MbitikaZetu
Elder Lister
The afternoon was just like any other. I mean in terms of the familiar office scene, the familiar workmates and the lethargic routine. We had just returned from the lunch break and our bodies were still trying to adjust to the afternoon shift after a heavy meal of githeri nyama from the canteen. I switched on my computer and continued typing away on the remaining piece of document that my boss has asked me to finalize before the end of the day. It was a Friday and no work should be carried over to the following week. At least according to our current bosses policy. It was at that moment that an SMS message came into my phone. The number was too familiar. I had received several calls from it in the recent past and I had almost memorized it. She was informing me that she would be leaving in the next 20 minutes since she had an urgent appointment in town. I asked her to pass through the office before going since I needed to pass a message to her. I continued with my work. After about five minutes, she appeared and didn't even sit down since my colleague Tom was also around. I ushered her to the corridor, gave her a peck on the cheek and told her I would call at 7:30 pm.
After work, I drove to town with two buddies and as usual on Friday evenings, we dropped first to our favourite butchery. We had our sumptuous taking of boiled beef and pepper soup. We later embarked to our favourite pub where we took whitecap beer. No one was paying for his own drinks. It was mostly a communal thing. I was closely watching time since I had to see someone in a few. At 7;35, I called her and asked whether she had reached home. She responded to the affirmative. I excused myself and went off right to her house to pick her. On hugging her, she started shivering like someone with malaria fever. I enquired if anything was wrong but she said no. We then drove to a certain hotel where she took coffee and a bigger. I drove lazily around town and stopped at a dark place. I asked her to lean close to me but I noted that she was shivering even more and sweating profusely. I tried to caress her but noted she was uneasy. I feared and asked whether I should take her to hospital but she said she was okay. I drove her to her house and asked her to take a rest. We met on Monday but she was so quiet. After one week, she got a job in a different place. We talked on the phone until we lost touch.
After work, I drove to town with two buddies and as usual on Friday evenings, we dropped first to our favourite butchery. We had our sumptuous taking of boiled beef and pepper soup. We later embarked to our favourite pub where we took whitecap beer. No one was paying for his own drinks. It was mostly a communal thing. I was closely watching time since I had to see someone in a few. At 7;35, I called her and asked whether she had reached home. She responded to the affirmative. I excused myself and went off right to her house to pick her. On hugging her, she started shivering like someone with malaria fever. I enquired if anything was wrong but she said no. We then drove to a certain hotel where she took coffee and a bigger. I drove lazily around town and stopped at a dark place. I asked her to lean close to me but I noted that she was shivering even more and sweating profusely. I tried to caress her but noted she was uneasy. I feared and asked whether I should take her to hospital but she said she was okay. I drove her to her house and asked her to take a rest. We met on Monday but she was so quiet. After one week, she got a job in a different place. We talked on the phone until we lost touch.
