It was one of those unbearable days. The city streets were chock-full of people. They resembled angry fire ants pouring out of a recently broken mound. The roads were clogged with city dwellers on their way home, traffic moving slower than a mortally injured sloth. The heat didn't make it any better. It seemed to roll in; in heat waves off the roads, and cars, and buildings, and everything, whether living or man-made. Drivers felt as though they were slowly going mad in metal ovens. Pedestrians who braved walking in the sun felt like their feet were being roasted on a high power grill.
But Matthias was not aware of the weather outside. He sat, muscles tensed, in a plush office. He had been sitting there for about half an hour;Kayla was perched on the windowsill, perfectly formed and perfectly calm, waiting for 'her boss.'
Matthias was racking his brains. This web was getting a tad too tangled. Who was Kayla working for? And why did whoever it was want to see him? What would Mr. Kilonzo say when he found out about this unusual rendez-vous? Damn.
The door opened. Matthias almost fainted when Kim walked in. She was dressed in mute black. " Hi Kayla," she quipped as she turned around to close the door. Now it was her turn to almost faint when she saw Matthias. " What th...what're you doing here?" she stammered as she tried to comprehend what was happening.
" First, you tell me what you're doing here." Matthias replied. He was getting angry, but his legs were too weak to support him. Kim stood rooted to the spot, trying to make words that wouldn't come. Kayla got off the ledge and directed her sister to one of the couches in the room facing the big mahogany desk that was in its centre.
" So?"
" I....I didn't mean for you to find out like this. I mean, I would've told you eventually, but-"
" But what? You were waiting until I googled you? Why are you here? Tell me the truth, Kim!" Matthias burst out desperately.
" Oh come on, you too. Spare me the sentimental brouhaha." Kayla interrupted." Hold the lovers' spat for a bit, won't you just?" A tapping sound was heard. Then the door creaked open, and all the heads in the room turned towards it. There was a pregnant pause before Kim almost whispered in disbelief, " Dad?"
Michael Smith walked in, his electric presence causing an instant imbalance in the tension of the room. He said nothing as he sat down behind the desk, in a chair that looked just as commanding and elegant as he was. Matthias had a fleeting reminder of Mario Puzo's The Godfather. He must have looked exactly as Mr. Smith looked right now, with his back turned to them on his massive leather chair." Thank you all for coming so quickly. It appears there is no need for introductions, so we can get right down to business."
" Business? Father?!" Kim exclaimed as she stood up and started towards the desk. Kayla moved to restrain her.
" My child. You will know all when the time is right,'' said Mr. Smith as he swivelled in his chair to face them.
'' I trust you understand why you are here, Matthias." His ice-blue eye gazed at Matthias.
'' I thought I did. Now I'm just confused," came the reply.
'' You know Mr. Kilonzo is dead." A pause.
'' Now I do. i presume you had something to do witht that, seeing as you are privy to that information before the press,'' said Matthias bitterly. '' What does that have to do with my being here?''
'' Everything, Matthias. You are now a lone ranger, and I am in need of one of those. Work for me, and I will pay you double what Simon paid you."
" I have others who I work with. I cannot simply end my contract or go AWOL." There was another period of silence. The tension in the room was akin to fresh molasses; thick and sticky.
" You're not just a university student, are you." Kim said flatly.
" I can explain-"
"No thanks. And you, my own family, have been keeping secrets from me? You know what, I don't even want to know." Spinning on her heel, Kim stalked out the door.
" She's a bit precocious. She'll come round,'' said Mr. Smith, unmoved. '' So, Matthias?''
'' If you have secrets from your own daughter, how can I trust you?'' spat out Matthias.
'' Young man, I'm paying you so I can have secrets. You are not my partner, you are my employee."
Matthias paused.'' I need some time to think it over.''
''You have a week.'' Matthias looked up. '' Leave.'' That's it? It was over? '' Kayla,show him out.'' Apparently so.
The sunlight hit him like a six-by-four. He tried to clear his head and focus his thoughts. First plan of action-find Kim.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Episode 5
The evening sun was fast falling, its warm golden rays piercing every corner in a last feeble attempt at illumination. Twilight was beating a hasty retreat as darkness took over with its true might. Ordinarily, Mr. Kilonzo would be in his house by nightfall, lounging in his favorite LazyBoy recliner. Tonight, instead, he was trying to navigate the complex latticework of country roads that led to an old, recently burnt down mansion that he was in the process of acquiring. He was flustered. The directions his secretary had given him were off by one lane, so he had to retrace his steps, albeit with much difficulty.
Mr. Kilonzo breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the burnt out shell of the mansion at the bottom of a valley. He drove a bit faster, trying to beat the night. He therefore didi not notice the black car parked under a grove of trees. A figure dressed in black slipped out of the car, as if it had been waiting for his appearance and, blending in with the shadows, followed his trail up to the mansion.
The dark green S-Class gave of a slight luminosity from the dying light. Going down the weedy driveway, Mr. Kilonzo could practically see the condominiums he would build on the property-and smell the money they were going to mint for him. A feeling of satisfaction washed over him, right before the shadow. After it,all he knew was blackness.
******************
The first thing he saw, after stars, as he came to, was a pair of lilac-grey eyes coolly scrutinizing him." He's awake, sir," said the rosebud lips under them.
" And bound tight, I trust, Ms. Smith." A gravelly voice sounded through the murk of...where was he? And why was that voice vaguely familiar?
" Where am I?" His voice, raspy from thirst, aimed the question at the nothingness without.
" Questions already? I always took you for a courteous man, Mr. Kilonzo." Where did he know that voice from?...Memories slowly resurfaced, and then realization dawned.
" We meet again," he said in a resigned tone. " But why the ropes, Michael?"
" I was always the villian between us Simon, and hence never trusted you. Either way, no one can hear you scream." There was a sardonic smile behind these words as a tapping sound was heard, like that of a cane, and a figure emerged into the waning light of a solitary lamp. The man was dressed in a double-breasted black tuxedo. After his cane, his most surprising feature was his shock of gray hair, the garish scar that was where his left eye should have been and the one icy-blue eye that was now locked on Mr. Kilonzo. " So tell me, Simon. Why do you keep burning down my mansions?"
" This is a dog-eat-dog society. If I didn't, you would have all the money, and I would have nothing."
Michael turned his back to Mr. Kilonzo, looking out the same window that Kayla had jumped out of a few nights before. The night sky still had a greenish tint at the horizon from the long-gone sun. He turned again to look at his once so powerful adversary, lying on the char-covered floor, bound hand and foot with thick, strong ropes.
