STORY: THE COMPANY WE KEEP

THE COMPANY WE KEEP
(INSERT 1)

My name is Jane. I recently lost my father. His death has left this emptiness that seems impossible to fill. A little while after his death, I got admitted to Open Words University. It hasn’t been easy. I’ve had a lot of challenges. One of them being maintaining my Christian faith and preaching Christ to my heathen friend. She’s the girl who has a gift to be liked by others. Her name is Monica. How do we get involved with certain people? That’s something I still haven’t been able to find out. It’s aberrant how we are attracted to bad things, but that’s just another thought.

“Jane!” Monica shouted. I knew it was about another guy passing by, so I got up and rushed to the door. I looked through the key hole and I could see him. “It’s him!” I shouted, “the gentleman who booked a taxi for me a week ago at the mall.” “Monica, that’s him?” I whispered. At this point she was already caught up in her fantasy and every word that followed wasn’t loud enough to get her attention.

I had a lot of friends when I started out at this college, but since I befriended Monica everyone had kept a distance from me. Even though I knew the kind of person Monica was, I thought maybe I would help her see the light at the end of the tunnel. But of late it’s as if she’s the one showing me a light at the end of a certain tunnel.

From the key hole I watched as she spoke to the guy, every word that came from her mouth was a lie but good enough to sweep him off his feet. How could he not see that she was just playing with his mind? “I can’t believe this”, Monica said as she opened the door almost knocking me down. “What’s wrong?” I asked full of interest.

“Can you believe he invited me for an all-night prayer meeting?” She said with an intrigued look. Monica always had her way with men but this time someone managed to get her angry. “There is nothing wrong with an invitation you know”, I said. This however reminded me of the last time I spoke about Church. This wasn’t a pleasing topic to bring up in her presence.

“Can you imagine he was acting like he’s blind, as if he couldn’t see all this.” She threw a piece of paper that looked like a card to the floor and went to the back of the lecture room. I picked up the paper but to my surprise it wasn’t an invitation card at all, the card had contact details for the guys’ computer shop. when I turned it around it was beautifully decorated with words in bold letters and red ink that read “I AM COVERED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS.”

I was confused, there was something I wasn’t getting. I shook my head and looked at the card hoping it would be an invitation card but nothing changed. Was she angry about Jesus to a point where His name just offended her? I turned around and I stared at her unusually. “Why you looking at me like that?” Monica asked. I snapped out of the moment, I looked at the card and nothing had changed still. “How am I looking at you?” I asked trying to sound sassy while Monica was in the back changing out of her clothes.

I heard from a lot of people that she was wild and crazy but this was beyond my interpretation of those words. I used to find them very offensive when the guys in class would shout them out but lately it had somehow become a norm for me. I watched as she changed out of her shoes. The good part was we were the only ones in class, all the other students had gone because there weren’t going to be any lectures today. Still something fishy was going on that I wasn’t very sure of.

“Wow! Where are you getting dressed to go to?” A strong voice echoed the walls of the lecture room. It was one of Monica’s boyfriends. I couldn’t recall his name because she had introduced me to a lot of guys since I started hanging out with her. “Jane, it’s a Friday girl what’s popping?” he said with his neck stretched out through the window as he spoke.

I thought since she was half dressed he would move away from the window but instead he came in through the door. “Nothing is popping; I will be attending an all-night prayer meeting though.” I said with a beam on my face. He gave me a cold stare and shook his head, “I don’t get why beautiful girls want to waste time with church stuff. Anyway when you’re tired of that life you know where to find us.” He spoke boldly and walked towards Monica.

Imagine a wet cat, that’s the expression I was left with. I watched as he walked to where Monica was. His language was sexually encoded and the person I now called friend seemed to like it because with every word he professed she giggled. “Jane you remember Katuu right?” she said. “I think so. Am going home.” I said as I walked out the door. The thought of Monica’s actions where now starting to worry me, she never cared about anything. I guess I lied to myself, thinking I can lead her to Christ, or was it just my strong desire of being famous and getting attention from guys? I seriously didn’t know it would land me on such a road where I would have to take strolls with evil.

The words Katuu had said kept ringing in my mind that I didn’t stop thinking about them as I walked through the corridor. “You need to watch where you are going madam.” A voiced said. I looked up and I was walking straight for a car that was parked just after the corridor. It was the guy who gave Monica a card. Yes! The same one who had booked her a ride home. His dressing was breath taking, the perfume he wore just left me weak. “Thanks for the heads up…” I said in my most girly voice. Gosh! His eyes just made it hard to think.

A group of youths suddenly showed up,” Everything is set we can go to NIPA now.” Said one of the girls from the group. “It was nice meeting you madam.” He said as he walked to join the others. “My name is Jane…” I said, accompanied by a cough. He stood and smiled at me, “I know your name, I just prefer madam that’s all. See you at church.”

“Jane! Jane!” I knew it was Monica calling but I just couldn’t get myself to answer her. I watched as the man and his friends got into a small bus. “You need to stop storming out on me! Katuu has a friend who’s single, can you be the guys’ date just for tonight?” she said breathlessly. “You know I don’t get down like that, sorry but I have things to do.” I knew my response was harsh but I needed to get her off my back, how dare she ask me such a thing.

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