The other day I was fed up with being cooped up inside my room because I had been writing the whole day since 9:00 AM. So, at around 7:30 PM I decided it was time for me to socialize outside my virtual world.
By that alone, you can tell, I am not an outdoorsy person. I love the indoors. And the indoors adore me. Anyway, I decided I’d go check on my friend. You know, pay her visit, be cordial and all those good things extroverts and normal people do.
Can you guess that her home was not too far from where I was? Yeah, it wasn’t. I walked a few steps and viola, I was at my friend’s house. I thought I’d watch some TV at hers and chill with her for a bit while I did the adult thing of catching up with friends. It was nice even though her movie was one of those translated soap operas on those local channels on paid TV.
I hate the commentary from the video jockeys because they do more lying than a hyena on its best day. They never translate everything word for word. They say their own thing. It’s annoying for me.
But I love my friend so I stayed and tried to follow however I could. It’s a story anyway. I love stories and I’ll take them whichever way they’re served like a meal. You love some and others you consume because you’re a human being who has needs.
We watched a few episodes of the show and I noticed this friend of mine going back and forth between her kitchen and watching TV. I asked her what was going on. ‘I’m cooking something.’ Reminded me of those times as kids.
We ran back and forth between our rooms and the TV room because we were watching cartoons or action movies way past our bedtime. If our father found us, it would be over for us. This wasn’t the case for my friend though. This was her home and she was only multitasking like a good housewife on her regular day.
I was an unplanned guest, worse yet uninvited—they love me though. We both knew it. We just did not mention it to one another but it was like an unspoken rule or signal between the two of us.
She watched the food and TV. I watched her and the TV show. ‘I’m not here for your food.’ I wanted to tell but of course she’d refute it with something like, ‘what do you mean? I don’t mind. There’s enough for both of us.’ There wasn’t. It’s a family of four. And she doesn’t like cooking. You can guess the rest. If the food hadn’t raised a curious aroma in her house, I wouldn’t have known she was cooking. I’m so sure she wouldn’t have mentioned it either.
Anyway, I timed myself, made sure I watched one episode of the series to completion then saw myself out. ‘You’ve gone?’ I could hear the gratitude in her voice. ‘Yeah, I’ve gone back to my room.’ ‘Okay, goodnight.’ In other words, ‘thank you, girl. I owe you one.’ Just like that we were both saved from an uncomfortable scene because one considerate friend read the room and decided not to make things awkward. Learn how to ‘uninvite’ yourself.
Don’t be that one friend who senses there’s cute tension between you and that one girl or boy yet refuses to step away and let y’all bond or have a minute to yourselves. Be a good friend. The one who doesn’t make things awkward. Learn when to see yourself out. Know when to walk away. Know when it is time for you to leave. Don’t make things awkward.
