Let's Begin

I have a fabulous friend. And if it isn’t obvious by now, the person that I am talking about is Christine Gyamfi. And if you don't know who she is, then read the other book; The Light's Shadow. It's an original book that she wrote herself. 

I personally didn't read the book, but I'm sure that you will. I mean, why are you reading this then?

But that's beside the point. Christine is awesome. She is hilarious, kind, and sweet. The woman also treats everyone around her with respect. She is one of the few people that fuels my faith in humanity. 

She’s an author and has written great books including ‘Live your Life’ and honestly, she deserved it. She went through hell and back to become the thing that she wanted to be. I fuck with her because of that. 

When I first knew her, I thought that she was a popular chatty bitch that talked shit about people behind their backs. However, that was based on the rumors I heard about her. These rumors came from actual fake bitches who act nice in front of you, but then talk shit behind their backs.

I am serious. If you are reading this and I have described you, then you need to reevaluate your life choices. You must hate yourself so much that you have to spread that hate. Get a fucking therapist.

These people are the reason why I don't have many friends. And they are the reason why I was skeptical of Christine when she wanted to hang out with me. 

But once we became friends, my opinions of her quickly changed. I’d never forgotten our first actual encounter. It started at Toronto University. I was looking for the Sandford Fleming Building, and nobody was helping me.

I had only been in university for a week, and I was still new to campus. I needed to get there because I had to go to a compulsory practical. If I didn’t attend or was late, I’d miss terms and not be permitted to take the final exam. When Christine saw me, she just smiled and even took me there (Even though she got herself late in the process.)

Thanks to Christine, I was able to graduate with my degree in Dance Studies. Now, I am one of the lead dancers at the Little Celia Franca Dance Academy. And I love it. There is one HUGE problem there. But the pay is decent, and my co-workers are nice enough.

I wouldn't want to work at any other place. 

Christine and I have been inseparable. It’s weird how much we have in common even though we come from different backgrounds. She’s a Christian, originally from the States, wealthy, saving until marriage, and her ethnicity is from Ethiopia. I, on the other hand, am from Canada, recently became an atheist, have a very active sex life and do not want children.

But nonetheless, we bonded and grew closer.

She even let me join her friend group, which included Johnathan. And even though we didn’t see eye-to-eye, I found him to be awesome and badass. Trust me, Johnathan is willing to voice his opinions when it's needed. And we've had some friendly arguments. But he will always rebut with facts and even listen to the point I make.

Johnathan also has a  very caring side. He currently works as a nurse at a psychiatric ward. And whenever I visit his workplace, I see the care he has for the patients.

Christine has such amazing taste in friends. But her naivety scares me, and I tend to want to shield her from the darkness of the world. I know that she is an adult, but her soul is too pure for this crappy world. Johnathan and I bond over the fact that we want to protect Christine from shitty people. 

That is why today is a very special day. Today is the 27th of April, similarly known as Christine's birthday. She is twenty-eight years old. And unlike her other birthdays, we will be having a very special guest coming to celebrate with us.

This guest is her brother, who will be arriving all the way from the United States. Christine's brother is Calvin Gyamfi, better known as the CEO of Daniels Corporation. It baffles me how wealthy Christine's background is despite her being so humble. I have never met him in real life, but I know of him from social media (and sometimes on the news).  

From what I've heard, he is intelligent, rich, and innovative. He successfully took over the family company founded by his (and Christine’s) father. Calvin is also a bachelor and has women swooning over his every feature. But he keeps a low profile on his personal and romantic life. I don't see the appeal.

Sure, he's handsome, but apart from that, he doesn't seem to have anything that particularly stands out to me. 

But Christine loves to brag to me about how charitable Calvin is. She goes on and on about him donating a large sum of his profits to local orphanages. And unlike most rich people, he pays his percentile taxes without any schemes or loopholes involved. 

That's nice and all, but I cannot go off on her word alone. I need to meet the man in person. That way, I can have an impression of him. So, I'm hoping that we can be able to introduce each other. 

Today has been good. The work wasn't too bad. It’s only Tuesday and, luckily, none of my students have been a pain in my ass yet. I even had time to take a shower and change at work which is rare.

I am on my way to Christine’s home. Usually, we would throw the biggest party, invite everyone we know, and get hammered. But this time, all she wants is quality time with the people she loves. 

I don’t mind. I am still in my party phase. But if Christine wants it to make her birthday party low-key, then I don’t mind. She even insisted that we don't buy any presents, which is so not like her. But it’s her birthday, and she can do what she likes.

The only people invited are me, Christine (obviously), Johnathan and Calvin.

I quickly take a turn into Christine’s driveway. There’s no decoration of any kind, which is a first for me. I park my car and take deep inhales and exhale my nerves away. I hope that Calvin and I can get along. He might not be like Christine and be some huge asshole. And I don’t want that to be the case. 

I love being promiscuous, but I do not involve myself with judgemental people. I have lost friends and even family from my life decisions, and it's helped me grow as a person. And I will be damned if I lose Christine as a friend. 

I get out of my car and walk up to the entrance, making sure that my car is locked. I walk up to the door and knock. When it opens, I am surprised to see John open it. He'd usually come later in the evening.

"John, I didn't expect you to come early," I asked with mild astonishment. Johnathan looks behind his shoulder and sighs. 

"I had a bad feeling, so I came to make sure that everything was fine," Johnathan explains. I nod, knowing that he has a great sixth sense. He steps aside and I allow myself in. If he has a bad feeling, then maybe it’s important. 

"Well, is everything alright?" I ask with curiosity on my tongue. Johnathan shakes his head and leads me to the kitchen. There, I see a very bitter Christine, shouting on the phone. Irritation and anger seep out of her in fumes. 

"What do you mean you can't come?... Since WHEN?!...” I flinch when I hear Christine yell in anger for the first time. She places her elbow on the kitchen counter next to her cake and places her hand on her face. Frustration drips off of her like water. 

“I know... But why NOW?!... Fine, I love you too... Bye," Christine finishes by hanging up and placing her phone on the countertop. She looks up at us and she has tears brimming in her eyes. If you were there, you could tell that she was visibly upset.

I stand beside John in confusion. I am not going to ask what is going on. Luckily, I do not need to wait for an explanation. 

"That was Calvin. There's an emergency with his firm and he can't make it," Christine says brokenly. The tears are now running down her face, and sobs escape through her mouth. Johnathan and I rush towards her and wrap our arms around Christine. She leans into our hug and begins crying.

Johnathan, Christine, and I stay where we are for what feels like forever. Christine shouldn't be like this. She has been waiting for so long and now her brother can't even make it. She doesn't deserve to feel like this. 

I don't have any siblings, so I assume that there's a tight bond that goes beyond friendship. Watching Christine like this is very disheartening. I wish that I can give Christine a gift. But, now it's too late, and there isn't anything that will help Christine. 

But, as Johnathan and I continue comforting Christine, an idea pops up in my head. I am Christine's best friend. And it is my duty to make her happy. So, I am going to give her the best gift that I can think of. I will not stop or rest until everything is perfect. 

I am going to help Christine reunite with her brother.

And I won't stop until I get what I want.