TWENTY FOUR HOURS

TWENTY FOUR HOURS
When I went up country for Christmas, something changed in me. More like, settled in me. I didn’t know if it was permanent or temporary, but I liked it.

*Daisy and I had promised each other that we would be each other’s dates for new year’s eve. If you’ve been keeping tabs on my blog, you know im single. Daisy is also single, and let me just say I am so proud of her for leaving her ex! He reminds me so much of Baby!!!

However when 31st came around I wasn’t feeling it at all. The rave that is. So many times in the last 2 months I have gone out and im like, “why am I here…” (on the rave). I didn’t have a man, the men on the rave were just not for me… and yeah, I was looking for a man. A lover , a friend, a companion. I knew what I wanted.
I would find myself staring into space, (on the rave) with this feeling of dread and loneliness and suddenly, I would want to go home. And when I got home, I was so happy to go to bed. This happened so many times and when I had enough of it, I just stopped going out. Again, whether it was permanent or temporary I didn’t know, but I was liking it

I started to think what I would replace this time with… the Friday and Saturday nights. Movies, my art, and … well that’s all I had. I was tired of the night scene and if anything, I have been a single girl partying for almost a year now and not met the kind of man I wanted. So if I changed my scene, maybe I would find my man right? Sounded convincing to me. Whatever. Man or no man, catch me dead on the rave on New Year’s Eve.

I ditched Daisy on 31st. I felt really bad because I would have loved to go to Naivasha with her but I also knew I would wind up being the party pooper; quiet, lonely, and lost in fantasy.

That night I stayed home alone with five candles, popcorn and Gabriel ‘coco’ Channel’s life story movie. I enjoyed myself to bits! At midnight, I watched the fireworks from my balcony, kissed my imaginary boyfriend and went to bed at 1 am.

On January 8th, 2011, I opted to leave Quinnz (after the rugby game at impala) before nightfall cuz I wasn’t interested in partying. I got home. What to do… decided to take out my art work. My parents were away for the weekend and so my brother *David was not home, and neither was the car…more time for me then. I spilled my art supplies on the floor and started to construct a view finder. It was ridiculously demanding and I was sweating and cursing but I loved it. At 10.30 pm David strolls in with the house shopping (really at 10.30?!!), tiptoes across the mess ive made on the floor and informs me, rather than asking, that he is having four friends over for a few drinks. I was cross with him!!! All my shit was on the floor and I was already half way and if I moved it would mess everything I had been working on. After an argument though, his boys were coming.

Ten minutes later, you could hear loud late night revelries from the parking lot. Surely I hadn’t even moved my stuff. A second later the door bell rang and a huge influx of youth splurged into the living room. This wasn’t four people. This was more like fourteen people!!!
Everyone was nice though, even the drunkish girl who walked over me rushing to the toilet as I was tried to pick up my art supplies. A few minutes later David was pouring me a drink and I was in on the fun. Well kinda… I decided to sit on the dining table away from the ‘celebrations’. A couple of times though a bunch of them would come and make small talk with me, which was cool.

I needed a cigarette. I went to the balcony. There was three guys sitting on the couch there but I couldn’t really see their faces because it was pitch black. How many fucking people are there here!

“Hi, I’m Garry,” the one on the furthest left said halfway standing up. And then the other two follwed.

“Hi… Hi… Hi… I’m Purple, David’s sister” I responded smiling.

I decided I was going to smoke on the other balcony at the back of the house behind the kitchen and made some lame excuse why. I didn’t want to smoke in front of these kids.

So I left.

As I sat on the stool at the back of the house and puffed away, I thought about Gary. Briefly. I didn’t see his face but he felt, over powering – to me. He had a huge frame and a deep voice. I lost trail of that thought and thought about David…his friends were really cool. They had already made me laugh so much in a span of like 30 min .

When I got back in, I saw Garry standing by the TV and my gaze froze. He was this might huge guy with a beautiful smile and dark skin. The way his eyes nose and mouth were placed on his face was just….amazing. He caught me staring and like I had been stung in my eye I turned away.

