Frankly Told: Quarter Life Moments pt.II
The mist still hang over the gardens. He stood by the balcony door with his back to the main door, facing the view. His silhouette was wrapped in a hotel gown under which he had some lounge pants.
He smiled at the sunrise with the way the rays cut so majestically through the trees and the white. The orange gave the view a glow that warmed up the room. He sipped his tea from his mug in a smooth strong pull. Capping it with a lip smack and a deep exhale.
On the table right next to him, his phone screen light up and it buzzed. He let it ring and watched the name scroll across the phone until the screen faded to black and the missed call notification beeped. He took a bite of the sausage off his plate and mid bite, the phone was up in fits again. He continued to chew and looked at the phone, irritation faintly written behind his eyes. The chewing became faster and harder.
The ringing cycle went round again and with a deep sigh he picked it up.
“Hello!” The other side spoke. “Hello my son!”
“Mh,” he grunted in response.
“Oh! You were still asleep,” she continued. “Sorry for waking you, I thought you were awake at this time.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “I’m not in the office today.”
“Not in the office?” she asked, surprised. “Again? How many days do you work in this job of yours? Because you are hardly ever in office. How do you make your money?”
“Don’t worry about that,” he took a deep sip. “ Haiya, what can I help you with?”
“Eh my son,” she retorted. “ Siwezi kujulia hali tu?”
“Ah, pole mum,” he quickly covered up. “I am okay. I’m doing okay. I just took a trip to clear my head.”
“Eh, what side of the world are you this time?” She shot.
“ I’m just here. Small small walking around,” he concealed.
“Haiya basi,” she accepted. “Anyway, I am calling you because I have a friend here who-"
“Ah ah, mum!” He interrupted.
“Skia,” she pushed.
“Okay fine,” he conceded.
“She has a daughter around your age,” she spoke urgently. “So we were at the market today and we were talking, me and my friend. You remember her? Yes. The daughter was with her and I kept wondering about you. You at your big age.”
“This again,” he lamented.
“Yes! I want my grand babies,” she poked. “I want to meet my daughter. You see, I did not bring you into this world to stop my line with you.”
“Aish,” he exclaimed.
“A man like you should have a wife, a car, a house, children…” she emphasized.
“Mum,” he tried to interrupt.
“ You are a good… man. Who has a good job, handsome but blows his money on luxuries. All these trips but you never take anyone but yourself. All these clothes and jewelry but it is never a ring for someone. My son…”
“Is this what you called me for?” He spoke after a beat of silence.
“Just meet her,” she said.
“Fine fine,” he said. “We can make arrangements when I am back. I should be back the day after tomorrow. We can make something happen.”
“That will make me very happy,” she said.
“Anything to make my mum happy, no?”
“Thank you my son. Good day and God bless you.”
He cut the phone, flipping it shut. He replaced the phone on the desk and his head fell into his hands.
A notification beeped on his phone.
“Your birthday is round the corner, make it your best year yet! Here are memories from 1 year ago.”
***
The girls piled up into the corridor of the contemporary apartments. They stopped right outside a door.
Knocking once, twice, thrice, the alcohol had definitely had began to flow in their bodies. They spoke energetically and when there was no response, they began to call her name.
After the third call and knocking, the latch dropped. The door swung ever so slowly to reveal a lady in her pajamas, a long silk gown that ran down to her ankles. She rubbed her eye and stretched out her body.
“What the hell are you guys doing?” She whispered harshly.
They hushed with giggles.
“We have come to collect you from the shackles of capitalism,” one of the three ladies started.
“It’s a Thursday,” she started.
“This is a polite one,” one of the girls argued.
“I still have work tomorrow,” she retorted.
“You have work everyday,” the first one jumped in. “Come out with us! I’m sure you will have fun. I hear your future husband will be there because he is back in the country.”
“You think that’s enough to get me out?” She tried to fight the smile. “You are greatly mistaken.”
“Oh come on!” The girls detested.
“It’s 11 pm,” she grabbed the door handle. “Goodnight!”
They grabbed the door before she closed it.
“Listen,” one of the friends said. “You are in your prime. A youthful, beautiful goddess. You are wasting away in this career that isn’t letting you live. If not now, when else? When you are 30 and married? You have cancelled on us 3 times! You owe us!”
She sighed and smacked her lips. They stood in the cold of the night holding on to a half-shut door. Her friends, looking at her a hop-skip and jump from the last ditch attempt to involve her. She held her father’s voice in protest. “You with all your enjoyment of life, you will never make it anywhere without me.” She shook the thought from her mind. Her heart resolved to not kill herself socially to try and scrape the bottom of the barrel for validation.
“Okay, let me get dressed then,” she sighed.
The friends whooped and all poured into her apartment as she started to get ready.
A half finished bottle was produced and she was marinated with it as she traded her cottons for a tight black dress and converse with a black cropped leather jacket.
As they waited for the cab, she looked at her friends. Her body warming up she couldn’t help but smile amidst her girlfriends.
Her phone beeped. A notification.
“Memories. One Year Ago, Today.”
