The year is ending and with 2 days to go, I need a new slate.
New year,don’t care. Well, I care, just a little,well maybe a lot,okay fine…I care!
He said he loved me, not once or twice or thrice but truth be told I saw it, and I felt it.
It was like blueberry ice-cream. It was sweet, tangy and blue, a swirl in the right direction.
I didn’t.
I couldn’t.
I wouldn’t, not because it was impossible, but because there was someone else. He was like vanilla. Sweet. Simple. True.
So, here’s the deal, I am starting on a new slate, buying new stationery, writing late into the night, listening to Rebecca Ferguson and sipping tea at odd hours. I am working on this story, a new plot, a fierce heroine, a loyal friend and a dramatic scene.
I am working on the story I never had the guts to tell, simply because I broke his heart when it was never my intention to just that, it was simply…untimely and my decision to ride solo had me miss out on “bae” texts, calls and gifts.
The bravest man is the one assured of his death. Wakoli, the village cobbler, was such a man. You never met him, but Wakoli could look at your shoe and stitch it in one motion, but the same hands could not hold a woman’s hand without his knees shaking.
It came as a surprise when he suddenly said that he wanted to return to his father’s land. We sat with him as one of his hands went into the shoe and the other the needle, pulling and fastening and fixing. He would say, “A man has no friends in this world,”every time he talked about his ancestral home. He would pick another shoe, look at it and smile.
“You can tell a lot about a man’s shoes. How he takes care of the things that protect his feet as he leaves footprints on the earth. Some shoes speak of love, others, misery, but my Father’s home is awaiting me.”Wakoli was not a day older than your Father, but his back was bent from all the stitching he did. He carried his sack of shoes waiting for his clients to come for them. The sack was old and torn but never did a shoe fall from it.
Wakoli was the wind. He came and went as he pleased. Everyone at home knew him, but even so, he was the only one who saw me beneath the busaa. No, that is not true, he was one of the few who saw me, your mother- Nyanam, was the other. She was the only woman who could carry ten pots of water and not complain of a stiff neck come dusk.
She would laugh until you felt as though Heaven was with you. When she cooked, the food would warm your soul, and she never let me sleep hungry. She would come to the busaa den looking for me, “Shemeji, you have to eat what I made today, you know you are the only one who appreciates my cooking, eh? Now how about a few mouthfuls then you can continue quenching your thirst?”
I remember making many plans and working on resolutions. It was going to be the year in which I published more books and had more visibility as an Author.
However, you know that life is what happens when you plan and something else occurs, right? So, when you ask me what have I learned this year? I’ll probably write a book about it, but here are some of the things I learned and I am still learning:
I am learning to always leave loved ones with loving words, to always get that hug, kiss or blessing because it might be the last time I see them.
I am learning that you can do something in the spur of the moment that will scar you for life.
I am learning that there is more to life than followers, like, mentions, retweets, reposts, comments and hashtags.
I am learning that ‘I want to marry you,’ is a declaration and not a proposal. It is more an intention and not an act. There is no rush to marry and it does not make me less of a woman if I am single and without a child at my age.
I am learning that money is a lousy way of keeping score. Success is not the number of cars, houses, clothes, bags, or bank notes someone has. It is the strong and positive relationships one has and sustains. God first and the others will follow.
I am learning that having money is not as cool as I thought it was. Money can buy houses but not homes. It can buy vacations but not peace of mind. And when you die, your family will still fundraise in order to bury you.
I am learning that attitude matters a lot, a good attitude can always get me out of situations I cannot control.
I am learning that there is no such thing as too much coffee and chocolate cake.
I am learning that ‘thank you’ is as important and valuable as ‘hello, how are you?’
I am learning that I am not just black, I am dark, bold and beautiful and it transcends what other people say of me.
I am learning that a pen+notebook and some alone time between the hours of (7-8am) and (7-9pm) helps advance my writing.