At some point, I went to the kitchen to refill. Garry walked in behind me and sat on the counter without invitation. He said hello, again, and I smiled… “Hey” and stopped my self from almost saying “kiddo!”

“So your David’s younger sister?” he asked.

“No, elder sister.” I smiled trying not to blush.

“oh really! So you’re the one he had to check with before we could come here?”

“Is that what he said he was doing?” I asked

“Yeah… Just before we came.”

As we spoke some more it turned out he was older than me. The girl who rushed into the bathroom and some other guy in the house were his siblings and he met my brother through them.

I watched him smile as he spoke, looking at how his mouth burst into a smile when I said something funny… His shoulders were so wide. I thought about lying on his chest. And his lips were full and unmistakably African. My mind was already racing to the future… he’s perfect, I thought. He laughed again and his deep voiced, almost childish laughter choired in my ears. I fell for him instantly. And he was flirting! What was that he said about my smile? That he liked it?

And just then, this girl walked into the kitchen and walked towards Garry. She placed her hands on his lap and they started to have this conversation. At this point one of David’s friends was yelling for me to go to the living room with the bottle of vodka. I obeyed immediately and walked away. I saw from the corner of my eye Garry follow me out of the kitchen with his gaze.

That girl must be his girlfriend, I thought. She was skinny and tall and had braces. She clad in a tight skimpy black dress and what seemed like ten inch heels.
Shame on him for flirting with me while his babe was around! I had seen them talk earlier and jump up to the same music.

I carried my drink to my room and sipped in agony. I asked God why he would bring such a handsome man on the path of my life and have him taken. I was upset more so because I had nobody. I had never been single for so long. Its been months!! And months.

I dozed off and woke up to a less noisy house. It was around 1 am. I went to the living room and found David and his two best friends, *shiko and *john in the living room laughing drunkedly. I asked where everyone was. What I really wanted to ask was where Gary was. My brother said that they went home. Oh well okay. I took a shower and after that, David came knocking on my door asking if I wanted to go to the rave with them. No way hozay, I said. Shiko and John then peeped into the room… come on David’s Big sis, lets just goooo. Im flyiying out tomorrow come on, John pleaded. I was adamant. I wasn’t going. But they wouldn’t budge. So I said okay okay but if I get bored im coming home! David was so excited. My brother and me and are only close when it comes to movies so seeing him excited to want to hang out with me made want to go.

Psys will always be Psys. Crowded, Loud music, hot, and familiar faces. That feeling of dread started to creep up on me. I shook it off. Can I atleast try and enjoy myself! I stood in the sea of people and thought how nice my bed would feel… and then I saw him. Garry. My heart did a BOOM BOOM BOOM BAM!!! There he was at the back in his black Chuck Bass jacket looking like a demigod. My god you are so handsome, I whispered to myself. Omigod this is fate. And then I saw Braces Babe appear next to him. Argh this chik!!! I double checked my outfit and pursed my lips trying to spread my red lip gloss. I tried to make him notice me by standing right in front of his eye level.
David suddenly shouted in my ear, distracting my thoughts, “there is Melany!” I had called her before leaving the house to ask her where she was just in case my brothers’ friends bored me. We had decided to meet up at Psys. I rushed to her and we hugged and I shouted in her ear, “I have just seen the most beautiful man in the world. She shouted back “WHEEEEEERE!!!” and I pulled her behind me and stood about three feet away from Garry with my back towards him. Facing Melany, I said “ this guy, right here” I pointed behind me, “…with the black jacket…”

Melany frowned, “This guy???!!!”
She was pointing right above my shoulder.
“I know this guy!!!” she shouted.
He was here, saying hello to Melany. They hugged. And then he looked at me. I could swear to God he looked at me with warm romantic eyes yah!
Just go with the flow its how I felt. And then he hugged me. My body vapourized. Oh lawd he was so big. I want to marry you. What did you say? Nice to see you? Where did you go, you left me in the kitchen?

Whaaaaaat? I asked!!

“You look sexy, I like your red mini dress”….!

“OHHHHH , Thanks.” I blushed until the inside of my vagina.

