Don't Let Me Go (A Kenyan Story)

Penance

Mark was a mess. He'd gone straight to the club after leaving the hospital. The call from Cyrus had shook him to his very core. And he faced his problems the best way he knew how; draining himself in booze. He emptied his bottle and waved at the waiter. "Another one."
"Mark, apana,you've had more than enough. Nakuitia Uber. I can't let you drive home in your condition," the waiter,who was an old friend of his said reaching for his phone. He left him at the bar and whispered to his colleague pointing at Mark's direction. He was back after a short while. "What's got you this wasted man? This isn't like you,well technically it is, but apana. So,niambie,nini mbaya?"
"Let's just say I'm the reason Jay is in hospital," he said and passed out.

He woke up to find himself lost in Lesley's mesmerizing eyes. "Don't ask. Clint called me saying you were super wasted. So here I am. Let's go, your cab awaits you outside." He got up, and managed two steps without staggering. Lesley put her arm around him and they walked outside where an Uber awaited them. After he was well strapped in the back seat, she got in the seat besides his and they left headed to her place.

They had had an on and off arrangement since they were in campus. It was one of those arrangements where each strongly felt for the other but they couldn't bring themselves to admit it. They told their friends that they worked perfectly as they were. She looked at Mark who was now fast asleep, a light snore emanating from his nostrils. He had seemed distracted and a little aloof recently. Every time she tried raising the issue, he quickly dismissed it. Now she was sure something was totally amiss. Clint had told her what he'd been saying in his drunken stupor but had dismissed saying it was the alcohol talking and not Mark. What exactly he had gotten himself into she couldn't figure out. News of Jay's shooting and accident had spread like wildfire. He was after all the son of a prominent surgeon turned politician. Dr. Kanyi was one of the most respected in his field. Upon retiring, he had ventured into politics and he excelled in this too. He was the MP of their home constituency back in Murang'a County. She would get to the bottom of this hullabaloo as soon as she sobered Mark up.

They arrived at Mark's place a little past 8am. She got him to the elevator and pressed his floor number. They got to his apartment and she led him straight to his room. She tucked him in after removing his shoes.

She went to the kitchen to get some food started since he'd wake up hungry. Opening the fridge,she found some leftovers from the last time she'd been to his place. That had been over a week ago. There was nothing else save for a half full bottle of milk. She went ahead and opened the cabinets and found them empty, cabinets she had filled with food stuffs the previous week. Well, she did the only thing she could think of, she ordered food from Uber eats.

She went to check up on Mark and found him still asleep. She picked up the dirty laundry strewn all over the floor and put them in the laundry basket. Next,she opened the windows and drew the curtains. Why she still did all these things beat her...but that was the thing about love, it made you do silly things.

She remembered the first day they'd met all too vividly. They had met in the University of Nairobi She had been a first year pursuing civil engineering while he'd been a third year pursuing architecture. They'd met in the library and she'd laughed at something silly he'd whispered to her from across his end of the table attracting harsh stares from the chief librarian as well as the other students present. They'd met up for a coffee later that day and they were pretty much inseparable after that. She moved to his bedsitter in Ngara the following semester much to the protestations of her friends who thought that they were moving too fast.

The door bell rang bringing her back from her trip down memory lane. Her food had arrived. She got her phone from the dining table, paid for it, thanked the delivery guy and placed it on the dining table. She was just setting up the table when Mark walked in, looking dishevelled and groggy.

"Hi. How bad is it?" He asked her.
"Pretty much the worst I've seen you since Bonnie."
"That bad,huh!" He said holding his head in his hands.
"Yes, and we need to talk. And you're going to tell me the entire truth or so help me God you'll never see me again," she said her face grim.
"We both know you can't stay away from me Lesley," he said.
"Keep telling yourself that."
"Okay, where to begin?" He asked, as he took a seat.
"How about at the beginning?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE
1. apana
No

2. "Nakuitia Uber..."
"I'm calling you an Uber..."

3. "So, niambie,nini mbaya?"
"So, tell me, what's wrong?"