Of late, I can’t seem to gauge where my preference lies, I find myself staying up past 11pm and waking up at 6am like clockwork but not getting out of bed until 7am.
So, day and night…morning and night?
I don’t know. I am grateful that I experience both.
She looked up and saw a man fighting with his spirit to remain upright. In his hand was a small gourd, no doubt whatever was in it was responsible for his swaying and not the wind. She shook her head and smiled.
“Why are you following me?” she asked.
“Me? Follow you? Enhe, stretch out your feet and place them against mine, do they fit? Does it look like I can step where you have stepped with those tiny feet?”
“Well, then, it was nice meeting you, do not follow me if you want to keep your throat!”
“Enhe! Wait…just wait daughter of the most beautiful one, you should not go back right now.”
“I see, so you are following me and where do you think I am going back to?”
“You are as stubborn as the donkeys that we whip! Look, I don’t care what you think of me, but I find it easier to be dismissed by fools not by wise ones. So I will tell you again, you should not go back right now, if you like, you can ask me why.”
“Why?”
“Because it is not yet time and why would you leave the one you love in the hands of the one who wants to sway his heart towards her?”
“That, like the rising and setting of the sun is none of your concern, what worries me is why you hide behind the drink when you do not worship it.”
“Ah, I always knew you were a smart thing, but Enzi is the kingdom of fools and do you know what happens to anyone who thinks otherwise? We bind them, pour ash on them and strike them until they go mad and then we summon the entire kingdom to prove we were right.”
“Shoka, son of Imara…it is a pleasure to finally meet you.”
“Naima, daughter of the most beautiful one, Queen of Enzi, ruler of the four kingdoms, daughter of the sun, friend of the moon and fearer of none…the pleasure is all mine.”
“Just call me Naima and would you keep that gourd away? You are neither a drunk nor a mad man, now tell me why I should not go back to Enzi and do not remind me of the plot between Zuriand the Queen of Yajayo to keep Zola in custody until I return. I know all too well when a girl yearns for a man, or have you forgotten that the wicked witch of Enzi has four daughters?”
“Princess, you sell yourself short…sometimes we have to fight ourselves to get what we deserve.”
“Zola can decide for himself.”
“Have you made yourself an option my Princess?”
“Do I have to?”
“Oh, beautiful one…many men may fall at your feet, but the one you want to look into your eyes should know that you choose to lift them off the ground. The one who so yearns to be with you needs to know that you’ll fight for him just as much as you are fighting for yourself, the memory of your mother and the women of Enzi…didn’t anyone ever teach you that?”
Love is the lightning the gods use to test men. You get distracted by the thunder and before you know it, you’ve missed the flash of light.
Almasi told everyone this.
It was his life’s song, like the sirens that came before him, he sang it to himself and more so to others, but they all knew the truth. Their eyes saw what love was before he could and they too knew that the gods were unforgiving and so they never dared speak against him. He was to them the moon that lit up the sky, the tiny flashes of light embodied in the millions of stars that graced the night sky…oh, and when he sang, oh when he sang, the devil danced!
Every night Almasi would sit by the shores of the lake and count the stars until he drifted off to sleep. The daughter of the lake was yet to open her eyes, but the slow movements of her chest told him she had life in her…she was simply taking her time to make the life known.
So, he slept by the lake…his thoughts going from the life he lived to his beloved and sometimes when he could not reign his fire, he’d accept the company of a maiden who was willing to share the fire and warmth between her legs…oh, how he buried himself in the memory of Nalia.
I had a simple task; tell Javans about this crush I’ve had on him. I could have, in fact, I should have but I cannot. I should have told my friends so, but between Javans saying he was partying all through the weekend with his girlfriend and inviting me to tag along, I could clearly see that he was taken with her. He did not deserve to be given options when he could make a choice and stick with it. I told Maggie just this.
However, I should have known that Maggie is not one to be told “not” to do anything. She went and told Javans about the crush I have on him.
I have not answered his calls or replied his text messages.
Now, he’s looking for me and I am doing everything to stay away from him, because the truth is I need time. Now that he knows, I prefer being his friend and would not want him to pursue me. Is there any level of cowardice as great as this?
nilichoandika 