Chapter 1
Its a Saturday morning, at 05:55 the alarm goes off. The breeze outside is teasing for a month of July.
Ndenka pulls the blanket which exposes his head to the cool air of this strange dawn. His left arm stretches out in search of the phone that cant stop buzzing.
What's worse is that Ndenka is not alone but with his brother Kris whom he shares the room with. He sleepily complains about the loud buzzing of Ndenka's phone and you can not blame him for that..
Ndenka takes a deep sigh, eyes still clossed. Here it is... the inner person confirms.
Now wide awake, Ndenka unlocks the phone using the finger thats next to the thumb. "These fingers are next to each other yet are not best of pal's" Ndenka hears himself say with a slight chuckle, feeling like a philosopher.
The whole purpose of waking up this early is because of a beautiful agenda. The previous night he downloaded an app that allows one to access the radio without headsets, so he quickly clicks open and searches for the radio station that he needs.
Three days ago this wouldn't have happened. Not even his friends would not believe him right now but here he is, up listening to the radio as he recalls her text message on Whatsapp saying, "I dont like telling people where i work or more or less share personal stuff to people, unless i feel like it."
Ndenka's thoughts are disrupted at the sound of someone talking on radio, it's her, Gummy. He can not miss her voice for anything.
"Good morning! This is Mash radio headlines at 06hours....'
Ndenka is excited and wondering if he should text her that he is tuned in but the man inside him refrains, reminding him not to be so obvious.💫
After the news Gummy announces that she is about to start playing music actually she even emphasizes that it is her favorite music she will be playing. Ndenka, lies in bed smiling carelessly while figiting. He yearns to be in participation. On a friday evening after their online chat, he went searching for songs to request to be played on the radio station. ''Should it be secural or gospel" he wonders within and decides, Duro by Tekno, Understand by Omar Lay and Supernatural by Trip Lee. Atleast he added a gospel song even though its a gospel hip-hop track, he assures himself.
Ndenka met Gummy on Tinder, a weird experience as they both had no profile pictures except for their bio's that mutually spiked vibes between them. Though they have not met yet, and Ndenka does not know what will happen when they do. "Atleast, i have seen her post herself on WhatsApp status and wow..."
Around 10hrs, Kris tells Ndenka that he is preparing to go to church and Ndenka has been meaning to go to an adventist church, since year 2014 when he switched churches and started going to a pentecostal church. Now this is 2023.
The service started with announcements for the oncoming camp meeting, a few hymn singing and then the preaching. Ndenka did not anticipate to experience a good message after being away from this church for a while now... and the preaching is powerful.
Making him feel quite silly since he ignored the call for visitors to stand and be recognized and welcomed.
After the service Ndenka,lubo, the father's young sister and his mum drove home. Kris on Saturdays would not return home till the Sabbath ended. Thus, he would have lunch meals from church and this they got used to.
Ndenka has never been a people person, an introvert trying to be social in a strange world.
'Hey!'
'Hi'
'Why haven't you called me some yet?'
'hehehe..... Ah is there something like that hehe'
'Anyway you should come and see me around 16hrs... If you don't ohh okay!'
'hehehe...... You think i can bail on you or what?'
'Anyway just come i want to see you.... Kikikiki'
'hehehe i will come, let me just refreshen up and i will be on my way'
The time is already to 13hrs and Ndenka estimates the distance from silverest to makeni. Another call comes while he is still figuring out the hows...
'Hey! I have changed my mind....'
'Okay!'
'Yes! I have changed my mind. You wont come.'
'Mmhm.... Okayyy!'
'Yeah i want you here by 14hrs...' Gummy sounding like she cant wait to see Ndenka.
'Hey! Where are you now?' Gummy ask Ndenka who is already in a panick mode. He wants to make a good impression but the odds are against him. No bus seems to come through. Ndenka looks at the phone thinking....
"I am already on my way coming. I am on a bus." He ends without giving too much details so that Gummy can know that he is on his way.
Half passed 14hrs the clock is racing and it is carrying no one with it. How selfish, Ndenka's mind keeps dancing side to side between the voyage before him and the fact that time is now his enemy. When did he even become enemies with time. Ndenka paces around the bus station, wishing he could fly.
Finally, a Rosa bus comes through and he gets on the bus with an emphasis that he only has a 15K bus fare to town. After three bus stations, Gummy calls.
'I am growing impatient me here or maybe you are not even coming ....' she says but her voice still sounds calm.
"I am almost getting in town we just stuck in traffic.... I am coming hehehe" Ndenka assures Gummy who seems might change her mind any time.
On the next station, Ndenka orders a taxi 2 stations away from his drop off point. When he gets there, he asks the driver seated in the taxi matching the plate number on the taxi app. He greets the driver and reaches for his pocket and removes his phone to text Gummy.
Ndenka is almost reaching, his address picks the phone and rings her.
'Hello' a sleepy low spirited voice answers.
"Hi, i am here or actually I think I have even bypassed my destination" he signals the driver to stop and quickly checks the location Gummy had sent to him earlier.
'where are you?' Gummy asks after noticing that Ndenka was sounding distracted and clamoring something.
"I think I am in your street.... Did you doze off?" He asks.
Moments later, Gummy comes out of a black gate just behind Ndenka who had started walking backwards towards where he disembarked from. He looks around still on the phone and sees her.
'i have seen you. Are you the one in a stripped jersey?' Gummy confirms while still closing the gate behind her.
"Yes its me. Are you the one in black...."
'Yes'
'The location was accurate to a few meters from home. You would have found yourself at my gate.'
"I know, i was not even looking at when we got here. But why are we still on the line? When we have seen each other.... Hehehe"
Gummy giggles as well but does not drop the call, neither does Ndenka. Looking at each other smiling ..... Ndenka laughs and hangs up while saying a fun remark.
"Hi" he looks at her. His heart racing and his mind doing all sorts of tricks. Gummy looks at Ndenka as he spreads his arms for a hug. She tells him about taking a walk as for the area she is in does not have places to sit and relax. A courtesy he acknowledges seeing that a restaurant or a bar would have been picked as an option. They head south of Gummy's place and the rest is still in the nest lets see what happens next.....
End of chapter!
(Hope you loved this chapter, its just the beginning of our journey together stay tuned for more.)
Yours
Herbert (the silent author)
