WHEN YOU HEAL

PREMIUM

Sana's mind throbbed. She couldn't align her thoughts.

The cab dropped her off at Keela's. Never had the women spent so much on journeys within the same city. This time she found Keela sitting solemnly on the couch.

"How did it go?"

"Lee didn't deny anything," Sana said as she dropped next to her friend.

"I'm sorry, Sana, I wish I was wrong about him."

Sana let her head fall back. She stared at the ceiling, and suddenly she turned to face her friend, "Keela, what is going on between Micheal Gulliams and you?"

"The bastard told you."

"No, he said I should ask you."

"We see each other."

Sana frowned and reflected for a second as images flashed before her, "but he's married. He kept going on about his kids in Brighton."

"I know he's married."

"Keela, how could you? He's married, for goodness sake."

"Sana, can you stop repeating that? And it's not what you think."

Sana's lips bent like a sad emoji, and her eyes widened as she said, "then explain because I'm not seizing any of this."

"I started in Micheal's department. At the time, his wife was sick. The man spent his time taking care of his children. His wife's state prevented them from being intimate. Micheal was sweet and vulnerable. He needed a friend. I was there, and it just happened."

"So you had an affair?"

"He trapped me. He told me the doctor's diagnosis wasn't optimistic that his wife didn't have much time left. I thought I ㅡI don't know."

Keela didn't want to admit that like a fool. She imagined taking the woman's place if ever things came to worse. It was a dreadful thought, but as time went by, it became her ambition and obsession. The woman found herself wishing for the man to become a widow.

Sana suddenly pieced the puzzle together. The stare her friend harbored sold her out, and she saw what she secretly aspired," Keela, this is beneath you? How could you?"

"He lied to me, Sana. A year later, his wife was up and running, cured by the power of love. Micheal came and asked for a break-up."

"What did you do?"

"I was furious. I swear I told Micheal I'd tell everyone. That's when he went and dropped everything to Lee. Of course, Lee came to threaten me."

"So basically what your saying is Lee tried to stop you from seeing Micheal. He pissed you off, and now you're creating havoc and mayhem. Keela, this isn't you. I can't even."

Keela's voice broke as she released, "It's easy for you. You meet men who want to spend time with you. They fall for your girl next door persona. You're the girl with tolerance and patience. Most good men," are taken, Sana. What do we have left?"

"When you say we, who are you talking about, Keela?"

"There, girls and women like Rachel and me men are afraid to commit to because they're too insecure to handle us."

"Can you tell why you're differentiating us? We all have our leftover women era. Being with a married man doesn't make you a crusader or the Goddess of sex appeal. It doesn't show whatever strength; it just makes you a ratchet homewrecker. What's empowering about that?" Sana asked.

"It's so easy for you, isn't it?"

Sana shook her head. She could not believe the nonsense Keela blabbered, "what's easy? What's easy about my life? My Ex left me for a younger woman. I've been overweight the last two years, and the last man who looked at me used me according to you. What's fun about that? Why didn't you tell me, Keela? You made Lee seem like a monster. You profited from the fact he had a bad reputation to get him fired."

"So now you don't believe me?"

Sana got up and began to pace," I know you, Keela, but I spent a considerable amount of time with Lee in the last few months to knowㅡKeela you played me. I asked you time and time again if there was anything else I needed to be aware of," Sana said, slapping the back of her hand on the other palm. "You blatantly lied like a dentist to me. You abused my trust," Sana said while pointing at herself. "You took me for a fool; it's incredible, Keela. I can't comprehend. You're my lifetime friend, how in the worldㅡ."

"I was afraid you'd judge me."

Sana stopped pacing and stared at her friend, "Keela, I have a question for you? Where is Micheal, did he visit you? Did he send a message or call? What has this man done for you since this incident?"

"He said he loved me." A tear fell from Keela's cheek. Followed by another, "he said he'd leave her that I was the love of his life."

Sana shook her head in disagreement. Micheal played the baiting game, where he used his prey's emotions. He sold Keela's soulmate dream that consisted of saying you're the one; the other is a mistake. Keela naive believed like many women. No matter the century or times, the cheater's game still ran strong. The predators always found someone who bit and took the crumbs of love they sprinkled on the pavement.

While a part of Sana empathized with Keela, the other side of her was on a rampage, and it gained her consciousness. The woman found herself thinking Keela got what she deserved.

Sana also realized she walked out on her potential love story with Lee.

"Keela, what you did is awful. I believed you and nowㅡ."

Lee's face popped into her mind. The swollen cheek and the scratches he could have put up his guard and protected his face. Yet Keela had the time to color him red and blue.

It was evident Keela was not a prisoner of his grip at the beginning.

Did being a man occult the fact he had the right to protect himself?

Should Lee have just let Keela carry on?

Only then did Sana begin to ask herself questions.

The picture was an ugly one.

She didn't want to see her best friend Keela as a mastermind and instigator of the situation.

Sana refused the reality that made Lee a victim, and her the idiot who naively took her friend's defense and made the wrong decision.

Sana placed a hand on her eyes, "what a fool I am."

"Sana."

"I like him, Keela; I enjoy being with that man. He makes me laugh, heㅡ."

"He's not a man for you, Sana, trust me."

"Trust you," Sana's eyes grew wide, "trust you because you know how to pick them. How do you know he's not a man for me? You don't know him, and you judge him."

"Sana, please, I know you're angry."

"No, you don't, Keela. I didn't sleep. I've got work tomorrow, but I took a flight on a whim for you. And where do I find you? In front of a TV series." Sana shook her head, "you're not thinking about anyone else, are you? Lee's job, Micheals's marriage, his wife, kids, me. You don't care, do you, Keela."

"Sana, please, it's not what you think."

"It isn't? You've been brainwashing me from the start."

"I'm sorry, Sana, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. You're my only friend."

"Really, how about Rachel? I mean, you have the same serial numbers. You're from the same batch. We others shouldn't mingle with you gorgeous maneaters that the Alpha male can't handle," Sana said, waving her hands in front of Keela."

"I didn't mean what I said."

"I think you did. You know what, Keela, I think deep down you believe you're better than another woman or me. Now you trust me, if you keep on believing that you'll always remain on the bench because at the end of the day, while you think you're special for some men, you are just another vagina, it's mechanics. They don't see a premium collection of vulvas or a limited edition of clits. Micheal just needed someone to fill the slot his wife couldn't."

"Fuck, you sound like Lee now."