“Lets go outside its too hot in here!” he yelled

“Okay” I yelled back. “Wait what about your girlfriend?”

“Who?”

“that girl with the braces? And long hair? Black dress?”

“Oh *Mary!!! My COUSIN!”

“Your cousin?!”

“Are you saying I’m incestuous?!” he joked

“No!!!” I laughed!

He held my hand and led me outside. Behind him, I felt like a feather; light as air. I was looking at how his jeans lay on his butt. Omigod, this guy…!

We got to his car…

“Back seat?” he asked

“What?” I responded.

“Yeah, I lets talk” he said. No expression.

“Well I though you meant outside. On the side walk…”

“Come on, its okay” he said.

“hey look, im not some babe your gana, you know… at the back of a car.!”

“Okay… But I just wanna talk… I want to get to know you. We’ll sit in front then,”

I didn’t want to be pushy so I got in. But I couldn’t help but think that he was just like every other guy. I was not pleased.

10 minutes into talking though, we were getting along. He was so nice to talk to and he laughed at my jokes. I ramble sometimes… and he told me about himself and what he does. We taaaaaaaaalked and talked. About relationships, lust, school, movies fashion! And finally when I was comfortable, he leaned in for a kiss.
I melted like butter on toast.
We made out. And I mean made out. His demeanour was so large. He made the car feel cramped, that turned me on. He lifted me to the passenger’s side. Everything was so soft and slow and deep. And then he said, “ You know we really click…”
“yeah I guess”, I said trying to act indifferent. And he was like “where have you been all holiday?” woooo rooomance!!!
I started to panic cuz of the cops that normally come and bust people doing it in the car so I asked him to stop.

I walked back to the club to fix my hair and was hit by the familiar heat wave from the dance floor. When I found Garry again, he was waiting for me. We sat somewhere.

Did I mention that this was his last nigh in Kenya? That he was leaving for Melbourne Australia the next day ay 11pm? No?

I was devastated but too happy to mourn.
I asked if I was going to see him the next day at least to say goodbye. He said that he had to take his folks to church in the morning and then there’s a family lunch in the afternoon and then there’s I donno what in the evening and he needs to pack and his folks would be cross with him if disappeared on his last day.

“Well, if you really want to seeme like you say you do, you’ll find a way…”

My brother came to us and said that him and two other ppl were going to finish up the night at our place. He asked if I was coming with him. I said yeah of course and started to stand up.
Garry held my hand and asked me to stay “I’ll take you home Purple”
.
“No, why don’t you come over we hang out at my house?”

“ Okay, I’ll come but can I drive with you? In my car?”

“Yeah sure if we ‘re leaving now…” I said hoping that he would say yes. I didn’t want to let him go but also not wanting to give in too easy.

“okay.” He stood up and kissed me.

In the car was him, me and braces babe. She was very young. My brother’s age. Well im 22 and shes 19 so to me that’s youuuung. Garry had to drop her home. And then we would go to my house. It turned out she lives on the same street as Baby did.

As we were driving away from Brace Babes house approaching the main road, Garry said
“I live right across the road. We can go over to my house and hang out…I’ll bring u home in the cox.”

“Are you fucking kidding me!!! All this was cuz you wanted to chipo me?!!!” I was furious!!!
“No! your house is 2 min away from here I just thought that we can stay at mine for a little bit since your bro went with a mob back to your house…!”
“Take me home.”
“Come on, baby (I was baby now). It’s my last night… I just want to spend time with you.”
And then the flash of the cartoon/animation movies of the terrier dog and poodle was it, came to mind. There was this scene, it was the terrier’s last night; he was going to be put to sleep the next day. And he used this line to get the poodle to sleep with him. Or was it that movie with the dogs that talk, Look Who’s Talking?

“Oh coz its your last night your looking for a quick shag?!”

“No. I just want to cuddle. Didn’t you say you felt it too… this energy between us?” he said, all Barry White voiced.