" What goes around comes around, old friend. Always remember that. While you're alive, anyway. Ms. Smith, please proceed," he said as he turned again.
With practised dexterity, the lady slit the ropes binding Mr. Kilonzo's feet, picked him up and led him to the window at gunpoint.
" Seeing as I can't lie to a dying man, I will try to say something appropriate, regardless of the fact that it is an untruth. It's been a pleasure knowing you, Simon," Michael said as he walked away.
Kayla urged Mr. Kilonzo to the edge of the window sill with her gun pressing into his back. In his mind, he could hear his heartbeat amplified until he heard nothing else but its panicked rhythm. His forehead was drenched in a nervous sweat;his mouth was moving, but no sound came out. Kayla said, "Time to meet your Maker." He managed to choke out an " Already?" before she pushed him. He fell screaming.
********************
Matthias was woken up on Sunday morning by a knock on his door. Groggily, he picked up his phone to look at the time. 11? Thank God it was Sunday. Still in his boxers, he answered the door.
" Kim! - oh, I mean Kayla." It was still hard to tell them apart.
" Don't bowl me over with enthusiasm, please." Kayla said as she sashayed into his room.
" What are you doing here?" He asked, shutting the door. He was still sleep-drugged and confused, but Kayla? In his room? Recipe for trouble.
" So polite." Her eyes glowed dark, almost purple. She smiled softly-then abruptly, she said," My boss wants to see you. Get a move on." Before he could get a word in edgewise, she continued, '' And unless you have a death wish, you'll come with me."
Mr. Kilonzo breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the burnt out shell of the mansion at the bottom of a valley. He drove a bit faster, trying to beat the night. He therefore didi not notice the black car parked under a grove of trees. A figure dressed in black slipped out of the car, as if it had been waiting for his appearance and, blending in with the shadows, followed his trail up to the mansion.
The dark green S-Class gave of a slight luminosity from the dying light. Going down the weedy driveway, Mr. Kilonzo could practically see the condominiums he would build on the property-and smell the money they were going to mint for him. A feeling of satisfaction washed over him, right before the shadow. After it,all he knew was blackness.
******************
The first thing he saw, after stars, as he came to, was a pair of lilac-grey eyes coolly scrutinizing him." He's awake, sir," said the rosebud lips under them.
" And bound tight, I trust, Ms. Smith." A gravelly voice sounded through the murk of...where was he? And why was that voice vaguely familiar?
" Where am I?" His voice, raspy from thirst, aimed the question at the nothingness without.
" Questions already? I always took you for a courteous man, Mr. Kilonzo." Where did he know that voice from?...Memories slowly resurfaced, and then realization dawned.
" We meet again," he said in a resigned tone. " But why the ropes, Michael?"
" I was always the villian between us Simon, and hence never trusted you. Either way, no one can hear you scream." There was a sardonic smile behind these words as a tapping sound was heard, like that of a cane, and a figure emerged into the waning light of a solitary lamp. The man was dressed in a double-breasted black tuxedo. After his cane, his most surprising feature was his shock of gray hair, the garish scar that was where his left eye should have been and the one icy-blue eye that was now locked on Mr. Kilonzo. " So tell me, Simon. Why do you keep burning down my mansions?"
" This is a dog-eat-dog society. If I didn't, you would have all the money, and I would have nothing."
Michael turned his back to Mr. Kilonzo, looking out the same window that Kayla had jumped out of a few nights before. The night sky still had a greenish tint at the horizon from the long-gone sun. He turned again to look at his once so powerful adversary, lying on the char-covered floor, bound hand and foot with thick, strong ropes.
" What goes around comes around, old friend. Always remember that. While you're alive, anyway. Ms. Smith, please proceed," he said as he turned again.
With practised dexterity, the lady slit the ropes binding Mr. Kilonzo's feet, picked him up and led him to the window at gunpoint.
" Seeing as I can't lie to a dying man, I will try to say something appropriate, regardless of the fact that it is an untruth. It's been a pleasure knowing you, Simon," Michael said as he walked away.
Kayla urged Mr. Kilonzo to the edge of the window sill with her gun pressing into his back. In his mind, he could hear his heartbeat amplified until he heard nothing else but its panicked rhythm. His forehead was drenched in a nervous sweat;his mouth was moving, but no sound came out. Kayla said, "Time to meet your Maker." He managed to choke out an " Already?" before she pushed him. He fell screaming.
********************
Matthias was woken up on Sunday morning by a knock on his door. Groggily, he picked up his phone to look at the time. 11? Thank God it was Sunday. Still in his boxers, he answered the door.
" Kim! - oh, I mean Kayla." It was still hard to tell them apart.
" Don't bowl me over with enthusiasm, please." Kayla said as she sashayed into his room.
" What are you doing here?" He asked, shutting the door. He was still sleep-drugged and confused, but Kayla? In his room? Recipe for trouble.
" So polite." Her eyes glowed dark, almost purple. She smiled softly-then abruptly, she said," My boss wants to see you. Get a move on." Before he could get a word in edgewise, she continued, '' And unless you have a death wish, you'll come with me."
Episode 4
The tide was coming in. The waves rolling across the sea, causing its glassy surface to undulate periodically. They came in fast, crashing onto the sandy beaches with a loud roar that usually startled city dwellers who came to the coast to laze off their troubles. Matthias was one of those city dwellers that day. He was on holiday for the first time in his life. The fruits of his labour were truly sweet.
And yet, all he could think about was the two women in his life.Most men would love to be in his place, two beautiful women literally offering themselves to him on a silver platter. But for Matthias, it was driving him nuts. Tanya was constantly attentive, fantastic in bed and her usual entrancing self; so much so that he was beginning to remember how good the old times were.
As all this went on in his head, he watched as Kim swam and played in the ocean. From his vantage point on the seawall of the hotel, he was awed by Kim's beauty. He couldn't understand why after being with her for two and a half months, her beauty still cast an overpowering spell on him. Maybe the phrase 'drop-dead gorgeous' had been made especially for her.
Matthias continued to think about other choice phrases to describe Kim.Just then, she got out of the ocean and walked up the beach to the seawall. " What're you laughing at all by your winking lonesome?" Kim inquired as she grabbed the towel Matthias had been holding for her.
"Nothing much. Just trying to put words to your ravishing looks in my head," he replied, at her. Kim shook her hair, sending drops of saltwater his way." Hey, don't drown me! The ocean has dibs on that opportunity!" Matthias joked as he moved away quickly. Kim snatched up two handfuls of wet sand and threw them at him. He dodged them and threw back a handful.They chased each other all over the beachfront with handfuls of sand, ignoring disgruntled tourists and old ladies sunbathing. It felt ridiculously like a scene from a cheesy romance flick, but he didn't care. He was with Kim, and that was all that mattered.
