CHASM

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If I was ever kidnapped, my mum wouldn't be the first person to be hinted at. Not my siblings, not even my roommate. If I had a girlfriend, it would be her but I didn't have one.

Hamad would be the one to notice and raise an alarm if was kidnapped. He was my best friend. We were inseparable. Everyone knew us in the whole of the school, our parents too.

We didn't have high-flying grades in the respective courses that we were studying but no one was better than us in the department of friendship.

Hamad and I were focused on our education though we were not nerds. We were outside most weekends but inside the class or library during weekdays.

Legends have it that couples look alike because they have been through good and bad times together. It was the same for myself and Hamad, only we weren't couples. We hid nothing from each other. We celebrated good days together and during the bad days, we dried tears off each other's eyes.

In our penultimate year, there were discrepancies among people about whether we were twins or best friends. We got tired of having to explain that we met during registration so we told everyone who cared to ask that we were twins. After all, we ate, walked, read, played, and partied together.

Hamad and I had a lot in common but we had our contrast. While he was an ardent Muslim, I was an incorrigible apatheist. Hamad prayed more than five times daily, fasted during the season, and did a long list of things that I considered to be a waste of time. Nevertheless, we knew better than to let our religious fad come in the way of our friendship.

Hamad was calm and reserved. He was mousy and that was the second thing that contrasted the both of us because I was the exact opposite, boisterous and conversational.

When Hamad wasn't in his class, he was in mine. He would sit quietly beside me occasionally tapping his legs when he got bored. Sometimes, he received lectures with us. I always wondered why someone would be so willing to listen to the endless rants of our boring lecturers.

Took a long time but I later found out why Hamad spent his leisure hours in our class. He didn't enjoy being in our class as much as I thought. He had found a flower and he was stuck in its petals. When he eventually opened up to me, he said "I don't come to sightsee, I come because I have to see."

He had a burning desire for one of the class girls, the deputy class rep, Abigail. Staring at her blossomed his feelings, fostered his fantasies, and gave him fuzzy comfort.

Hamad could not stand seeing Abigail talking with another guy, he would sulk for the rest of the day. He was undeniably obsessed but he could not approach her to express what he felt.

He feared being rejected so he would spend hours writing poems about her. He wrote about his feelings, fantasies, and dreams. What he couldn't do with sounds, he made up for it with ink and strokes.

Hamad finally got his chance. It was the week after my final exams and we planned to have fun throughout that week in my department.

I was among the planning committee and so was Abigail. For the first two days, we went to three different tourist locations in two states. The entertainment was endless. We were lucky to have interesting tour guides everywhere we went and with the vibes from the whole class, everyone was happy.

Hamad had begged to tag along. He even offered to cover my logistics if I could get him a space on the bus. Indeed, I pulled all the strings I could but it was like I was chasing my tail in circles.

He didn't accept that I, being a member of the planning committee, could not get him a spot on the bus. I couldn't convince him that he couldn't come, nor could I convince the rest of the committee that he could come. So, we travelled.

When I returned, I called my best friend to let him know we were back. He didn't pick my calls. I went home and kept calling, he didn't pick up, nor did he return the calls. I wanted to go to his hostel but I was too tired from the journey so I slept early.

On the third day, we played games - indoor and outdoor. I texted the location and time to Hamad that morning and he replied "Thank you".

I was at the venue quite early to make sure everything was ready before everyone came. I didn't know when Hamad came around, I expected him to call me but I didn't get a call from him. I already ruled out the idea that he was going to come so I joined the FIFA competition that was ongoing.

Hours later, a friend told me that my twin brother just won the chess competition. I was startled. My twin brother? I hastily went to check the area for board games and Hamad was there shifting pieces across the board while I stood in shock.

He was indeed a grandmaster in chess. He had won so many online chess competitions and he was well-respected in the school's chess club. He looked up and his eyes met my gaze. He waved at me and continued playing.

I walked to his table and waited for him to finish. I asked him why he didn't call me and he replied that he didn't have any trouble getting to the location. I was surprised. His response pinked me at the very crux of my heart. I tried to explain that he should have called but it was not appropriate to moot. Besides, his excuse was quite valid so I gave in.