“No way. Home. Please. If you want to see me, you can come tomorrow. If you don’t come well then there was no energy. Me I’m not a chipo, Wat the hell”

“Okay…. Fine. To your house then…” he said, sad.
He started the car.

“Wait…” his reverse psychology was working…

“Purple, I just want more time with you. Alone…” he said reinforcing his plea

“Okay…”

Without another word the car roared to life and we crossed the road straight to the other side.
2 minutes really was 2 minutes. More like 30 seconds. His house was right there. And it was BIG. It was pitch black but I could see the white of the house reflecting from the moonlight. We walked around a couple of corners. At the back of a wall he turned towards me and pinned me on the bricks and we kissed. My heart was beating so fast I thought I would run out of breath. He pressed onto me and I felt his erection. I was moist in my panties. Cuddling my ass!

He took my hand again and led me across this lawn to like a guest house. Out of nowhere, five dogs hopped towards us. “Shit theyre ganna bark!!!” I hissed.
“No, the wont.”
They licked my naked legs and one of them hopped onto Garry. He laughed. I fell even more for this man. Those of you who know me know my love for animals. He tried to shoo them away but they followed us to the door, also not making a sound as if they could tell that we were trying to be quiet.

Once in the house/room, Garry hugged me and said… “If you don’t want to do anything, we wont.” I didn’t respond. Of course this meant, I want us to fuck.

All I will say is that the rest is history.

This ginourmous man blanketed me. He was strong. Like a gentle beast. And everything I ever wanted. Everything I ever wrote about on my wish list to the universe, everything I dreamed about during boring meetings at work, everything.

At 9am, in his arms, we were woken up by a knock on the window. “GAARRRY! Weh, Garry get the fuck up.”
I was the first to wake up. I shook him to consciousness. “Whaaaat Sam!” Gary’s voice broke.
It was his little brother. He was telling Garry that he needed to wake up because he was taking everyone to church that day. And that he should remember that Mom wanted to talk to him about something important that day over lunch. Also, he should remember how he tells his little brother to be responsible and that now it was his turn to act responsibly.

“Shut up Sammy” He yelled from the bed. It was comical really. I looked at my watch. If my folks had been home there is no wayyyy I would have spent the night there. Another reason why I thought this was fate. If not fate at least something close.
“Tell her I’m not home and go away man”
“No I want to skive church! I’ve just come from Westy man. You take them to church and let me sleep here.” Sammy said into the window. In a family of eight children, I guess one kid missing from church could go unnoticed.
Garry woke up and marched to the window. One can’t see the bed from that specific window by the way… I then heard him hiss “I have a girl here okay, fuck off!”
And then Sammy’s voice tones down to a whisper too and I heard muffled laughter and slapping around. And whats that noise? Are those condoms being passed over.

Back in bed, on his wide chest, I tried to savour the moment. We started to chat.
It started to get emotional. He asked me if I would wait for him if he asked me too. I said yes. He went back and said that asking me to do that for him would be selfish… I said it felt like we knew each other for ages. He couldn’t agree more. After about an hour of trying to figure things out, I realised I was very much into this guy. My heart was already in love with him. Maybe not real love, but you know, fallacy love. My mind was fond of him. He asked me, how much I felt for him. I said 9, on a scale of 1 to 10. He said, “get to 11 baby. I’ll be waiting”

After everybody was in church, we walked out.

This was the first time I had ever been chipod. I was a chips funga and this right here to the car in my red mini dress in the scorching of the Sunday sun was my walk of shame. Garry opened for me the door and kissed me and then looked at me. He started to walk away and I pulled him back to me. “Please stay. You don’t start school till March right?”
“ I have to go. I need to work baby.”
He turned around and went to the driver’s seat.
We spoke very little on the way to my house. I held his hand but he seemed unresponsive. What the hell was wrong with him? Is this how chiboz are dumped? Oh god I should have known.
We got to my house. I’ll call you baby. He kissed me goodbye and left.