Wait a minute, he thought, rudely pulled out of his blissful reverie. Was he seeing double? He was trying to wrap his head around the fact that...that...there were TWO Kims on the beach. And the other one was making her way towards them. He was frozen in puzzlement. The only difference between them was Kim, his Kim, had silver green eyes, while the...impersonator's, as she came closer, he noticed, were a deep, beautiful shade of lilac-grey. Beautiful, but sinister.
Kim number two covered Kim's eyes. Matthias resisted his alpha male protective instincts to tackle her to the ground. "Guess who?" she purred silkily as Kim froze.
" Um...gimme a clue at least..." Kim said as she felt the fingers on her eyes.
" England, Ireland..." Kim number two started to sing a nursery rhyme.
" Scotland, Wales! Kayla!" squealed Kim as she tore off Kim number two's - Kayla's - hands. They embraced excitedly.
Kayla?...
" Oh my goodness! You've grown so big so fast! How've you been? And who is the hunk of man?" asked Kayla as she gave Matthias an appreciative once-over with her eyes.
" This is my hunk of man. His name is Matthias. Babe, meet my long lost sister Kayla," Kim said as she stepped over to Matthias and wrapped her arms around him.
" Mmhmm, girl, your taste so got better with time!" They both laughed. " So what're y'all doing here?"
" We're on holiday. Matthias planned a romantic getaway just for us." Kim replied as she looked into Matthias' eyes, the love evident in her voice.
Matthias in the meantime was still dumbstruck. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't even raise his hands to rub his eyes. There were suddenly a whole lot of questions that needed answering. The conversation continued to pass over him.
" So sis, where are you staying?"
" At the Sai Rock. You?"
" We're in the same hotel! What a coincidence!" said Kim excitedly. Yeah right, thought Matthias.
" Shall we head there and have a drink?" Kayla suggested as she turned in the direction of the hotel.
" Great! Let's just get our stuff." They walked up the beach, ladies chatting and Matthias in tow.
" Does your man have a voice of his own or is he a silent surprise?" joked Kayla as they sat down at the bar.
" Tongue-tied by our beauty, I guess." They laughed, The exact same laugh. "I need to go to the ladies'. Be right back-get acquainted, you two." Kim got up, winked at Matthias and left.
Kayla contemplated him silently, sipping her apple martini. He stared at his sandaled feet. " You know," she finally said, " you're a terrible actor."
" You're a terrible surprise."
" Ah, the tomb speaks. We all have secrets."
" You more than some?"
" Touchy, aren't we."
" I just want answers."
" Which you will get if you can at least keep your cool. I thoufht in our line of work you would have learnt how by now.You and I know about that night. You want to protect my precious little sister? Then get a grip, you moron. Ah, Kim." She was back. " We were just talking about you." Kayla smiled.
And yet, all he could think about was the two women in his life.Most men would love to be in his place, two beautiful women literally offering themselves to him on a silver platter. But for Matthias, it was driving him nuts. Tanya was constantly attentive, fantastic in bed and her usual entrancing self; so much so that he was beginning to remember how good the old times were.
As all this went on in his head, he watched as Kim swam and played in the ocean. From his vantage point on the seawall of the hotel, he was awed by Kim's beauty. He couldn't understand why after being with her for two and a half months, her beauty still cast an overpowering spell on him. Maybe the phrase 'drop-dead gorgeous' had been made especially for her.
Matthias continued to think about other choice phrases to describe Kim.Just then, she got out of the ocean and walked up the beach to the seawall. " What're you laughing at all by your winking lonesome?" Kim inquired as she grabbed the towel Matthias had been holding for her.
"Nothing much. Just trying to put words to your ravishing looks in my head," he replied, at her. Kim shook her hair, sending drops of saltwater his way." Hey, don't drown me! The ocean has dibs on that opportunity!" Matthias joked as he moved away quickly. Kim snatched up two handfuls of wet sand and threw them at him. He dodged them and threw back a handful.They chased each other all over the beachfront with handfuls of sand, ignoring disgruntled tourists and old ladies sunbathing. It felt ridiculously like a scene from a cheesy romance flick, but he didn't care. He was with Kim, and that was all that mattered.
Wait a minute, he thought, rudely pulled out of his blissful reverie. Was he seeing double? He was trying to wrap his head around the fact that...that...there were TWO Kims on the beach. And the other one was making her way towards them. He was frozen in puzzlement. The only difference between them was Kim, his Kim, had silver green eyes, while the...impersonator's, as she came closer, he noticed, were a deep, beautiful shade of lilac-grey. Beautiful, but sinister.
Kim number two covered Kim's eyes. Matthias resisted his alpha male protective instincts to tackle her to the ground. "Guess who?" she purred silkily as Kim froze.
" Um...gimme a clue at least..." Kim said as she felt the fingers on her eyes.
" England, Ireland..." Kim number two started to sing a nursery rhyme.
" Scotland, Wales! Kayla!" squealed Kim as she tore off Kim number two's - Kayla's - hands. They embraced excitedly.
Kayla?...
" Oh my goodness! You've grown so big so fast! How've you been? And who is the hunk of man?" asked Kayla as she gave Matthias an appreciative once-over with her eyes.
" This is my hunk of man. His name is Matthias. Babe, meet my long lost sister Kayla," Kim said as she stepped over to Matthias and wrapped her arms around him.
" Mmhmm, girl, your taste so got better with time!" They both laughed. " So what're y'all doing here?"
" We're on holiday. Matthias planned a romantic getaway just for us." Kim replied as she looked into Matthias' eyes, the love evident in her voice.
Matthias in the meantime was still dumbstruck. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't even raise his hands to rub his eyes. There were suddenly a whole lot of questions that needed answering. The conversation continued to pass over him.
" So sis, where are you staying?"
" At the Sai Rock. You?"
" We're in the same hotel! What a coincidence!" said Kim excitedly. Yeah right, thought Matthias.
" Shall we head there and have a drink?" Kayla suggested as she turned in the direction of the hotel.
" Great! Let's just get our stuff." They walked up the beach, ladies chatting and Matthias in tow.
" Does your man have a voice of his own or is he a silent surprise?" joked Kayla as they sat down at the bar.
" Tongue-tied by our beauty, I guess." They laughed, The exact same laugh. "I need to go to the ladies'. Be right back-get acquainted, you two." Kim got up, winked at Matthias and left.
