of the engagement on Facebook. Pictures uploaded on Sade's Facebook account. Kemi stared at the picture of Tony and Sade smiling happily at each other, a beautiful engagement ring shinning on Sade's finger and the slight protruding of her belly in the purple dress she was wearing. Kemi paid no attention to anything Joke was saying afterward. She was absorbing the news that Sade and Tony were getting married, and that Sade was pregnant for Tony. To think that all these had taken place in a short span of six months was beyond devastating.
Kemi did not know how she made it home without betraying the turmoil she was going through. She had wanted to scream her frustration at the bus conductor when he pestered her about finding change. She had wanted to vent her anger on the guy who sat near her as he tried hitting on her. It was till she got to her room that she let the dam burst. She broke down in tears and cried bitterly. Sade had done so much for her and in return Sade had taken a lot more. She was paying the price for all the good deeds Sade had done for her. This was the price Sade had collected in exchange for her support and friendship. What kind of a friend would do this to another friend? How could Sade and Tony have betrayed her like this? Kemi pondered. It was the ultimate betrayal, Sade had helped her become the graduate she was and in exchange she had paid by sacrificing the man she loved.
