Falling helplessly

"Hey, Evelyn!” she heard a strange, sharp voice calling her. She wondered who was calling her in a place where she knew no one. In the crowd, she turned back to satisfy her curiosity. There were a lot of people, making it a bit difficult to find the owner of the voice. Yes, she was at the University of Dar es Salaam, and it was her first day there. She knew no one, which is why she was moved to hear her name. “Maybe it’s not me? There are probably a lot of Evelyns here,” she said quietly, smiling. But she was wrong. A girl was approaching her. She was classy, beautiful, and tall, dressed in a fashionable outfit with high heels, complete with expensive accessories. She had long black knotless braids and carried a red handbag that matched her heels. She looked stunning, and Evelyn almost dropped her phone in shock. She thought, “How can a person be that beautiful? Her outfit is perfect!” Unlike her, Evelyn was wearing a long skirt with a tight t-shirt and sneakers, holding a very big tote bag. “OMG, you’ve changed a lot, Evelyn! I almost didn’t recognize you,” the girl said with a smile. Evelyn recognized the sarcasm right away. What was she talking about? Change? What change? She had always been the same since high school—same hairstyle, acne all over her dark face. Maybe the girl was referring to her breasts, which seemed to increase every single day. “Is she saying I’ve become uglier?” she wondered. “Hey, Evelyn, why aren’t you talking back? Are you ignoring me by any chance?” Ignoring her? Holy cow! How could she? How could anyone ignore Emily, the second daughter of Mr. Rogers, a prime minister? No one could indeed! Evelyn wanted to be sure she wasn’t dreaming. How could Emily remember her name when they barely met in high school, where Emily had attended one year before Evelyn’s father forced her to study in Italy? Evelyn hated being outside her country; she was there because she refused to get her degrees there. “No, no, Emily, I mean, you called my name how did you know it?” she said, trembling a little. “i***t! I thought we knew each other, Evelyn. You were the top student. I always admired you and wanted to befriend you, but you avoided me, and it hurt my pride.” She laughed softly. “Remember when I borrowed a book? I asked for your name. I've never forgotten about you, Evelyn. But here we are! I think it’s fate we're destined to be friends.” She grabbed Evelyn's hands to show her sincerity. “What’s happening to me? Mother, father, do you see what’s happening? Did you send her? Did you hear me crying every night because of loneliness? Or is this a trap? Too good to be true, right? How can all of this be real? I refuse to believe it.” She said loudly, “I refuse to believe it.” “Come on, Evelyn! It’s my first day here. My dad wants me to make friends, otherwise he will send a bodyguard with me, and I hate that. I’m not good at making friends, but I know you’re perfect for me since high school.” It’s not like Evelyn didn’t want Emily as a friend—who wouldn’t want her? Especially since she had never had a friend in her life. Her aunt was her only family and friend since she lost her parents at a young age. Now at twenty-two, she had never had a friend because her aunt warned her about friendship issues. She was also bullied in primary school and had completely lost hope of having friends. But now? Emily! She thanked God for fulfilling her desire and promised herself that she would never lose Emily, that she would do everything to please her, and that she would become her best friend, truly the best friend. Emily was excited and suggested that since they were friends, she wanted to take Evelyn to her apartment for lunch. Evelyn turned her down because she wanted to complete the registration process first, but Emily said she would wait in the car. “Just one minute, Emmy!” Evelyn said, smiling as she waved goodbye. Emily teased her, “Liar! It will take you forever to finish that so-called registration!” Evelyn had already moved her bags to the hostel where she intended to stay. She was not financially stable enough to live off-campus because it was too expensive. The money she would receive from the loan board would at least help her live comfortably on campus. She walked quickly to the registration office and finished registering her religion since she had already registered her courses and classes earlier. She managed to finish quickly because there was no one else there; people had already registered. As she walked away, she overheard two girls murmuring. “Poor thing! She must be from the village; we don’t dress like that here,” they laughed. “Stop that pathetic act. She’s a first-year; she’ll definitely change. Dar will change everything; it will turn her into a slay queen, you’ll see.” They were third-year students waiting for their classes outside, laughing at every first-year student who passed wearing what they called ‘rough clothes.’ Evelyn ignored them; she wouldn’t dare insult them back. They were in their third year, and everything was different for them. Evelyn hurried to Emily's car, and on the way, they went to Emily's apartment. Evelyn was always full of questions; she was curious about nearly everything concerning Emily, her outfit, her fancy car, her skin everything. “Emmy, your skin is so soft and fair! Which product do you use for your skincare?” Evelyn couldn't wait any longer to ask, as her curiosity was overwhelming. “Oh, I use creams, serums, and concealers. I order everything from abroad, darling,” Emily replied casually. Evelyn nearly laughed out loud in disbelief. How could that be possible? Emily was ordering her skincare products from outside the country while she herself only used Vaseline. They lived in completely different worlds. If skincare came from overseas, what about other things? She became even more curious to see where this rich girl lived. Finally, they arrived at Emily's apartment, and Evelyn was stunned from the moment she saw it from outside. She couldn't hide her excitement. Emily parked her car, and they headed inside. The building had magnificent high ceilings, large windows offering stunning city views, and modern, elegant furnishings. The living room featured designer furniture and rugs, along with expensive artwork adorning the walls. A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, inviting glow throughout the room. Evelyn felt dumbfounded; she had never imagined that such things existed outside of television shows. “Evelyn,” Emily said, awakening her from her daze, “Welcome to my home, honey! My dad bought this house for me, so I’ll be living here for all these years. He doesn’t want me to suffer; he loves me dearly. Feel free to come here anytime! Do you want a house tour, sweet?” “Yes, I want to see more!” Evelyn replied enthusiastically. “Then come with me, sweetie,” Emily said. They went to the kitchen, which was equipped with state-of-the-art appliances, marble countertops, and a sleek island for casual dining. “My hobby is cooking, Evelyn, and I always want to show off my cooking skills. My mom taught me how to cook at a very young age,” Emily said proudly. “Good for you, Emmy! I’m not good at cooking; when I cook, you won’t like it,” Evelyn joked, and they both laughed. “You're so funny, Evelyn! I’m not regretting making you my friend,” Emily replied. “I’m not regretting it either; you’re so friendly and humble,” Evelyn said. “Let’s go to my bedroom, girl,” Emily said, taking her hand. Her bedroom was a sanctuary of luxury and comfort, featuring a king-sized bed draped in soft linens, a walk-in closet filled with luxurious designer clothing and accessories, and a private balcony where she enjoyed her morning coffee. Once again, Evelyn was amazed by Emily’s bedroom. Emily encouraged her to feel comfortable and enjoy herself while she prepared lunch, and they savored the meal together. It was the best moment for Evelyn; she never imagined that she would be in such a place with a friend by her side. She was happy Emily was charming and chatty, and it felt as if they had been friends for a long time. There was a genuine chemistry between them. Emily shared almost everything about herself, her family, her lifestyle, her other friends, and finally, her boyfriend. As she talked about him, her cheeks flushed, and she smiled. “His name is Dylan. I really love this man; no words can describe how much I love him. He loves me too. If I tell him and Dad that I'm sick, I’m sure he would come right away despite living in Italy, and my dad being here,” she said, her eyes sparkling. Evelyn felt a warmth spread through her. She realized how deeply Emily was in love with Dylan. She had never felt such emotions herself, but she admired what Emily had. She wished to know what it felt like to fall for someone and to be cherished in return. She comes to realize that Emily has everything, while she feels she has nothing. She has no parents, no money, and no boyfriend. The thought of having a boyfriend almost makes her laugh out loud. Who would want to be with her? What does she have to offer? Dark skin covered in acne? Big eyes? Full lips that her nephew teases her about? Or breasts that make her the laughing stock among other girls in the village? With that appearance, she couldn't even make a girlfriend until a savior Emmy came into her life. She thought that since she couldn’t get a boyfriend, it was better to stop indulging in such delusional thoughts. “Sweet, you barely talk about yourself. I’ve told you everything about me,” Emily complained. “Emmy, my story is so boring to narrate. My parents died when I was six. My aunt and uncle raised me along with my nephews. I lived in the village all the time, and thanks to school, I came to town. I've never had a boyfriend or other friends besides you,” she said, trying to force a smile. “It’s okay, honey. I’m really sorry for your losses. You lost your parents at such a young age, but you’ve grown well, thanks to your aunt’s family. I’m proud of you,” Emmy said, hugging her. Those words comforted her. “She is good at everything,” she thought. Emmy insisted that she sleep over, but she said she needed to go back to the hostel to arrange her things, promising to meet Emmy the next day. She also refused Emmy’s offer to drive her back; instead, she said she would take the bus because she wanted Emmy to rest. On her way back, she thought about Emmy and her sweet life. By 7 PM, she was in front of her room, which she shared with another girl named Lulu, who was in her second year. She said hi to Lulu and took a nap.