Miss Fitzgerald
We walked along the beach sipping from our glasses leisurely. Adams looked perfect in her palazzo trousers, she said beachwear made her uncomfortable. Not that I was complaining, I liked that her body was for our eyes only, mine and hers. “I’m gonna go get the bags Adams, let’s go sit there in the shade.” I pointed towards the rocks that formed a shallow cave. Just enough for a few people to lounge. No one was there, thank heavens. “Let’s walk a bit more, a little sun won’t kill you.” “It’ not the sun.” I denied and Adams laughed as if to say yea sure. Hmmph! “Fine, it’s the sun and the wind and I’m tired.” She turned and gave me a scan. “Right! Baby and all, I get it." She walked me to the shallow cave and stripped off the shawl she'd tossed around her shoulders. "Come sit here princess, I’ll grab the bags and cooler box.” She spread her shawl on the sand and literally sat me down the kissed my forehead and a peck on my mouth and she was gone. My eyes followed her on automatic until she disappeared around a corner. Good thing with private beach, they were never too crowded and the people who came here had some class, even though it was fake. It was the reason Adams could kiss me in public and not get stoned to death a second later. I was grateful fir the freedom money offered, although I've always had money, I never really thought that lack of it could send someone to hell. Stupid, right? Shallow, right? The people seemed to enjoy themselves and for a moment i wished my sister was here. I mean, yea sure she was in the coast but she wasn't lying around the beach sipping champagne, she was working. I wish she was here with me now.
My phone rang from where I'd tossed it behind me and wondering if it’s Adams and if all our stuff was safe I turned to grab it but before I could, something kicked my leg and I heard a thud. Shoot! I shouldn't have sat at the entrance! “Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry!” I said scrambling to my feet to help the young woman up. Her brown hair covered her face like a curtain. “Are you alright?” she asked me and I froze. That was a voice I could never forget. As if on cue she sat up and tossed her dark mane back.
“Double D?”
“Mo?”
Moira, my ex-girlfriend had just tripped on my leg and now she was sitting on the sand in front of me. Moira was English, she lived in London and when we first met I was drunk and dancing on top of a table in a bar in the city. She named me Dancing Darlene and it stuck. Unless it was some kind of magic or whatever, Moira wasn't supposed to be in Kenya or in mombasa, she was supposed to be in London enjoying her life.
She was on her feet and into my space in a second and wrapped her arms around me and my hands not knowing what to do hang on my sides. I went to return her hug but she let go and stood at an arms length holding me in place by my shoulders and gave me a scan. For the first time since my test kit read positive, I was glad I was not showing. “You have grown prettier and thicker too, look at that bum!” she said eyeing me the way she always did when we were together.
I remember very clearly how i felt when she used to look at me like this. Moira was a great girlfriend honestly. She was brilliant and funny and sensitive and kind and considerate! She was the perfect girl. No wonder i stuck with her for more than half a decade.
“Bloody hell! What do they feed you here?” I laughed nervously. “What are you doing here Mo?”
“Oh, I came to Kenya on business and thought, hey why not waltz to Mombasa before I leave? I was to call you, see you, see how you’re doing.”
I sensed Adams’ presence before I saw her sauntering towards us with the box on her right and two bags on her left. “I’ve been quite alright Mo, excuse me a moment.” I sidestepped her and walked to meet Adams. Her eyes were bouncing between me and Mo. “Let me help you with that.” She didn't say a word but I could feel the wheels turning in her head. Her walk seemed mechanical like she was a puppet. The heat seemed to rise above normal, usually Mombasa is warm and humid but right now, the heat was climbing up my neck to the back of my head and to my armpits making them clammy with sweat. The plastic handle of the cooler box started sliding off my hand with how sweaty my palms were getting. What was wrong with the environment? How did i end up walking alongside my wife approaching my ex-girl?
