THE ONE

Chapter One: Hunter

'Jangu' (Come over)

Joseph smiled wide, resting his phone aside. It was finally happening. At last he was going to meet Axel, the one guy who would make him forget about Max. His step brother had broken his heart quite...

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[Joseph had come out & confessed his feelings to Max in October of the previous year, after carrying the secret for five years. Despite initial friction, Max had eventually agreed.

They had had little time for each other, with finals on both their doorsteps; Joseph's senior fours, & Max's senior sixes.
Joseph had looked forward to their time together after exams but Max had gone for a trip with his friends to kickstart his senior six vacation, never to return home.

Joseph's reckoning had come in form a text, Max telling him he couldn't continue with hooking up with him. Joseph begged him to reconsider but Max had ghosted him.

He'd had a dull vacation, resorting to watching adult videos & as the year begun, had tried out online dating for the first time.

He'd been reluctant to meet anyone for fear of his secret coming out. The climate in Uganda towards his kind was hostile twenty four seven, three hundred sixty five days a year.

One profile, had however caught his attention, the texting style & body photos, all too familiar. Max had lied he was Mark, but a skeptical Joseph had also lied he was John, realizing his step brother was in it for the money.

Joseph had alleged he was willing to pay, getting Max's other phone number.
He'd used another line to call, registering Max's croaky voice from the hello. They'd later organized a meetup, Max giving him the location of his rental.

Joseph had gone earlier than scheduled, finding Max ushering out a middle aged man who then stepped into a silver TX. He watched him reach for his pockets, taking out a bunch of green bucks with a smile, before walking back inside. When the coast was clear, Joseph had crossed the road to confront him..

"Joseph? Otegede otya gyembela? (...how did you find out were I stay?), Max opened his door.
"John!", Joseph spat.
"Eki?" (What?)
"Obweda oyogera nange ku app! Okola yo ki?" (You've been talking to me on the app! What are you doing there?)
"Tebikwatako" (Its none of your business), Max shrugged.
"Kati oyagala basajja bakuwa ssente?" (You now want men who give you money?)
"Joseph, ndeka! Ndi muntu mukulu. Nsobola okola kyona kyenjagala" (....leave me alone! I'm an adult. I can do whatever I want), Max hissed.

Joseph had stormed out in fury, uninstalling the app & seizing talking to Max.

His senior four's had come out good in February, his first grade ensuring he got into the tech school he'd always wanted. Computers were his passion & he wanted to spend the rest of his study years studying just that.

College had kept him occupied for three months, till he decided to try out online dating again on another app, there corresponding with Axel.

Axel met all his qualities; fit, discreet, & patient. He didn't pressure him to share pictures, & they slowly got to know one another. Axel's rapport had kept him on edge for two weeks & now it was time to meet.]
>>>

Joseph singled out a blue jean jacket, black jeans, beige shirt, & all star black snickers.

"Oda wa?" (Where are you going?), Trevor almost bumped into him in their hostel hallway, wondering were his bestfriend was going at 7pm without him.
"Uhh just wali eLukuli", (...to Lukuli), Joseph was vague.
"Wafunye yo akakazi?" (You got a woman?), Trevor grinned.
"Nkereye gwe" (I'm late you), Joseph strolled past for the stairs.

Trevor couldn't know the truth as far as he was concerned. He'd never see him the same way.

He got a bodaboda, making his way from his hostel in Wandegeya, to Lukuli ~a neighbourhood not far from his parents' home in Gaba, although, a stark contrast.

The ghettos were bustly & loud, residents of all ages up & about. On either side of its dirt roads; chapati fryers, chips fryers, beef roasters, ganja sellers, idlers, & through it all, movie cinemas airing luganda voiced over films.

He paid his rider five thousand shillings, pulling out his Galaxy S8..

'Where are you?' -he shot a text.
'At da mast. Black vest shirt' -Axel's English was rusty.

Joseph made his way through the hoard of people coming and going, his mouth parting a little when his beau was in view.

Axel was 5"11 like him, although more athletic like Max. He donned a striped black tanktop, black jeans, & leather black sandles. His smile broadened as well as Joseph approached..

"Yo", he took out the tooth pick he was biting at.
"Heyy", Joseph gleamed. "You look good!"
"You too. Tudda eno" (...we go these ends), Axel ushered.

Joseph followed closely, several sets of eyeballs following him. He knew they knew he wasn't from there.

"Yo Ben", Axel stopped at a small merchandise shop. "Mpayo dew two litre, nne...tulyeki?" (Give me a mountain dew two litre &...what should we eat?) he turned to Joseph.
"Huhh.."
"Rolex?" Axel suggested.
"Yeah", Joseph agreed.
"Yo", Axel yelled at a chapati stand across. "Kola rolex bbiri ez'ebiri" (make two rolexes for two thousand)

Axel checked his pockets, cursing himself..

"Mannni" (Man), he jeered.
"Ki?" (What?), Joseph inquired.
"Nayambade empale enkyamu. Sente nzirese waka mweli" (I put on the wrong trouser. The money is in the one I left at home)
"Kamuwe" (Let me pay), Joseph reached for into his right back pocket for his wallet, pulling out a fifty thousand shilling note.
"Man kyakabi", (..thanks), Axel handed it over, both of them proceeding for the chapati stand. "Nkolela eyokusatu. Enjala eyinza otusalako ekiro" (Make a third. Hunger may kick in late in the night), he winked at Joseph, handing him his change. "Ngenda kuwa nga tutuse" (I'm going to pay you when we reach).

They took several lefts & rights, jumping drainage systems & puddles, Joseph scowling a bit at the foul smell in some. It wasn't at all what he was accustomed to but Axel had been honest about his neighbourhood.

They approached a small semi dilapidated bungalow in the quieter side of the ghetto. Most of the houses had seen better days but this one tried.

"Tutuse" (We've reached), Axel took off his sandles as Joseph untied his laces.

A one room house, to the center a mattress on the floor, to the left a small box tv on a small table, & to the right, a small setup on a bigger table that was the kitchen. The entire room was the size of Joseph's bedroom at home but he made his way in, crouching on the mattress as Axel prepared.

The curtain in the doorway shuffled, in coming Ben & Joey. They exchanged looks with Axel, the three of them simultaneously glancing at Joseph..

His heart skipped a beat.

He'd heard about this before, not once, not twice. It was one of the reasons he'd refrained from using dating apps. He stood upright to ask, Ben & Joey leaping forward, their motives clear. He knew he couldn't beat them..

"Temunkuba! Mutwale kyona kyemwagala" (Dont beat me. Take all you want), he raised up his palms.

Joey reached for his pockets taking out his phone & wallet.

"Basiyazi mwe! mujeeko buli kimu!" (You gays! take everything), Ben ordered, Joey proceeding with the jacket as well.

Joseph remembered why Max had always been eager to train him boxing. Had he paid enough attention, he would now be picking them off one by one as Max always did. His step brother had never lost a fight.

"Kati fuluma. Atte nobaako gwogamba tukuwayo" (Now get out! And if you tell anyone, we expose you), Ben swore.

Joseph slowly made his way to the door. He glanced back at Axel, still standing arms folded at the kitchen table..

"Fuluma fuluma" (Get out, get out), Joey gave him a kick to his butt, sending him flying out the door to the ground.

Note:
Rolex is fried eggs rolled in chapati.
Bodaboda is motorcycle public transport.