Kayla contemplated him silently, sipping her apple martini. He stared at his sandaled feet. " You know," she finally said, " you're a terrible actor."
" You're a terrible surprise."
" Ah, the tomb speaks. We all have secrets."
" You more than some?"
" Touchy, aren't we."
" I just want answers."
" Which you will get if you can at least keep your cool. I thoufht in our line of work you would have learnt how by now.You and I know about that night. You want to protect my precious little sister? Then get a grip, you moron. Ah, Kim." She was back. " We were just talking about you." Kayla smiled.
Episode 3
The old mansion sat in between the rolling hills of the countryside. A long winding driveway leading to the house, where the royals of yore had driven their prancing horses up to the mansion had lost its pristine glory. The gravel was overgrown with weeds and grasses; the brazen lampposts that lined the driveway green with age and the once white glass globes above them broken and brown with layers of dust. Mathias noticed all this in the moonlight that intermittently flooded the opening where the mansion was.
‘Thank God for clouds’ he thought as he snuck up to the house in the shadows the aged trees surrounding it made. ‘Another day. Another dollar. Another night, another nickel? Corny.”
That night was not unlike other nights. In fact, it was more ordinary than most. All he had to do was get in, look for valuables if any, and then as usual, burn the house down. Or rather, burn the mansion down as it was in that case. His employer needed the property declared condemned so he could buy it at a throwaway price and develop it- in other words, make a killing. All in a day’s work.
After a thorough search of the house, Mathias came up with nothing. What looked like an antique cabinet turned into a decrepit ruin once he touché it. It fell apart even before he could open one of the drawers. Just as he was about to begin the work of setting the explosives, Mathias heard a sound. ‘Damnit. Someone’s here’ Steathily, he hid in the shadows. Light footsteps came up the stairs, sounding like they also had something to hide. A slight figure crept into the room. It walked the window, put down a bag and began to assemble something. A shaft of moonlight coming in through a broken skylight in the ceiling caught a lock of thick hair falling in sensual waves.
“Kim?” he said incredulously “What the hell are you doing here?”
His voice startled the figure. The figure turned around to get a look at who was talking. The shaft of moonlight illuminated the figure’s face; the beautiful features were Kim’s. In a heartbeat, the woman turned around and jumped out of a nearby window.
‘Kim!” Mathias screamed as he ran to the window. He looked down, expecting to see her in a pool of blood. To his surprise, he saw nothing there. Looking towards the tree line, he saw a quickly retreating figure disappear into the shadows of the trees.
Mathias stood there for more than five minutes, dumbstruck by what had just transpired. He tried to process the events but they just refused to fall into place. He continued doing his work on the house with a half a mind. The other half was preoccupied with what happened in that room. Within ten minutes, he had wired up a pyrotechnic explosion which would leave no traces and incinerate the mansion. He walked out of the mansion, into the shade of a nearby tree then pushed the button that set off a series of dull explosions that soon turned the house into a towering column of orange-red flames. As Mathias crept away through the forest, his mind turning over and over again as he tried to comprehend what has happened, the sound of fire engines could be heard in the distance.
‘Maybe it wasn’t her I saw. Maybe…NO!” Thoughts ran through his mind as Mathias walked to the small motel where he had parked his car. There was no way he could have mistaken that face for someone else’s. The face that had been in his thoughts incessantly for the past three months? No way. He felt betrayed. She was hiding some part of her life from him. Ironic, since he had been doing the same. So what was the point of something so beautiful but based on lies? He needed to talk to her. But not just yet. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number so familiar he could do it with his eyes closed.
“Hello…Tanya? Can you come over to my place in like half an hour?” There was a pregnant pause. He could practically hear the wheels turning. “Sure.” Click. He would talk to Kim the next day.
They met 45 minutes later at Mathias’ place. Not a word was exchanged between them. From the moment that she walked in the door, their lips locked and the two fell on the couch in a passionate embrace. From then on, the scenario played itself out like an old romance novel. The next morning, Mathias realized his mistake when he woke up with Tanya lying in the bed with her head on his chest. He immediately regretted calling her and doing all that they had done the whole night. He wished he had given himself time to find out the truth before acting brashly. Mathias jumped out of the bed, waking Tanya in the process.
“That was brilliant baby” Tanya said as she got out of bed and put on a robe. She walked over to Mathias, who was looking at himself in the dressing table mirror, and wrapped her hands around his wide shoulders. “We should do this more often” she said in a seductive tone as she rubbed his bare shoulders and played with his hair.
“Tanya, I…” he was lost for words. It was brilliant and he knew it. She did that thing that she always did back in the day and it drove him as crazy as it always did…it was as if nothing at all had changed. But there was Kim. He tried again, “I don’t think…”
“Hush”, Tanya said as she placed a finger on his lips. “Listen, I know I hurt you. And…” her eyes clouded with tears as she remembered. “I can’t explain why I did what I did. Not right now anyway. But one day I promise you, I’ll tell you. I want to be with you.” She kissed him and held him close. “I’m not going to lose you again.” She then proceeded to help him forget everything except her.
Mathias walked into class an hour and forty minutes later. He was late again, but it had stopped bothering him a long time ago whether or not he made it to class in time. “That’s what tape recorders were made for” he mused as he exchanged silent hellos with his comrades. They would furnish him with a copy of the tape they were recording the day’s lecture on, at a cost of course. He reached into his pocket to get his IPod to listen to some music and came up with air. ‘Damn. Must have left in my room when I was rushing to make it for class.’ He thought s he settled in to listen to the lecturer droning on and on about the Kenyan economy.
At lunch time, he strolled to the cafeteria and bought a heavy lunch. He sat alone in a corner, eating slowly as he mulled over the tumultuous night he had the night before. As his mind wandered, he didn’t notice the slight figure sneaking up on him. All of a sudden, a pair of perfumed hands covered his eyes.
“Guess who?” a melodious voice purred. The auditory orgasm, unmistakable in its 16.7 million colors. “
“It must be a figment of my imagination.” Mathias replied as he slowly removed the hands from his eyes, holding them in his own as he stood up. He turned around and received a long, passionate kiss from her. While he recovered from it, she looked lovingly at him, her hands still clasped within his.
Mathias led Kim to the seat opposite his on the table and pulled out the chair for her.
“You’re such a gentleman” she commented as she sat down. Mathias went back to his own seat and sat.
“So how was your yester night?” Kim asked as she settled into the chair.
“Normal. Did some work and it was kinda difficult but I survived.” Mathias replied in a joking tone as he tried to mask the fear that had begun welling up inside him.
