Once upon a time, in a little town in the Great Rift Valley...Part 1
"All I was, well, was the perfect one night stand, I guess. The best really. Friends enough to make it ok, but not friends heading in that direction, the "love" direction as far you were concerned. Perfect. You even made sure there no repercussions. Asked me more than once to get the Morning After pill then called and made sure I'd taken it. Any normal girl would hate you for the whole thing. But not me. This just had to be one of those times when I had to be abnormal. When I had to like you. I was an ass. I hate myself. I can't believe I was so stupid." Ann said to Derrick.
She wasn't looking particularly attractive. Her hair was messily pulled up with a hair tie that had seen better days, and her clothes weren't exactly sexy unless you were the kind of person to be enticed by sweatpants and an old t-shirt. She'd bathed that morning but hadn't bothered with perfume because she wasn't going anywhere so only the scent of her deodorant scented the air around them.
But Derrick knew all that and he'd been expecting it as well. Ann had her own style. She was proud he reflected quietly as he studied her. She wouldn't have told anyone what she was feeling. He knew where to look though and his eyes made their way to her small hands and from there to her fingernails, bitten and stubby. He remembered that the last time he'd seen her; she'd finally stopped biting them. Could he be vain enough to think that he was the reason behind her failure to grow them? Did he dare ask? And then he thought of the way he looked and couldn't help thinking that he didn't look so great himself.
He wore the clothes he'd driven from the city in, the same ones he'd spent the whole day at the firm in. He'd wanted to change but his mother had been late and impatient. He was sure he'd looked fresh on Friday morning. But it was Saturday now and he smiled wryly and thought perhaps that a suit did look the worse for wear after one day. His shirt was wrinkled and he'd had to roll up his sleeves to hide the barbeque sauce that had got on them during last night's dinner. His pants were fine maybe a bit on the wrinkled side but nothing a steam iron couldn't fix. At least he hadn't put on the coat. That made up for the five o'clock shadow on his usually smooth chin. Lost in thought he unconsciously focused on her nails.
Ann felt his gaze on her fingers and folded them into fists. She'd hoped he wouldn't notice them. That she'd started biting them the minute she'd promised herself she'd never see him again. Biting them because it hadn't been enough. Biting them because she'd still liked him. So she'd deceived herself that she was being mature and kept on calling him, kept on taking his calls. She had, supposedly, become his friend which was bullshit. She was settling for his voice because she couldn't have him. Pretending she had more than she really had. Keeping the fantasy alive by not actually seeing him, staying as far away as she physically could and trying to make that count for something.
And now, her graduation party was that night. She was sure she had carefully skipped over any mention of it with him. He'd asked a year ago and she'd said, truthfully that she was staying on for an extra year to do the Honours program. He'd joked that she needed the extra year to actually graduate. She'd laughed but hadn't argued the point. After her graduation party she was home for another week then she left for Nairobi and a new job that felt made for her. Everything had been going the way she wanted it go. She was in control. Until this morning when Muyanja had called her to the gate and he'd been there, leaning on a car grinning.
She wasn't looking particularly attractive. Her hair was messily pulled up with a hair tie that had seen better days, and her clothes weren't exactly sexy unless you were the kind of person to be enticed by sweatpants and an old t-shirt. She'd bathed that morning but hadn't bothered with perfume because she wasn't going anywhere so only the scent of her deodorant scented the air around them.
But Derrick knew all that and he'd been expecting it as well. Ann had her own style. She was proud he reflected quietly as he studied her. She wouldn't have told anyone what she was feeling. He knew where to look though and his eyes made their way to her small hands and from there to her fingernails, bitten and stubby. He remembered that the last time he'd seen her; she'd finally stopped biting them. Could he be vain enough to think that he was the reason behind her failure to grow them? Did he dare ask? And then he thought of the way he looked and couldn't help thinking that he didn't look so great himself.
He wore the clothes he'd driven from the city in, the same ones he'd spent the whole day at the firm in. He'd wanted to change but his mother had been late and impatient. He was sure he'd looked fresh on Friday morning. But it was Saturday now and he smiled wryly and thought perhaps that a suit did look the worse for wear after one day. His shirt was wrinkled and he'd had to roll up his sleeves to hide the barbeque sauce that had got on them during last night's dinner. His pants were fine maybe a bit on the wrinkled side but nothing a steam iron couldn't fix. At least he hadn't put on the coat. That made up for the five o'clock shadow on his usually smooth chin. Lost in thought he unconsciously focused on her nails.
Ann felt his gaze on her fingers and folded them into fists. She'd hoped he wouldn't notice them. That she'd started biting them the minute she'd promised herself she'd never see him again. Biting them because it hadn't been enough. Biting them because she'd still liked him. So she'd deceived herself that she was being mature and kept on calling him, kept on taking his calls. She had, supposedly, become his friend which was bullshit. She was settling for his voice because she couldn't have him. Pretending she had more than she really had. Keeping the fantasy alive by not actually seeing him, staying as far away as she physically could and trying to make that count for something.
And now, her graduation party was that night. She was sure she had carefully skipped over any mention of it with him. He'd asked a year ago and she'd said, truthfully that she was staying on for an extra year to do the Honours program. He'd joked that she needed the extra year to actually graduate. She'd laughed but hadn't argued the point. After her graduation party she was home for another week then she left for Nairobi and a new job that felt made for her. Everything had been going the way she wanted it go. She was in control. Until this morning when Muyanja had called her to the gate and he'd been there, leaning on a car grinning.
2 comments
crap, now what did that muyanja chap let on, eh?!
REPLYI know a guy called Derrick Muyanja. lol
REPLYhi! thanks for commenting. I'm always open to new ideas. I can't wait to hear yours.