And They Were Roommates

Chapter 20

Ahem. Rebecca Etiong is envisioned by moi as Adesua Etomi-Wellington, then there's Childish Gambino as Dearest Kwame. Just in case you want to know what they look like 👋🏾

Audu's eyes were dull. His expression was blank, not a thing could be told about what went on through his head. Too many bad things had happened in too short a time and he was drained from even more bad news. This time, from Rebecca Etiong. The woman he hadn't seen since university. The woman who, apparently, was the same one that stole all that money from The Williams and left the country. The woman who had taken those pictures, pictures that were now circulating around Nigeria at an alarming speed.

He'd woken up that morning, shocked to find no sign of Tosan. He didn't know why it bothered him so much, maybe he'd just decided to go to work early but something just didn't feel right. So he got up, the first thing he noticed being that Tosan's slippers were gone. He went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face and awaken a bit more. His things were gone from there, too. So he urged himself not to panic and checked the closets. After that confirmation, he sank to the floor, his eyes wide as the overwhelming silence cut at him, aiding the sudden realisation.

He's gone, he's gone, he's gone. He left you. Tosan wasn't taking a shower, he wasn't in the kitchen singing and cooking, he wasn't right there next to him holding him close. No, Tosan was gone. At a difficult time like this where his mother was a part of those berating him and Audu needed his support more than ever, his boyfriend was nowhere to be found.

He tried to call, he tried to text, then he gave up. He left a simple message on their groupchat that Tosan was gone, not replying to either of his friends' messages in reply. He even tried to call up Miss Carter but she hadn't seen him and neither had the girls. What could he possibly have done wrong? Slowly but surely, the low self-esteem voice in his head trickled in to give him a million answers to that question.

Rebecca had called him over to "talk" as she had seen the news. And then she'd tried to kiss him, upset when he recoiled immediately. She let it slip that he was meant to move on to her now that Tosan was gone and Audu immediately began to grill her coldly about what she could possibly know about it, worried to death about his boyfriend. Or ex. He wasn't sure which it was, now.

So, she began to sob and told him everything. How Kwame had planned this with her from the start. It began with stealing Tosan's company card and draining the accounts, then flying over to Canada. Back in Nigeria, she had paid Mr Odeli Williams' bodyguard handsomely just to pass on the message that she was in Canada.

Tosan took the bait and flew over, going to Audu for help since he was his childhood friend and the only person he knew there. All that was left was for Audu to go to Kwame because he was the best he knew at finding out information. Kwame had calculated it all, down to the letter. What he didn't put into consideration was that Tosan would realise he was gay and the two would fall in love.

"So... When you and I bumped into each other at the mall?"

"That was actually a coincidence. Kwame chose that place for a reason, though. He knows I do my shopping there. He knows everything, the bastard. So he came by once his discussion with you finished, I'm sure and threatened me. Said if I didn't help him destroy you both... he would report my theft to the authorities."

He remembered their university years. She was incredible at photography, he'd always seen it. The only thing was, her pictures usually involved nature and animals, not two innocent men kissing in a parking lot.

"I see. Okay. That's... Okay."

"Are you... Mad?"

"Of course, I am." She flinched and he sighed, looking up at her. She was such a wonderful person, at least as he remembered. Why had she let herself be dragged into one of Kwame's ploys? He remembered he was once dragged into Kwame as well and folded his arms. "I'd like an explanation, at least. Tell me, Becky. Why did you do it? Kwame is insane and I honestly am not completely surprised this was all his master plan but you? As brilliant as you are, what made you want to work for him? Risk it all by stealing from a conglomerate? No excuse will justify your actions, I just want to know."