“So where were you yesterday?” He asked as he looked straight at Kim, searching her eyes for a glimmer which would confirm or dispel his fear. Kim looked straight at him and answered “I was stuck in bed with a bad migraine, remember I called you and told you about it?”
It was then that it hit Mathias that she had called him before he left for the mansion.
“Why are you asking honey? Something you not telling me?” Kim asked as she took his hand off the table with both her hands and started stroking it. He had been nervously tapping the table. ‘I saw you in the mansion yesterday and you aren’t even hurt after jumping out a second story window’ he said in his head as he said out loud “No. It’s nothing. Just thought I saw you on my way home”
So who was it he saw at the mansion?
‘Thank God for clouds’ he thought as he snuck up to the house in the shadows the aged trees surrounding it made. ‘Another day. Another dollar. Another night, another nickel? Corny.”
That night was not unlike other nights. In fact, it was more ordinary than most. All he had to do was get in, look for valuables if any, and then as usual, burn the house down. Or rather, burn the mansion down as it was in that case. His employer needed the property declared condemned so he could buy it at a throwaway price and develop it- in other words, make a killing. All in a day’s work.
After a thorough search of the house, Mathias came up with nothing. What looked like an antique cabinet turned into a decrepit ruin once he touché it. It fell apart even before he could open one of the drawers. Just as he was about to begin the work of setting the explosives, Mathias heard a sound. ‘Damnit. Someone’s here’ Steathily, he hid in the shadows. Light footsteps came up the stairs, sounding like they also had something to hide. A slight figure crept into the room. It walked the window, put down a bag and began to assemble something. A shaft of moonlight coming in through a broken skylight in the ceiling caught a lock of thick hair falling in sensual waves.
“Kim?” he said incredulously “What the hell are you doing here?”
His voice startled the figure. The figure turned around to get a look at who was talking. The shaft of moonlight illuminated the figure’s face; the beautiful features were Kim’s. In a heartbeat, the woman turned around and jumped out of a nearby window.
‘Kim!” Mathias screamed as he ran to the window. He looked down, expecting to see her in a pool of blood. To his surprise, he saw nothing there. Looking towards the tree line, he saw a quickly retreating figure disappear into the shadows of the trees.
Mathias stood there for more than five minutes, dumbstruck by what had just transpired. He tried to process the events but they just refused to fall into place. He continued doing his work on the house with a half a mind. The other half was preoccupied with what happened in that room. Within ten minutes, he had wired up a pyrotechnic explosion which would leave no traces and incinerate the mansion. He walked out of the mansion, into the shade of a nearby tree then pushed the button that set off a series of dull explosions that soon turned the house into a towering column of orange-red flames. As Mathias crept away through the forest, his mind turning over and over again as he tried to comprehend what has happened, the sound of fire engines could be heard in the distance.
‘Maybe it wasn’t her I saw. Maybe…NO!” Thoughts ran through his mind as Mathias walked to the small motel where he had parked his car. There was no way he could have mistaken that face for someone else’s. The face that had been in his thoughts incessantly for the past three months? No way. He felt betrayed. She was hiding some part of her life from him. Ironic, since he had been doing the same. So what was the point of something so beautiful but based on lies? He needed to talk to her. But not just yet. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number so familiar he could do it with his eyes closed.
“Hello…Tanya? Can you come over to my place in like half an hour?” There was a pregnant pause. He could practically hear the wheels turning. “Sure.” Click. He would talk to Kim the next day.
They met 45 minutes later at Mathias’ place. Not a word was exchanged between them. From the moment that she walked in the door, their lips locked and the two fell on the couch in a passionate embrace. From then on, the scenario played itself out like an old romance novel. The next morning, Mathias realized his mistake when he woke up with Tanya lying in the bed with her head on his chest. He immediately regretted calling her and doing all that they had done the whole night. He wished he had given himself time to find out the truth before acting brashly. Mathias jumped out of the bed, waking Tanya in the process.
“That was brilliant baby” Tanya said as she got out of bed and put on a robe. She walked over to Mathias, who was looking at himself in the dressing table mirror, and wrapped her hands around his wide shoulders. “We should do this more often” she said in a seductive tone as she rubbed his bare shoulders and played with his hair.
“Tanya, I…” he was lost for words. It was brilliant and he knew it. She did that thing that she always did back in the day and it drove him as crazy as it always did…it was as if nothing at all had changed. But there was Kim. He tried again, “I don’t think…”
“Hush”, Tanya said as she placed a finger on his lips. “Listen, I know I hurt you. And…” her eyes clouded with tears as she remembered. “I can’t explain why I did what I did. Not right now anyway. But one day I promise you, I’ll tell you. I want to be with you.” She kissed him and held him close. “I’m not going to lose you again.” She then proceeded to help him forget everything except her.
Mathias walked into class an hour and forty minutes later. He was late again, but it had stopped bothering him a long time ago whether or not he made it to class in time. “That’s what tape recorders were made for” he mused as he exchanged silent hellos with his comrades. They would furnish him with a copy of the tape they were recording the day’s lecture on, at a cost of course. He reached into his pocket to get his IPod to listen to some music and came up with air. ‘Damn. Must have left in my room when I was rushing to make it for class.’ He thought s he settled in to listen to the lecturer droning on and on about the Kenyan economy.
At lunch time, he strolled to the cafeteria and bought a heavy lunch. He sat alone in a corner, eating slowly as he mulled over the tumultuous night he had the night before. As his mind wandered, he didn’t notice the slight figure sneaking up on him. All of a sudden, a pair of perfumed hands covered his eyes.
“Guess who?” a melodious voice purred. The auditory orgasm, unmistakable in its 16.7 million colors. “
“It must be a figment of my imagination.” Mathias replied as he slowly removed the hands from his eyes, holding them in his own as he stood up. He turned around and received a long, passionate kiss from her. While he recovered from it, she looked lovingly at him, her hands still clasped within his.
Mathias led Kim to the seat opposite his on the table and pulled out the chair for her.
“You’re such a gentleman” she commented as she sat down. Mathias went back to his own seat and sat.
“So how was your yester night?” Kim asked as she settled into the chair.
“Normal. Did some work and it was kinda difficult but I survived.” Mathias replied in a joking tone as he tried to mask the fear that had begun welling up inside him.
“So where were you yesterday?” He asked as he looked straight at Kim, searching her eyes for a glimmer which would confirm or dispel his fear. Kim looked straight at him and answered “I was stuck in bed with a bad migraine, remember I called you and told you about it?”
It was then that it hit Mathias that she had called him before he left for the mansion.
