MEMENTO ROCK

Dreams come true

In the evening, in a separate house cube I lay on the bed, thinking of the lonely days when alone, seeing visions of how it could be if the assailants didn’t kill my parents. I lived with a lot of regrets, thinking that lord had abandoned me. I couldn’t imagine what one feels when he/she calls his dad or mum. I wished that I was given just a day with my parents I could put it in my history. 

I wished I had shown them all my love when I had them alive. I could have served them tirelessly, I could have sacrificed everything I had to live with them but world wasn’t kind. It mistreated me. It valued my love uselessly. It made them live short, surely world is not as we expect it to be, never trust as dad used to say. 

I picked my school bag and removed the book given by Lightness. At the middle page I found a letter well folded. On opening it, it read:

Hi,

I am Lightness Wanjiku Kinyua from aristocratic family. I wasn’t sick today but I was just thinking of how life can be with a boyfriend like you. Surely I admired you greatly.

You are my roses in paradise, hill of happiness in cool breeze of love, like angels you shine with love on your face. Your cheeks are calmly with shiny reflective skin. Your eyes white as dove made me shy when your words arose my feelings. 

You are the one my souls loves, the only Lily in valleys of my heart. The only flower in the green land. I love you like blanket in winter or discipline at school. You are the light I have been looking for. 

I will be visiting Rumuruti on Sunday and I will be grateful to see you again. 

Please let’s meet in the market. Get exactly at 2. p.m.

Goodbye.

Wah! I was left in my own planet just above heaven. I came to know that we felt the same although the letter had been over inflated a lot. At the midst of the night I was still awake not reading nor eating but just thinking. I imagined of a wedding that would come numerous years to come. I saw myself putting her golden ring. I couldn’t forsake such a girl.

The following day was Friday. I entered school gate earlier than before, I went and sat, my face dipped in book but I never understood anything. Reverie, infatuation and complication asphyxiated spiritedly. I felt totally uncomfortable. I wished I was at home where no rule was strict.

Just then teacher Susan the English teacher came in holding a library of books. We nicknamed her digital teacher as she taught and pronounced words according to her smartphone. She placed them on the dusty table and preceded greeting students. After greetings she asked us to put our exercise books on the table. 

“In our previous lesson we learnt about pronounce?” She said dragging words she looked at some boys playing at the corner, pointing them, “I think idiocy is not allowed in my class. In case of lunacy visit lunatic asylum and you will be right” 

“You malinger boy stand!” She was now pointing me! I did so in micro seconds. “Stay that way.” She went on. Everything she taught was like nothing to me. They entered right and left freely through left. 

The day was not a pleasant one at all. I spent it colliding with everyone. It was my worst day ever in secondary school. Finally it came to end lustily. I went home fully empty and depressed how did I appear today? How did they judge from my appearance? Will it continue the same? I kept asking questions to my sole.

At home I slept early because my mind was tired and could do nothing more. I counted hours to get to Sunday. Ticking every passing hour I could get different picture. The day of days knocked in I picked my neighbor’s bicycle and to our nearest town Rumuruti to meet an angel.

 I was at the market at 1 pm. I kept my self-busy by eating bananas slowly to an extent to eat one for twenty minutes chatting with mama mboga  

I was about to give up when I looked at my watch, it was 1;59 pm I knew that she was now about to reach. I swallowed the last piece of banana and went at the gate. 

Suddenly a red sports car swerved into the market. It was parked just after passing the gate inside the market. It was opened right falcon door. I was attracted to a lady who wore bobble hat red sleeveless blouse, trendy with black elegant dress. Her delicate feet were in red flip-flops. 

It was Lightness! She came where I was and hugged me romantically. She then told me to take a picnic around the busy town of Rumuruti. We walked out of the market although I was more than confused. 

“Dear” I called her, “Why did you leave the vehicle in the market?” I asked without caring where I left my bicycle that was easy to lose.

“The driver is in charge of it, “she answered jokingly. It confirmed to me that she was from a luxurious family compared to me who came from a dusty termitted timber house. 

What unique did she see in me? I wondered. We walked towards the river. Soon we were sitting next to Ewaso Nyiro River just near the town.

“I came because I wanted us to interact and know each other well. Not just by name but even deeply. You may have questions that you may like to ask, you can ask and me so I will do…! She said holding my right hand.  

