Silence Replaced The Woman Who Lived Without Fear

At one point in my life, I decided to give up on relationships. I felt exhausted and drained. I used to pour my heart into every connection, only to have the man vanish without explanation. It happened not once, not twice, but repeatedly until I reached a breaking point and declared, "Enough is enough."

I thought to myself, "I can only experience heartbreak if I give my heart away. What if I keep it for myself?"

So, for three years, I embraced solitude. It wasn’t always easy, but at least I was free from pain. Then Akosua entered my life.

I met her in the village where I was serving as a newly graduated nurse. She was my colleague, and we shared a two-bedroom apartment with a living room. Our bedrooms were right next to each other, separated only by a wall.

We quickly grew close, spending countless evenings in the living room watching TV and gossiping about our coworkers at the hospital. Akosua was always cheerful and full of life; nothing seemed to bring her down. She could endure tough situations and still flash that radiant smile.

One night, while we were in the living room, she asked, "You don’t have a boyfriend?" Before I could respond, she added, "Get yourself a guy. You only have this moment. The next one might find you toothless and unworthy of love. You might regret all the joy you let slip away."

I shared my story with her, recounting all the men who had come and gone in my life. She looked at me, amused, and said, "Girl, you’re lucky! You’re fortunate they come and go. It means you have plenty of chances to find someone new."

She was serious, and she meant every word.

In the few months I knew her, I witnessed four different guys visiting her. They would often spend the night, and eventually, they would disappear, only to be replaced by someone new days later.

When I asked her about it, she explained, "They love you at first. They lie later and then vanish. It hurts at first, but life goes on." She was charming and incredibly brave.

Whenever she brought a boyfriend home, I found it hard to sleep. Her moans would fill the night, and she would call out the name of the guy who was with her. That’s how I learned the names of her boyfriends.

One guy named Fred was particularly memorable. The night they were together, I thought he was hurting her. She was so loud and explicit, describing everything, including how impressive Fred's manhood was and how he was 'destroying' her.

I stayed awake all night, listening to her sounds. The next morning, she knocked on my door to apologize, saying, "Dear, I’m sorry for last night. It was super loud, but it wasn’t my fault. The guy was too huge!" We both laughed, and I reassured her, "Don’t worry, I’m used to it now."

She cared for me in a way no one ever had. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for me—washing my clothes, cooking meals, and on Sundays, she would drag me out of bed to go to church with her. We had become like sisters without even realizing it.

I confided in her about a guy who was persistently pursuing me. She asked me three simple questions: "Do you like him? Is he someone you think you could sleep with? Do you think he’s a good guy?" I answered yes to the first question but was uncertain about the others. She advised me to observe him closely before making any decisions.

I took her advice to heart. I opened up to him about my feelings and my desire to wait until we were both sure before becoming intimate. We started dating, with Akosua cheering me on the whole way. The guy often asked for sex, but I turned him down. He was a good guy, but he wanted to move too quickly. He left before we even reached the seven-month mark.

Three months later, another guy came into my life. I was so sure about him that I felt I could agree to be intimate if he stayed another month, but he too left just when I was falling deeply in love. I cried for a week, feeling shattered. Akosua was there to help ease my pain.

During my tough times, she was my rock, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying life. She would tell me everything would be okay, but then I’d hear her voice through the walls, filled with screams and moans. Sometimes, I’d stay awake all night, wishing I could be as carefree as she was. Her free-spirited nature was something I longed to possess.

One night, her boyfriend came over, and I braced myself for the usual noise. To my surprise, it was completely quiet. Not a sound. The next morning, I praised her for the unexpected calm, and she replied, "That’s how guys are. You don’t know where they get their energy at the start of a relationship. The first night is always a show, but as time goes on, they lose their spark. That’s why I love the beginning of relationships. This one has been with me for over a year now, and I count myself lucky if he gives me even one round."

Then everything changed.

Akosua found a new boyfriend—one of the young doctors who came around. Coincidentally, I also started dating a doctor. My rules remained the same: "No sex until we’re sure of what we’re doing." He understood that sex wasn’t the priority.

Akosua continued her relationship with her doctor boyfriend, and the moaning never ceased. Every time he visited, I could hear them, and sometimes he would join in the noise. Eight months into their relationship, she excitedly announced, "We’re getting married soon."

I told her, "I’m not surprised. He hasn’t stopped making you moan, even after all this time." We both laughed.

As she predicted, they got married not long after. I was happy for her until the day she packed her things to move in with her husband. I shed a few tears, realizing I was losing a friend, a sister, and a companion. I never thought I would miss her moaning, but that night, the silence felt overwhelming. I started to worry about how her new neighbors would handle her noise.

Last year, she attended my wedding to my doctor boyfriend. There was one question I was eager to ask her. When the moment arose, I inquired, "Do you still make noise when you’re intimate?"

She playfully slapped my shoulder and burst into laughter, saying, "Silly girl! Don’t you have any sensible questions to ask?"

—Belinda  
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