“Why are you asking honey? Something you not telling me?” Kim asked as she took his hand off the table with both her hands and started stroking it. He had been nervously tapping the table. ‘I saw you in the mansion yesterday and you aren’t even hurt after jumping out a second story window’ he said in his head as he said out loud “No. It’s nothing. Just thought I saw you on my way home”
So who was it he saw at the mansion?
Episode 2
The rays of the dawn filtering in through the leaves of the tree outside his window, dancing on the wall opposite his bed reminded Mathias of the image the word ‘fairy’ conjured in his mind. With a start, he thought out aloud ‘Wait a minute, is it morning already?’ Uttering a colorful expletive, he leapt out of bed and dashed in to the shower.
By the time he got to class, only 45 minutes remained until its end. He slipped into the back of the lecture hall, got a seat in a partly hidden spot then tried to catch up. Fortunately, in UON, the lecturers never took attendance so he would not be penalized for coming in late.
“Girl I’m in love with you, but this ain’t no honeymoon…” The words of his favorite John Legend song played in Mathias’ head repeatedly. He felt the urge to listen to the song, so he pulled out his MP3 player, plugged in the earphones and slipped one into his left ear. As the soulful melodies floated in, his mind wandered to the events of the past few days. He could not believe that a week had passed since that fateful night that he had met Kim. Time had flown by so fast.
He chuckled to himself a bit when he remembered what happened the day after their first meeting.
Mathias had called Kim that evening on the premise of arranging a way for him to get his coat back. Of course, it ended up being some kind of an unofficial date. It turned out absolutely disastrous. They agreed to go to an out-of-the way Chinese joint where the chef cooked the food in front of you. When they arrived at the restaurant, they could not find a place to park Kim’s car, which forced them to park what seemed like a kilometer away and walk back to the restaurant. When Mathias was getting out of the car, his pants were caught in the door and the right side was ripped. When they got to the restaurant, they had to wait for about 45 minutes to get a table because the place was full to the brim. 20 minutes later, when their food was finally ready, Kim’s hair got in the way of one of the candles… they decided to bow to Destiny’s will and leave. After that, the night got better, especially when they went to Tamasha.
Mathias smiled, then frowned almost immediately as the next song began playing-Killing me Softly, Tanya’s favorite song. Tanya was Mathias’ proverbial thorn in the side. She was the splinter that dug itself deeper, the harder you tried to get it out. They had gone out for a long time way back when Mathias was a freshman. At the time, she was in the third year. Mathias had thought he was so cool because he had an older chick while his contemporaries were fighting with the older students for the scarce resource of freshmen girls.
Their relationship, more of a fling than anything, lasted longer than either of them expected it to. He knew that she stayed on because the loving was too good. A mischievous grin came to his lips as he remembered how they would start in the kitchen, move to the living room, the bedroom, then finish in the shower.
So why had he stayed? Granted, she was a vixen, and her touch sent shock waves up his spine to his brain. Yet… there had been something there. Or so he thought.
One morning, after a particularly passionate night at her place, Tanya turned to him and smiled that languid sexy smile.
“Was it good”, she asked as she ran her polished nails on his bare chest. He laughed to cover his discomfort. He hated being asked.
“Why do you ask?” he asked in reply. Tanya got up and began dressing.
“Coz it was the last time” she replied as she wiggled into her jeans.
Mathias remembered bolting out of bed, throwing his clothes on quickly and walking out without a word to her. She did not even try to follow him out and explain anything. That marked the end of that torrid relationship. Tanya still called him once in a while when she was feeling particularly lonely. Mathias never did like booty calls so he never did reply to her advances.
All that was in the past now so Mathias put Tanya out of his thought sand began thinking of his lunch date with Kim. That date was to be official date number one. He hoped that Murphy’s Laws would take a break so that he could enjoy the food and Kim’s company at that new pizza place where they had agreed to meet. At that point, the lecture ended and the silent lecture hall erupted into a cacophony of desks moving, people shouting and chatting as they left the hall in groups. Mathias walked out alone as he thought about Kim. He just could not keep his mind off her any more. Her hair reminded him of the ocean waves as the tide came in at a brilliant seaside sunset. Her eyes like two incandescent pools of expression and emotion…
“Excuse me, Mathias? Hi, my name is John. Sorry to hear about Mr. Njuguna. He was one of my favorite lecturers. Si I’ll see you around?”
The voice passed as quickly as it came. Mathias’ bubble of love and happiness broke like a watermelon that a hippopotamus sat on. He came crashing back into reality, with lead weights to tie him down. His secret was finally out.
Mr. Njuguna had been Mathias’ boss. Though he was in university, Mathias has a couple of things that he did on the side. Some of them weren’t exactly pleasant. They could even be called unsavory or seedy- in other words, they might not hold up under a moral microscope.
Mathias and a couple of his friends had formed a ‘club’ when they were second year students. This ‘club’ took care of things that people didn’t want to take care of by themselves. They were mercenaries for hire.
That night when Mr. Njuguna died, Mathias was with him. It was the night he had met Kim. Only he knew the full story behind Mr. Njuguna’s death. This is why he would never tell his club mates the truth.
By the time he got to class, only 45 minutes remained until its end. He slipped into the back of the lecture hall, got a seat in a partly hidden spot then tried to catch up. Fortunately, in UON, the lecturers never took attendance so he would not be penalized for coming in late.
“Girl I’m in love with you, but this ain’t no honeymoon…” The words of his favorite John Legend song played in Mathias’ head repeatedly. He felt the urge to listen to the song, so he pulled out his MP3 player, plugged in the earphones and slipped one into his left ear. As the soulful melodies floated in, his mind wandered to the events of the past few days. He could not believe that a week had passed since that fateful night that he had met Kim. Time had flown by so fast.
He chuckled to himself a bit when he remembered what happened the day after their first meeting.
Mathias had called Kim that evening on the premise of arranging a way for him to get his coat back. Of course, it ended up being some kind of an unofficial date. It turned out absolutely disastrous. They agreed to go to an out-of-the way Chinese joint where the chef cooked the food in front of you. When they arrived at the restaurant, they could not find a place to park Kim’s car, which forced them to park what seemed like a kilometer away and walk back to the restaurant. When Mathias was getting out of the car, his pants were caught in the door and the right side was ripped. When they got to the restaurant, they had to wait for about 45 minutes to get a table because the place was full to the brim. 20 minutes later, when their food was finally ready, Kim’s hair got in the way of one of the candles… they decided to bow to Destiny’s will and leave. After that, the night got better, especially when they went to Tamasha.