He made to walk away but he paused after taking three steps. He turned back and asked where he could find Abigail. " Errr... She... She... She called this morning that she wasn't coming, something about being under the weather", I stammered.

He nodded his head and walked away. I also left to attend to a couple of things. I knew we were going to have a dialogue at the end of the day.

I checked around for Hamad when I was ready to go home but I didn't find him. I called him but he didn't pick up again. He called back and he said he was in his hostel already. He said he left because Abigail was not present when I asked why he didn't inform me before leaving. I teased him a bit before he hung up.

Astounded by how much love makes people vulnerable, I ordered a ride to the nearest cinema. That was our location for Thursday. We had rented a cinema hall that day for movies and I needed to confirm that the arrangements were still intact.

On Thursday morning, I asked Hamad if he was coming to the cinema, he said he wasn't. He didn't see the need since Abigail wasn't going to come. And I understood.

Abigail pulled a shocker by showing up at the movies. She didn't just come, she wore a short tomato-red gown, exposing half of her thighs. The way she walked, it was like she calculated every step.

For a moment, I understood why Hamad was mesmerized but I remembered my last love experience and I was reminded that love is a curse.

Abigail was full of life that night. She kept on taking different shots. By shots, I mean both tequila and pictures. It was a long night. Everyone had fun and we were going to top off all the entertainment for the week at a club on Friday.

I told Hamad that this was his last chance to be with Abigail. He wore his best outfit and most expensive cologne to the club. The DJ began with soft music and people were already swinging their bodies gently and tapping their feet.

Hamad called me when he came in. He was looking very nervous so I offered to buy him a drink but he declined. He didn't want to approach her under the influence. He said in a corner of the club waiting for her to come so I went to get him a plate of pepper soup to keep him busy before Abigail came.

He wanted to decline but I insisted. The music was getting faster and louder. The hype man brought so much energy. But the minute Abigail walked in, everywhere was still and quiet.

She glowed. Her braids fell from her shoulders to her back. The front part of her head had a gel that carved the hair towards her ears. Her eyeliner, lipstick, and floral dress were all jet-black. Her tiny heels made the ground quake as she balanced her thighs on them.

I checked where Hamad was seated and he wasn't there anymore. So, I approached her before anyone could steal her to buy time for Hamad. "If I had a dollar for every ounce of beauty that you are radiating tonight, I'd buy a rocket," I said quietly in her ears. She smiled at me and I told her someone was waiting for her. She begged to know who it was but I insisted that it was a surprise.

To stall, even more, I asked her to dance with me while we waited for her visitor and she agreed. A couple of minutes later, I saw someone standing and staring from across the large room. The red lights in the club prevented me from seeing the face but I could tell that the silhouette was Hamad's.

I raised my hands and motioned to him to join us. The person stayed there, his feet rooted in the ground and his face looking straight at us. It couldn't be Hamad. He came here for Abigail and he wouldn't blow the only chance he had.

I discarded the thought that it was Hamad. It was probably someone else waiting for me to finish dancing so he could take his turn. But I was wrong. The person wasn't waiting to take his turn. He stormed out of the club and I didn't get a chance to see his face nor did I see Hamad for the rest of the night.

Before we left the club in the morning, I texted Hamad to meet me outside. I went online to send him a message and met 15 messages from him. I was shocked and worried simultaneously. Cold chills sprinted through my spines.

I opened his contact and they were all deleted messages. It couldn't have been a mistake. I wondered what he wanted to tell me that he had to change his mind. I thought about giving him a call but it was too early.

Series of thoughts ran through my mind as I journeyed back. I couldn't bear it anymore so I went to his house. I texted him as soon as I was outside. He was online but he didn't reply. I called several times and he didn't pick up. He sent a text later saying "I'm busy."

I went home. Unresolved, I tried to text him but he wasn't online. It was quite unusual but his profile picture was no longer there and it was like that on all his social media.

It was hard to believe that he blocked me but when I called a mutual friend to check, I confirmed that I was blocked.

"Dinner is ready, you can finish your story after eating." It was my wife calling us from the kitchen.

"Okay, kids, let's eat. I'll finish the story before you sleep."