Caught in the Act: The Toll of Kleptomaniac.

I have watched Bimpe take things that aren't hers for a very long time, that it already became a normal thing that we'd laugh over.

Bimpe use to be my friend way back in junior secondary school. We go to school together every morning, and come back home together too.

The very first time I noticed Bimpe taking what wasn't her own was when we went to the buttery of the school to get something during the break hour. If I wasn't Bimpe's friend, I wouldn't have believed my eyes.

Her movement was so swift and precise, you'd thought you knew what she was coming there to do all along.

She knew I saw her, and she didn't even allow me ask her what that was about before she started talking. According to her, it was just for fun.

For as long as I could remember, this situation continued. From small things, she started taking bigger things. And the funniest part, I was always the only one who sees her when she does any of those things.

She might even end up throwing half of those things away, she just derive a kind of joy from taking it, and throwing it away at the end of the day.

Everything ended the day she stole my money. I could remember telling her that there was some money with me that my siblings kept with me, but they will collect it back when I get home later in the day. I showed her the money, and where I kept it.

You might be wondering why? Well she was my friend, and I just believe that I could trust her to an extent. Atleast, she wouldn't want to do what she does to other to me too right?

Well, I obviously was wrong.

Closing time came, "let's go home," she said she wasn't ready. That she had some things to sort out. So I left her and decided to go home alone.

Along the way, I decided to check the money with me and for a minute I thought I was dreaming, because nothing!

"Ahn ahn, what is going on?"

"But I kept it here na..."

Oh my! Bimpe!

I didn't even have to think twice, I knew she had a hand in it.

With a speed of light, I got to the school premises again and was told she left immediately I left.

"I no go gree for this girl today" I said fuming.

I started calculating where she would have passed and all that, after a lot of back and forth, I decided to go home, and just meet her in her house.

And as God would have it, I met her on the way walking alone. I confronted her, and as expected she denied it.

When she noticed I wasn't buying any of her lies, she said she took the money, but it was just jokingly that she would have returned it.

Jokingly or not,

"can I have my money back?" I requested.

You don't even want to know where this girl brought out the money from. Oh dear!

To me, that ended the relationship between us. I couldn't continue anymore.

Is she still doing that? I don't know too, but I hope not.

It wasn't until I grew up a little did I know that, she was suffering from a case called kleptomaniac.

kleptomaniac is someone who has a recurrent urge to steal things that they typically don't need or want for personal use, often experiencing tension before the theft and relief afterward.

This is a really embarrassing situation anyways to her, because I'm sure she didn't want to, but there is something beyond her pushing her to do just that.

I hope she finds help if she hasn't.