Mathias smiled, then frowned almost immediately as the next song began playing-Killing me Softly, Tanya’s favorite song. Tanya was Mathias’ proverbial thorn in the side. She was the splinter that dug itself deeper, the harder you tried to get it out. They had gone out for a long time way back when Mathias was a freshman. At the time, she was in the third year. Mathias had thought he was so cool because he had an older chick while his contemporaries were fighting with the older students for the scarce resource of freshmen girls.
Their relationship, more of a fling than anything, lasted longer than either of them expected it to. He knew that she stayed on because the loving was too good. A mischievous grin came to his lips as he remembered how they would start in the kitchen, move to the living room, the bedroom, then finish in the shower.
So why had he stayed? Granted, she was a vixen, and her touch sent shock waves up his spine to his brain. Yet… there had been something there. Or so he thought.
One morning, after a particularly passionate night at her place, Tanya turned to him and smiled that languid sexy smile.
“Was it good”, she asked as she ran her polished nails on his bare chest. He laughed to cover his discomfort. He hated being asked.
“Why do you ask?” he asked in reply. Tanya got up and began dressing.
“Coz it was the last time” she replied as she wiggled into her jeans.
Mathias remembered bolting out of bed, throwing his clothes on quickly and walking out without a word to her. She did not even try to follow him out and explain anything. That marked the end of that torrid relationship. Tanya still called him once in a while when she was feeling particularly lonely. Mathias never did like booty calls so he never did reply to her advances.
All that was in the past now so Mathias put Tanya out of his thought sand began thinking of his lunch date with Kim. That date was to be official date number one. He hoped that Murphy’s Laws would take a break so that he could enjoy the food and Kim’s company at that new pizza place where they had agreed to meet. At that point, the lecture ended and the silent lecture hall erupted into a cacophony of desks moving, people shouting and chatting as they left the hall in groups. Mathias walked out alone as he thought about Kim. He just could not keep his mind off her any more. Her hair reminded him of the ocean waves as the tide came in at a brilliant seaside sunset. Her eyes like two incandescent pools of expression and emotion…
“Excuse me, Mathias? Hi, my name is John. Sorry to hear about Mr. Njuguna. He was one of my favorite lecturers. Si I’ll see you around?”
The voice passed as quickly as it came. Mathias’ bubble of love and happiness broke like a watermelon that a hippopotamus sat on. He came crashing back into reality, with lead weights to tie him down. His secret was finally out.
Mr. Njuguna had been Mathias’ boss. Though he was in university, Mathias has a couple of things that he did on the side. Some of them weren’t exactly pleasant. They could even be called unsavory or seedy- in other words, they might not hold up under a moral microscope.
Mathias and a couple of his friends had formed a ‘club’ when they were second year students. This ‘club’ took care of things that people didn’t want to take care of by themselves. They were mercenaries for hire.
That night when Mr. Njuguna died, Mathias was with him. It was the night he had met Kim. Only he knew the full story behind Mr. Njuguna’s death. This is why he would never tell his club mates the truth.
Episode 1
This is what happens when you put 2 bored creatives in the back bench in Murej's class...
It was a moonless night. The weak light of the star field above could do nothing to dispel the oppressive darkness that enveloped every nook and cranny available. The forefathers would have called that an omen of course.
Mathias was the kind of man who didn’t care much for omens and old wives tales. He trekked through the night, silent like the darkness. In his mind he was thinking about the events of the day gone by. He wondered if he or any of his classmates deserved the news that he was going to deliver when he got to his hostel room. What an omen it was.
A dark blue sedan slipped through the darkness, lights switched off. Hadn’t it been for the low roar of its powerful engine, Mathias would have lost a limb or two or his life. He jumped off the road into a ditch just in time as the car flew by. As he struggled to get up out of the ditch, cursing under his breath the whole time, he heard the screech of tires on blacktop, door open and slam shut.
“Are you ok? I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He heard a voice akin to an auditory orgasm, sparks and all, say. As he climbed out of the ditch, the voice got a body. In the dim light of the brakes on her car, he marveled at the legs and the curves. Regardless of the fact that he could barely see her, he could tell that she was no plain Jane. Her dark hair fell in sensual waves around her face, hiding it within.
“Umm, excuse me. Are you okay?” she ventured again. He realized that he had been staring at her the whole time. He smiled.
“I’m fine. Just a small knock on the head. Nothing life threatening really.” ‘Stop babbling you fool’ he thought to himself.
“Well, can I at least give you a ride somewhere? A hospital maybe?” she asked, the concern sounding in her voice.
“I guess that you can give me a lift to my place. That’s where I was heading.” Mathias replied.
“Ok, jump into my car and give me the directions.” She replied, her tone of voice changing as relief set in.
In the dim light emanating from the dashboard of the car, her ethereal beauty captured Mathias. He couldn’t help but stare.
“My name is Kim by the way.” She said, trying to break the ominous silence that had enveloped the inside of the car.
“My name is Mathias by the way.”
“Sorry again for almost running you over. I don’t know what I was thinking driving without my lights on.”
“It’s ok. A small knock on the head is good for a man.” Mathias joked. She burst into giggles, her laughter sounding like an exotic waterfall in a faraway paradise. Mathias liked it.
“So where is this I am taking you?” Kim asked as she turned to look at him.
“The…the…the University of Nairobi hostels on Waiyaki way.” He stuttered, caught off guard by her striking beauty.
“Oh, so you’re a student?”
“Yes I am. Third year Economics.’
“You don’t say! Which classes do you take?…”
The conversation went on till the dark blue sedan pulled up outside Mathias’ hostel, the sound of gravel thrown up by its wide tires clattering against the foliage in front of the hostel breaking the stillness of the night. By then, Mathias had learnt that Kim was one of his classmates, albeit she was an evening student. During the day she worked at an advertising agency as a creative director.
“Umm…umm… Guess I’ll see you around?” Mathias asked as he got out of the car.
“I guess so. Sure” Kim answered.
With that, Mathias closed the car door and as it pulled away, he jerked himself out of a daydream and almost tripped over a bottle that was lying on the driveway. As always, hw had forgotten to ask for her number and he was dreaming of what would transpire if she suddenly turned her car around and came back. He turned and walked up to the door, reaching into his jacket pocket to get his room key. His hand grasped only cold air. Mathias quickly racked his brain, wondering where he might have left his jacket. That was when it hit him. He had forgotten his jacket in Kim’s car.
The next morning, life went on as usual. Mathias went on with his daily activities, but two things remained engraved on the fabric of his mind: his secret announcement and his chance encounter of the night before. He couldn’t forget her eyes. He couldn’t deceive himself that he wasn’t thinking about her. He would surreptitiously look carefully at every female who crossed his path and start every time a wave of dark hair caught his eye.
