MY ILMORAN

ONE

The scenery changed as the bus moved further and further away from the city. Wangari was going before the rest of the family to their maternal grandparents' home in the rural area in Kajiado county. Her grandparents had a large area of land which was mostly covered with forest vegetation. The only area without forest vegetation was the home area and the farm. They had rabbits, cows, goats,sheep, a German shepherd, a cat and ducks.

Wangari was very fond of her grandmother who she was named after. The bus slowed down and came to a stop at the last stop which is where Wangari was supposed to alight. She had only carried her school bag with a few essential stuff she needed and a change of clothes. She had just completed her form four national exams and was ecstatic to have received her results which showed a B+.

She had celebrated with her friends and during this break from school, her grandmother invited them to a get-together. She had decided to go there ahead of the rest of her family and relatives. She walked to a nearby wholesale shop owned by an elderly man named Mwangi who was a long time family friend. She had decided to do a little shopping before going home. She walked into the usually quiet shop which always had a cool ambiense.

She walked around trying to pick anything to take home when the manager of the shop raised his voice at someone. She walked towards them to see what had caused the commotion and found a Maasai guy in red shukas trying to say something but the manager Ngugi, who Wangari found had a very foul tongue and a disagreeable attitude, denied him the chance to. She walked to them and cleared her throat to get their attention.

"What's wrong?" She asked looking directly at Ngugi. "This foolish man thinks that this is a charity organization where we give free things to people. He says he has not got enough money on him." Ngugi replied looking contemptuously at the guy. "That's not what happened, I only asked him to give me a moment to go get more money from my brother and be back to pay him. I do not intend to steal or take anything with me." The guy said.

"Now Ngugi, how do you think Mwangi would react to learning that you treat his customers in such a manner?" Wangari asked Ngugi tauntingly. Ngugi knew Wangari and he also knew that she could tell Mwangi about the incident. "How much does he owe you?" She asked. "You don't have to..." Wangari cut him off. "Yes. I do NOT have to do anything but I'm very sure this gentleman here did not come here to be insulted or ridiculed. So, now tell me. How much?"

"Fifty more shillings." Ngugi mumbled a reply. "That's what this is all about?" Wangari asked incredulously. She opened her purse and took out a fifty shillings note and gave it to Ngugi. "Here, now apologize to him let him go his way. As for me, I'll come back when Mwangi is here." Ngugi reluctantly apologized to the guy as Wangari walked out of the shop into the scorching midday sun.

"Weh! Madam,Asante. Thank you very much but I can't take your money..." The young man had packed his shopping in shopping bags and rushed after Wangari. "It's not a problem. If you see someone in need help him or her." Wangari said with a slight smile on her face. "I agree but what about your fifty?" The guy asked looking sincerely disturbed about taking her money. "Just keep it or... next time you see me give it back to me." Wangari said nonchalantly.

"I'm Dennis by the way. Dennis Saruni." He introduced himself. "Hi Dennis, I'm Wangari." She replied taking his hand in a firm handshake. "It's nice to meet you but I've got to go. Bye." Wangari placed her hand on his shoulder to bid him farewell and lightly jogged away. As she walked home that afternoon, she couldn't help but analyse the image she had in her head of that guy, Dennis Saruni. According to what she had observed, he was tall with a strong body build. He was on the lean side but had evident muscles. He had a charming smile that seemed to light up his entire face. He had a very agreeable but fierce mien that made him seem approachable and mysterious at the same time which was a deadly combination to have.

He had an angular jawline that was cleanshaven with short well kept hair. Contrary to popular belief and prior experience, he had an alluring scent that had a touch of freshness that made him quite easy to converse with. She found him quite attractive but she knew she had to get over herself and think rationally. She wished to see him again but she knew that the chances of that happening were very slim.

As she walked through the outer gate, she released a sigh of relief and briskly walked towards the bungalow to get out of the scorching sun. She opened the inner gate as her grandmother walked out of the house. She saw Wangari and a big smile formed on her face. They walked to each other and embraced. "Welcome home. Karibu nyumbani my beloved granddaughter." Wangari's grandmother proclaimed happily. She took Wangari's bag and led her to the house.

They walked to the house together happily chatting with Wangari telling her grandmother all about the exams she had sat and life in the city. Wangari had always been a little shy and introverted but she put up a facade of being cold and aloof. This made her unapproachable most of the time and if by any luck anyone managed to approach her, her level of interaction which was basically non-existent put them off. This character disappeared whenever she was around her grandmother and she became a chatterbox.

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Song of the day: Reminder - The Weekend

Hey guys,
What do y'all think about Wangari? What would you do if you were in such a situation? Please share your thoughts on this chapter in the comments.
Question: What is your favorite movie? I can't decide so I like the movie series what I'm watching during that particular week.

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