At 2pm, I went to Masai market and started to pick out stuff to give Garry. I know he said we couldn’t meet but I couldn’t sleep and I was thinking about him all day. Maybe I can give Daisy this stuff and shell mail it to him once she gets to Adelaide (Australia).
I bought a Tusker tshit, A ‘Proudly Kenyan’ Tshit and a key holder. Then I went home. I took a shower and went to bed. Garry Garry Garry Garry, that was what was in my head.

At 4.30pm, my cell rang. “Are you at home Baby?”
His voice thrust me into complete happiness! “YES YES I am…”
“I’m a minute from your house”
“Really?!!!”
“yeah?... I told you I’d come.”
“No you didn’t!”
“Yes I did” he was laughing. Oh that sweet laugh.
Whatever okay im home.

He walked into my bedroom and I planted the hugest kiss on him!

I showed him his presents. He was so excited about the Tshirts. Especially the Tusker one saying that they were like gold in Australia. We cuddled in bed for a long time talking.

We made love again and again.

His flight was at 11 pm. He was meant to be at the airport by 8pm. At 7.15pm he was in my arms and I was kissing the scars on his face when his phone rang for the a millionth time.
That was when we realised the time. He hadn’t even packed!

“Please stay!” I begged.
“I can’t baby!!!”

We hugged and held each other. I told him I could wait for him. He said that he cant let me do that because 11 months was a long time.
He asked me if I would be feeling him like this if he wasn’t leaving in 3 hours. I didn’t know what he was talking about. Of course I would! There is absolutely nothing about you that I do not like (wanted to say love). You’re perfect. But I know he was right. I am very stingy with guys and I play hard to get. I don’t approach, I wait to be approached etc etc… all these female empowerment books, I lived by them like they were my bible. But Gary was different. I didn’t care that I was begging him to stay. And I had never fallen this fast for anyone.

I walked him to his car. My brother was all awkward cuz this was his boy. Ok whatever.
We kissed. Not like we kissed in the bedroom. A quick, awkward kiss. And he disappeared. Gone.

I went to have a shower and I cried my lungs out. I cried so hard that my throat became sore. I thanked God for bringing Gary into my life but cursed Him for taking him away. I cried. I cried and cried. One hour later, I resurrected from the steam in the shower and went to bed.


I got a text from him, “That was the best 24 hours I have ever had”

I wanted to say, I LOVE YOU, don’t go, but I replied “I feel the same. Call me at the airport love”

We talked until the very last minute. And finally he texted and said, “Taking off with your heart, My Queen”.

I will never delete his messages from my phone.

I spent the next day, Monday 10th telling Daisy all about him. She was shocked. She couldn’t believe all this had happened. Every sentence had Gary in it. Every hour I checked my phone to see if he had called me from Bangkok where he connected his flight. I was resuming work on Tuesday the following day.

I was replaying every moment with him over and over. I looked at the pics we took before bed. I woke up wearing his jumper.

I went to work humming his name.

I need to snap out of this shit man. He’s gone. But I couldn’t.

Three hours ago, I was on my way home from work. Its Tuesday evening. My phone vibrated in my bag. I recognised the number, it was Australian. I screamed for the tout to stop fucking the car. I jumped out.
I picked up the phone

“HELLO!!!!!”

“Hey baby…”

“Gary!!!!” I shouted. I crossed the road and got into Jivanjee Gardens. Crazy how I crossed the road.
The first thing he said was “Dew, I’ve missed you so much”
Did he just call me Dew? That was my middle tribes name. My heart. Oh my heart. The way I felt when he said those words.

I was so happy to hear his voice.

After asking me how my day was, he said, I want to ask you something but you have to think about it okay…
“Okay”
“Purple I want you to be my girl…”
“Omigod whaaat!”
“Just think about it okay…”
“Okaay!!!!”
“cuz its gana be hard baby… if you want to, its gana be hard.”
“I knoooow… Omigod”
“I want to pay for a ticket for you to come here!”
“OH Christ Gary!”
“I haven’t even called my folks you know. I just landed. I miss you. Youre the only person I thought about for the entire flight. Do you want to be with me? Cuz if youre ready im ready.” Etc etc etc etc

I was so happy!
Oh shit I cant believe this.

Im in a spin right now.

With Love,
Purple