“Hi.” The auditory orgasm again, this time in Technicolor. In the light of the morning sun, Kim was even more beautiful than he could imagine. She made her way up to him, her smile dimming the sun’s rays. She opened her arms and gave Mathias a great big hug, shocking him once more.
“That was unexpected.” He remarked as he tried to regain his composure.
“I didn’t think we would meet again this soon. You forgot your coat in my car yester night. I was worried that you would freeze to death without it by the time I saw you again.” Kim said as she ran her hand along his shirt. The shy grin on her face confirmed her honesty.
“Then this must be my lucky day.” Mathias replied, great hallelujahs going off in his mind. “Was that an angel’s chorus? Nope, just an angel talking” he thought to himself.
“So I should get your number” Kim said as she pulled out her phone from her handbag.
“Huh?” Mathias was struck dumb by the fact that she was asking for his number.
‘Wait. It’s so that I can get my coat. Right.” He mused in his mind.
“You have class right now?” he asked.
“I’m late actually.” Kim replied. Again, the brilliant smile. Mathias had to remind his legs not to crumple under him. He gave her his number and said, “Flash me so that I can get yours.”
“I’ll talk to you as soon as I get out of class.” Kim said as she turned and walked off quickly towards the lecture halls. Mathias’ phone vibrated as she walked away. He took it out of his pocket with a smile, and then did a double take. Wait a minute, Tanya?
It was a moonless night. The weak light of the star field above could do nothing to dispel the oppressive darkness that enveloped every nook and cranny available. The forefathers would have called that an omen of course.
Mathias was the kind of man who didn’t care much for omens and old wives tales. He trekked through the night, silent like the darkness. In his mind he was thinking about the events of the day gone by. He wondered if he or any of his classmates deserved the news that he was going to deliver when he got to his hostel room. What an omen it was.
A dark blue sedan slipped through the darkness, lights switched off. Hadn’t it been for the low roar of its powerful engine, Mathias would have lost a limb or two or his life. He jumped off the road into a ditch just in time as the car flew by. As he struggled to get up out of the ditch, cursing under his breath the whole time, he heard the screech of tires on blacktop, door open and slam shut.
“Are you ok? I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He heard a voice akin to an auditory orgasm, sparks and all, say. As he climbed out of the ditch, the voice got a body. In the dim light of the brakes on her car, he marveled at the legs and the curves. Regardless of the fact that he could barely see her, he could tell that she was no plain Jane. Her dark hair fell in sensual waves around her face, hiding it within.
“Umm, excuse me. Are you okay?” she ventured again. He realized that he had been staring at her the whole time. He smiled.
“I’m fine. Just a small knock on the head. Nothing life threatening really.” ‘Stop babbling you fool’ he thought to himself.
“Well, can I at least give you a ride somewhere? A hospital maybe?” she asked, the concern sounding in her voice.
“I guess that you can give me a lift to my place. That’s where I was heading.” Mathias replied.
“Ok, jump into my car and give me the directions.” She replied, her tone of voice changing as relief set in.
In the dim light emanating from the dashboard of the car, her ethereal beauty captured Mathias. He couldn’t help but stare.
“My name is Kim by the way.” She said, trying to break the ominous silence that had enveloped the inside of the car.
“My name is Mathias by the way.”
“Sorry again for almost running you over. I don’t know what I was thinking driving without my lights on.”
“It’s ok. A small knock on the head is good for a man.” Mathias joked. She burst into giggles, her laughter sounding like an exotic waterfall in a faraway paradise. Mathias liked it.
“So where is this I am taking you?” Kim asked as she turned to look at him.
“The…the…the University of Nairobi hostels on Waiyaki way.” He stuttered, caught off guard by her striking beauty.
“Oh, so you’re a student?”
“Yes I am. Third year Economics.’
“You don’t say! Which classes do you take?…”
The conversation went on till the dark blue sedan pulled up outside Mathias’ hostel, the sound of gravel thrown up by its wide tires clattering against the foliage in front of the hostel breaking the stillness of the night. By then, Mathias had learnt that Kim was one of his classmates, albeit she was an evening student. During the day she worked at an advertising agency as a creative director.
“Umm…umm… Guess I’ll see you around?” Mathias asked as he got out of the car.
“I guess so. Sure” Kim answered.
With that, Mathias closed the car door and as it pulled away, he jerked himself out of a daydream and almost tripped over a bottle that was lying on the driveway. As always, hw had forgotten to ask for her number and he was dreaming of what would transpire if she suddenly turned her car around and came back. He turned and walked up to the door, reaching into his jacket pocket to get his room key. His hand grasped only cold air. Mathias quickly racked his brain, wondering where he might have left his jacket. That was when it hit him. He had forgotten his jacket in Kim’s car.
The next morning, life went on as usual. Mathias went on with his daily activities, but two things remained engraved on the fabric of his mind: his secret announcement and his chance encounter of the night before. He couldn’t forget her eyes. He couldn’t deceive himself that he wasn’t thinking about her. He would surreptitiously look carefully at every female who crossed his path and start every time a wave of dark hair caught his eye.
“Hi.” The auditory orgasm again, this time in Technicolor. In the light of the morning sun, Kim was even more beautiful than he could imagine. She made her way up to him, her smile dimming the sun’s rays. She opened her arms and gave Mathias a great big hug, shocking him once more.
“That was unexpected.” He remarked as he tried to regain his composure.
“I didn’t think we would meet again this soon. You forgot your coat in my car yester night. I was worried that you would freeze to death without it by the time I saw you again.” Kim said as she ran her hand along his shirt. The shy grin on her face confirmed her honesty.
“Then this must be my lucky day.” Mathias replied, great hallelujahs going off in his mind. “Was that an angel’s chorus? Nope, just an angel talking” he thought to himself.
“So I should get your number” Kim said as she pulled out her phone from her handbag.
“Huh?” Mathias was struck dumb by the fact that she was asking for his number.
‘Wait. It’s so that I can get my coat. Right.” He mused in his mind.
“You have class right now?” he asked.
“I’m late actually.” Kim replied. Again, the brilliant smile. Mathias had to remind his legs not to crumple under him. He gave her his number and said, “Flash me so that I can get yours.”
“I’ll talk to you as soon as I get out of class.” Kim said as she turned and walked off quickly towards the lecture halls. Mathias’ phone vibrated as she walked away. He took it out of his pocket with a smile, and then did a double take. Wait a minute, Tanya?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)