Unexpected Guest

A knock at the door disrupted me from work. It was sharp and deliberate.

I shut my laptop and stood up. Then I stretched myself before walking to the door. My whole body ached as it still carried the weight of a long week. It was a Saturday evening, but not my regular kind of Saturday that had me sitting down cross-legged on my sofa with a bowl of snacks to see a movie. This Saturday had me closing accounts from work.

The knock came again and I ruled out the possibility of it being Mama Chinedu. I can tell from the way she knocks. Besides I was happy it wasn't her. Not because I was beginning to hate her company but because I didn't take her advice not to bring work home on a Saturday but rather make my Saturday a free day for rest. I just needed to close that account before a new week or take a query from my boss

I pulled open the door, already smiling, only for my breath to hitch.

Standing there was Amaka. My childhood friend. With a suitcase.

For a second, it felt like time had stopped, and my brain froze.

"Amaka? What are you doing here?" I asked as I didn't expect to see her.

“Surprise! Zee!” She yelled excitedly. Beaming with a smile, she stepped forward with her arms wide and hugged me.

I forced a smile. "I must say I'm surprised," I replied. My eyes caught the big suitcase she was with her.

“I know, right?” she grinned, shoving me aside and rolling her suitcase inside before I could say anything. “Zee, hope I’m not disturbing you.” her eyes scanning the papers on the floor

"No.. not really," I replied. My Brian was still trying to process what was going on.

I ran into Amaka just a few days ago after ten years of no contact with each other at Balogun Market. We hugged, laughed, exchanged numbers, and joked about old times with the promise to catch up properly on a very good day.

A few days later, I invited her over to my place, and we continued from where we stopped trying to catch up. Leaving no stones unturned. But turning up at my place unexpectedly with a suitcase like you were going on vacation wasn't what I had imagined.

I shut the door, my eyes still lingering on the suitcase. Something felt heavy in my chest. But I swallowed hard and played along. Maybe I was assuming things.

I cleared my work. Served her some juice and snacks. It wasn't long till we fell into conversations about our childhood. From our days in secondary school to the time we crushed on the same boy. We laughed like nothing had changed. Our laughter filled my apartment and I was sure it would be heard by my neighbors.

I tried to tell Amaka to keep our voice down. But stopped trying when I noticed she was naturally loud. I wondered why I didn't notice that as a teenager. In all these, my mind wasn't at ease.

She might be coming from the airport. Or maybe she’s headed somewhere else. I had so many thoughts in my head. But while I pictured all these other scenarios, the time on my wall clocked made it difficult for me to believe them.

I squeezed my fingers together under the table. And prayed it not to be what I was thinking. I didn't want to see the look on her face when I declined her request. It would hurt me but Mama's words kept echoing in my heart.

*“If you meet a friend after years apart, be careful how you let them back into your life. That friend might not be the same person you knew before. People change in just a split second.”

I looked out my window. The sky was already darkened. The loud traffic outside was a sign that Lagos traffic was in its late-night rush. It was almost 9pm on my wall clock. I swallowed hard, stood up, and pulled my curtains shut. Then the faint glow of my living room lights wrapped around us.

As if she had been waiting for the right moment, Amaka leaned back, stretched, and sighed. “Abeg show me the way to your room I need to freshen up and change these clothes"

I felt the words hit hard like a punch in my stomach. “Change these clothes. Are you planning on sleeping over?.” I asked.

She glanced at her suitcase, then at me. “"Ehen* of course. For a few days, maybe more." She replied so casually. Like she had asked and I agreed to it. Like it wasn't my house, my space, my peace, and my choice. Like she decided to make.

The pain in my stomach increased. I didn't care if it was going to hurt anymore. "It would have been better if you had told me earlier than surprised me the way you did."

She stood up and dragged her suitcase with her. Then she started making her way into my room. "Oh come off it. It's just a few days I plan on staying. It's something we do regularly as kids."

I quickly blocked her path. "Hold up girl. I have not accepted your request. Then we were kids. Things are different now. You should have at least hit me up and told me before coming. So that I can plan properly."

"Why should I tell you first before sleeping over at your place?" She asked rudely. Her voice was a little high. Giving me more reasons why I shouldn't let her sleep.

"Because it's the right thing to do." I swallowed hard. It was really hard for me to hold back words and anger rising within me.

I wondered why she would ask such a question and be persistent. It was beginning to look fishy. What if she was running from a crime or something else and picked my place to be her hideout? I couldn't tell if I was right but my instinct didn't just agree with letting her stay.

"Look Amaka, I’m happy to see you. But I can’t let you stay over. I've got a whole lot on my plate now. I'm sorry.” I added, holding my ground.

For a few seconds, we stood with silence and tension hovering over us. I watched her fingers tap the handle of her suitcase. “I thought we were still as close as before,” she muttered and turned. Dragging her suitcase along, I watched as she walked out the door.

Immediately, I felt the fangs of guilt on me. But I shook it off with Mama's words. "....boundaries are boundaries."

I walked to the door, shut it, and leaned against it with a deep sigh. Then I walked back to finish my work.

A month later, I got a call from Amaka. She sounded like she was in distress. "Zee please, I'm at the police station. I was arrested last night. I need some money for bail. Can I get a few thousand naira from you?"

"Amaka, what did you do?" That was what came out of my mouth first.

There was silence from her end at first. "I got in a fight with my neighbor last month that left her hospitalized."

I shook my head. Now it was clear why she showed up unannounced. She was running away from a crime she had committed.

I resisted the urge to ask further questions. "Send me an account number," I said before ending the call.

Then I smiled and remembered Mama's words again. "..That friend might not be the same person you knew before. People change in just a split second."

Mama was right after all. It only takes a minute for someone to change.

[Photo by Max Vakhtbovycn:](https://www.pexels.com/photo/suitcase-placed-near-mirror-in-room-6394556/]