Master of descriptions: Come we stay (Part I)

There is a story told in lightning and thunder. A story which transcends the world of mortal men. It’s a story about life and love. Roads and clocks. But in all that there is, I can still hear the echoes of Mario Puzo’s voice etching through my mind, that life is just a comical business, and there is nothing funnier than love travelling through the confines of time. But who really cares when a silly guy falls in love with a random girl from a different town? They both fall in love so whimsically that they end up forgetting about themselves without hesitating. That, even though living in two different cities, they can still picture out a home and kids to raise together. Having in mind that they have never met before, haven’t seen each other’s face except on Facebook timelines and on Instagram’s photos, they could still have the tenacity of dreaming and hoping that one day they will take the less travelled road. The guy woes her and makes his intentions known, after few convos, the girl gets hooked. The guy graduated two years ago and landed a job at a pharmaceutical company in town. The girl is in her final year in campus pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mass communication. All the while in the wait, the guy sits there, sipping hot coffee, reading a novel along the shores of Lake Victoria, waiting for a bloody sun set, thinking about her but nothing he can do except get lost in her. She’s the prettiest he has seen. The way her lips curl whenever they face time, every time she articulates words, her eloquence resounds as though she was born in the land of the queen.

Time passes by and the girl finishes school Graduating with second class upper division. The guy is a funny guy. Long story cut short, he is charming and has all the manly decorum that any girl would fall for. He promises the girl hues of blues and a future worth her every breath. She wants him for all she cares. No one has ever given her attention like this “strange boy”, and she’s curious to find out more about him. The girl wants to leave home and be independent, but she cannot do so without a job to sustain herself. She has tried submitting her CV but it’s hard to find a job these days when everyone is competitive and zero experience is never needed. Smoothly the guy comes around and offers to help. He makes a few calls here and there, and has the girl sending in her documents. Two weeks later, while seated with her mom, a call comes through requiring her to report to work within seven days, to a communication company. No interview needed. Beautiful part, it’s in the same city the guy is in. She braces herself and moves in to the new city. Excited and anticipating she moves in with him.

It’s September, the first month of her stay. In the beginning we are remotely conservative with each other. We are still second guessing whether we should share the bed or one will have the couch instead. As we sail, we get to know each other deeply. Lots of conversation and confirmation of likes and dislikes. Helping her out to settle down. Making her feel at home. Introducing her to everyone around as I stand by, I can’t help but be stunned at her amicable personality. At night we get to know each other more in serenity, behind the sheets engulfed in the darkness. We sleep soundly not before swapping saliva and trimming fingers looking forward for tomorrow.

October passes by. November follows suite and everything is all beautiful. We living together as though we are drugs prescribed to our own ailing. We become the couple that everyone wants to be. She embraced the job. Sometimes, she could get off from work to find me in the kitchen doing utensils, then she’d hug me from behind, I’d turn around and peck her on her forehead, tell her how much I missed her. Some other time she could find me reading a novel on the couch, and she would dive in with me, she’d share with me how her day was. Sometimes hectic, some other times slow and boring, occasionally exciting. I would be there to massage her and cuddle her. She’d then get up, shower then change into one of my baggy t shirts, then come back to the couch where we could have genuine conversations like besties who have all these amazing experiences to share with each other.

Its December, her mom falls sick. Her family misses her. She is expected to go home, but she keeps on telling her folks that she will go home soon, that it’s still work. I really want her to go back home. Maybe for a weekend or some days. I want her folks to see how healthy I have kept their daughter. I want her folks to exclaim when they set sight on her saying, “hey girl, you’ve grown big. More healthy and elegant, what is your secret?”  I encourage her to go. So, she took a two weeks’ vacation just before Christmas Eve and went home to see her parents in Nakuru.

Seven days fade and mom recovers. She tells me this over the phone. In the middle of our convos I ask her to say hellos to her folks. She tells me how happy they are to see her. She is happy too. I tell her that I miss her as a formality, not that I miss her completely, it’s been just seven days I am sure I can endure some more days without her. Two weeks goes by and she isn’t coming back yet. She says that her family still needs her. I miss her. She tells me she misses me too, when I am too afraid to have a phone convo when I miss her this much.

The third week elapses. It’s January.

“Babe, when are you coming back home?” I give her a call to ask, she hesitates then hung up saying, “Hun let me text you back shortly”

 I wait.

“Probably by the end of this week.” She replies via text.

The weekend ends smoothly like a river flowing into the sea, but she never shows up.

I understand her staying back with her folks, but I am more worried about the job, thinking that she might lose it when she prolongs her stay. I pull out my phone and dial Julie’s number who is my friend but is a HR in the communication company she works for. Her mobile phone goes straight to voicemail.

I try her office line.

The telephone rings twice before Julie picks up.

“Hello, this is Julie’s office how may I help you?”

“Hey Jules, its Phill tried your phone but it was kind of switched off.”

“Hey Phill.” Jules voice sprung in a joyous excitement, as if hearing from me must have relieved her from her days stress at work, “sorry about the phone, its work and stuff, how are you?”

“I am doing alright. I wanted to enquire about Becca, how long did she take a leave of absence from work?”

“A leave of absence?” Julie retorts back in a surprised tone, which throws me back on the couch, “Rebecca didn’t take a leave of absence.”

“What did you just say!!?”

“She never told you? I figured she must have told you considering how you guys are always tight”

“Well, she did not!”

“Ooh Phill,” now sympathy had begun brewing in her tone. “I’m sorry this has to come from me, but Rebecca didn’t take a leave. She resigned two weeks ago.”

“Jules are you sure about that!?”

“Yes. Phill, I will have to call you back later let me finish up with a client here.”

“Is it possible you could send me a copy of her resignation letter by email? Please? I know it’s confidential, but this is Becca we are talking about.”

“Sure thing. I will have it personally sent to your email. “

“Thanks…s”

She hung up the phone before I could finish my sentence.

... watch out for Part II