Her eyes were the moon that shone in the sky, a lone light wandering the dark skies, lighting the path for those returning home and those out to take what others have worked hard for.
When people spoke of her; their voices would tremble as though they were striking a chord, caressing a baby, or looking beyond the sun. I knew this woman. I knew she was royalty before I saw her. It was the words that preceded her arrival that haunt me to date.
They say there was none like Neema.
They call her The Crown of the Sea.
I do not know why, or how she came by that name- but I know she oozed power and freedom, a finality that clouded the air around her.
I haven’t completed this year’s NanoWrimo challenge. I had this great idea and plot and somewhere along the way, work became a priority and I could not catch up or meet the targets I set for myself.
So, what does that mean for Flowers in June? I will write it at my own pace. I set it up as this month’s challenge because:
I wanted to focus on writing that first draft.
I need discipline when it comes to my writing. I have been all over the place of late and that’s not my cup of tea.
Who gets flowers in June? Now, is that not something worth reading?
I had this idea for a novella and this felt like the ideal time to get writing.
So, now that the month’s coming to an end and all the Wrimos out there are drawing closer to their targets, I am left drinking coffee, listening to Formation by Beyonce and biting large chunks of cake. I am not going to strain myself to meet the target :-(.
I really wanted to get this done, but those 50,000 words are not yet here and they’ll not be come 30th of this month. On the bright side, I feel more relaxed knowing that I have managed to meet half of that and can always keep writing and improving the plot.
I won’t win the challenge this year, but I shall have mastered my emotions and given into the story, and I win all through, so thanks to NanoWrimo for that kind of pressure.
I saw this on The Happiest Pixel and let’s just say that her answers got me thinking I could do the same. For that Instalove and reading books, let’s do this!
Feed: Many people give a special theme to their Instagram feeds or none at all. Are most of the books you read the same genre or do you like to mix it up?
I love a good romance and I have often leaned towards that genre, but I do mix things up with some YA and Literary Fiction. I have never developed the taste for Sci-Fi but I’ll tweak them soon enough.
Filter: Most Instagrammers often put filters onto their photos to make them look vibrant and beautiful. Name a book with a stunning cover.
Following: On Instagram, users follow others to see what they post and basically for a little mash-up of their lives. Name a book character whose steps you always enjoy following.
I am not following anyone’s steps in a series, but while we are at it- I would love to read J.R.Ward’s ‘The Bourbon Kings.’
Image courtesy of Pinterest
Followers: Many celebrities have millions of Instagram followers. Name a hyped-up book read by thousands that you were hesitant to read, but ended up devouring.
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. I mean, who wouldn’t love Jace’s wit and sarcasm?
Direct message: DMs are often used to send pictures found on Instagram to others or simply just to chat. Name a book you always recommend to others.
Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe
Bio: Instagram bios can be up to 150 characters long and can be sued to give some general information about yourself. Name a book with a catchy blurb that hooked you in.
“Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the ‘Cemetery of Forgotten Books.’ –The Shadow of the Wind, Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Unfollow: Sometimes you’ll like someone’s feed at first but then you lose interest and decide to unfollow them. Name a book you liked at first, but over time, the love wore off.
Demon Kissed by H.M.Ward
Notifications: Whether you admit it or not, everyone loves and waits anxiously to see the pink notification button pop up at the bottom of their Instagram feed. Name an unreleased book that you have been anxiously waiting.
None at the moment.
Hashtag: Many Instagrammers use hashtags to get their photos out there, or just for fun. Create yourself a booksihs tag! It could be anything from just your blog’s name to something crazy spectacular!
Story: Many Instagrammers love using Instagram’s story feature to let their followers know what they are currently up to. Name a book you are currently reading!
I’m reading ” The Emperor’s Bones” by Adam Williams
Tag: Many people tag friends in their photos because they were together when the picture was taken, or simply just because. Tag 5 awesome bloggers that you’d like to see take on this tag!
nilichoandika 