Each time she gets hold to my hands I felt strangely across my body but I pretended to be fine. 

“You are from a very rich family that can afford a sport car and even your phone I think I cannot afford at this age. Why love me, a simple boy from the village and humble background? I think I am not the right class surely….” I claimed feeling uncomfortable. 

She stood suddenly and stared at me in surprise. I thought she could abandon me and walk on her way back to the market. 

“Ngai” even my bicycle is cheaper than her shoe…inner voice could tell me. I also stood and looked directly in her eyes. I tried to do comparison that I was in red jeans trouser, black mutumba sport shoes and a blue t-shirt. I thought she could even see that my vest was torn at the stomach. 

Instead she came closer to me leaving minimal centimeters between us. She got hold to my both hands and then called me softly, “Stephen, your background means nothing to me. I have never been in love but I got you this time. I would not imagine how I can feel when I lose you. I don’t follow my eyes but my heart I do. I wouldn’t want to live life of regrets. I don’t regret for the work done wrongly but for every opportunity I loose so I won’t lose this” She pointed at some birds on the nearby bridge. “You see those, are in pairs meaning life is awesome when two but mundane when single. Your destiny will shape your life but background will do nothing. 

I know how you feel when you imagine my luxurious family. I well understand my feeling when I think of your humble one. One day I will give you a clue of my life…” She whispered soothing and comforting me, tears spilled hot from her eyes. 

This is when I came to see the power of love. I wished it would be everlasting but let’s live for my life beholder who is Jah. I hugged her softly and gave her my shoulders to cry on. She deserved to be cared whole heartedly and to be cared of. After a soothing period was over we walked up the hill talking jokingly. 

At the tarmac people stared at us in amusement, some called her my sponsor, others investors while others called her my mentor. Just when about to get into the town, a strong wind from east blew with time dust filled everywhere and we could not see ahead. It increased velocity and became violent to an extent to blow off the roofs. I got hold to her hand tightly. 

It stopped suddenly, only to turn to look at her and see her navel. A subtle inevitable labyrinth feeling intertwisted my nerves with strange ghostly feeling across my heart a sign of danger that was impending. 

I didn’t feel to hate her but loved her multidiously. I became astonish of my complicated body, my feeling that worried and loved at the same time. What could this girl be up to? I questioned myself from then I was in a somber mood. 

Apparently we had become love birds we went on holding hands. Although worried I pretended to be more than well. I smiled zestly as she narrated stories to me. She appeared ecstatic by the way she behaved. 

Just at the market gate I met my uncle John who scrutinized us. He then went and stopped a distant. It seemed he was familiar to Lightness from the way he flooded on her. She opened the falcon door of the car and removed a carton that was wrapped well. 

“Have this Honey” she presented it to me. 

I was like “oh my God” I felt never to slump the relationship. She hugged lustily and entered the luxurious vehicle. “Let’s meet again god willing. Goodbye” she said.

I was left single-handed and crestfallen as the vehicle left. I waved at her and it disappeared ghostly. I went to the parking and rode the bicycle away. I was on my way home when I thought of opening the token. 

I stopped and opened to find a memento necklace and a smartphone. At the bottom it was ten thousand shillings and a piece of paper written her phone number! 

I could not believe holding such an expensive phone. On reaching home, the breaking news was online my grandmother had been informed that I spent my day with a girl who was from a rich family.

In the evening when darkness was knocking in, I went to the kitchen to assist cucu to prepare dinner. Just as I entered kitchen I greeted her wakia cucu (how are you grandmother) but she didn’t answer. Instead she looked at me full of sneakiness. It was the day that her love on me declined. 

On seeing that she resembled trouble, I went out melancholically. It made me mourn on the weak family ties. I went in by ‘cube’ and sat on the bed. Sudden a sweet aroma of cooking meat caught me. I started dribbling with admiration not greediness. 

“Will I eat such one day?” I asked myself. I placed the memento necklace on the wall to be seen well. I blew off the lamp and packed myself in the blanket with the phone. I chose a game and kept myself busy Deeping my head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich. 

I got a game that was well known as Temple run 2 which was interesting and abandoned my loneliness. Within no time I was used to the phone and it bored me. I placed it on the wooden table and slept.