CHOOSING.

10. Live a little

Time sped by the following weeks balancing school work that had suddenly hit a new high. Everything was working quite great for. Cathy and I had found our equilibrium and we rarely fought over trivial issues anymore. Ombachi was still his friendly slightly wild self and he recently had a habit of coming with me to church. However, Caleb still made it his life's goal to avoid at all cost but after sometime I let him be. I guess you can't win them all.

The week right before we started the end of semesters exams, our church youth group organised a Saturday retreat for us. I wasn't particularly excited about it because Caleb would be there but Cathy seemed a fair deal excited about it and it rubbed on me a bit. We were going to a small nearby lake for a picnic. We were wisely advised to bring along extra clothes because in a place like that soaking 'accidents' were likely to happen. We got there by midmorning having drove there by the church bus. As we filed out of the bus most people wore mischievous smiles on their faces with a promise of trouble coming up. I decided there and then I would be watching my back carefully.

However, soon enough I forgot this thought since I was pulled along to play catch by the lakeside. This warranted that soon enough we were covered in water while enjoying ourselves far too much. Cathy on the other hand was not so lucky when she slipped and fell, in the water. She got up in a rage promising to hurl the next person she caught into the water. Shrieking and screaming, we ran out of the water and as far away from her. Those who had been playing football nearby and skipping rope stopped to watch the unfolding drama. They were therefore caught off guard when Cathy slung Lucy on her shoulder and ran towards the water. Poor Lucy had only been standing by and had no idea what was going on. How Cathy managed to carry her was a wonder because they had the same height and physique but who am I to question an angry woman. When Lucy realised what was going on, she struggled to free herself but Cathy was not letting go. Cathy walked into the water until she was waist deep before dropping Lucy into it unceremoniously. Soon enough Lucy emerged screaming bloody murder and it is wise to say that when the two soaked ladies made an advance towards us nobody with a sense of self preservation stood where they were.

I made a beeline for the trees a couple of metres away hoping to hide in the bushes at their bases. I was therefore startled when I was suddenly swept off of my feet by a big mass of muscles. And who would it be rather than Tony, a choir member who played rugby. "Um, Tony what are you doing?" I asked cautiously. He made no attempt to answer me but I concluded for myself when he started running towards the water as if I weighed nothing which is understandable with my short height and slim body. "This is not fair, put me down," I tried to struggle out of his hold but the man had the strength of an iron grip. I panicked and started screaming while pounding him with my fists but he took no notice. Halfway to the waterline my screams turned into hysterical laughter which I couldn't control. It was the closest thing to a panic attack which I got when my nerves were in overdrive. The cold water engulfing me was a welcome distraction and my nerves calmed a little only to be directed towards revenge. I could almost adrenaline pulsing in my body as I emerged from the water a calm smile playing on my lips. The game was on and someone was going down, hard.

I turned towards Tony who looked  proud of himself, until he saw the look on my face and he was wise to look scared. I placed my arms on my hips, cracked my neck and widened my smile to a murderous looking on. "Let's get them," I told him and a grin broke out of his face. Together we walked towards the treeline where the others were hiding. Lucy and Cathy were currently carrying a kicking Ruth between them. This was going to be so much fun. One after the other, we caught our friends and dunked them into the lake. Some were really angry and went for revenge, repeatedly dunking us until they were satisfied before joining the hunt while others thought it was fun and started splashing each other. In less than an hour we had everyone soaked to the bone. Some were swimming in the water while those who couldn't swim were paddling in the shallows. We were having water fights, splashing each other while telling jokes and hilarious stories. This was much more fun than playing dumb games on the shore. I was going round in the water, pulling some underwater and fleeing or dunking heads beneath the surface. Soon enough I had the better part of our group after me and I started swimming towards the shore laughing happily. Until I realised something and I stopped short. The wave of people after me slammed into me making me topple over. Still, I was unfazed by this, "where is Caleb?" I asked. "He is not here, we should go find him," I went on. The devious smiles that answered me made me know I was out of trouble, for now at least.

Tony, Lucy, Cathy and I were the ones that went looking. After all, we were the ones who started it. We split and went separate ways into the undergrowth. I could hear the others call out for Caleb and this brought a smile to my face. I was going to find him, they just had to go on calling him and he would try to get away from them and come right towards me. Stealthily and quietly I walked deeper into the shadows looking out for any movement. Soon enough Caleb darted across my  . line of sight and I have never been happier to see him. Time to get revenge, I thought to myself, for ignoring me and making me worry. I followed him carefully making sure he didn't know of my presence. After sometime he stopped at a clearing and sat on a rock. It was then I made my presence known to him. I walked out of the undergrowth and towards him. He got up ready to leave but I wasn't having any of that. "Scared of a little girl?" I taunted. Sure enough, he swallowed the bait.

"Of course not. But am not getting thrown into that lake full of bacteria," he said with a shudder. Ho- ho, this was a great discovery. The confident and excellent Caleb had a fear of bacteria, how sweet.

"Am not going to dunk you in the water, I couldn't even if I wanted to since you're so much taller and heavier than me," I told him. It was not exactly a lie. "I'll sit with you on the shore, just come and watch the others have fun. Pretty pleeease," I begged like a spoiled kid but he fell for it.

"Okay, let's go," he said. I had to fight the triumphant smile that was creeping up my face.

"'I have him'" I texted my fellow hunters. We had decided to bring our phones in case one of us found him first. "'Meet at the lakeside'" I clarified. Caleb and I walked in silence to the lakeside where we found the rest having a lot of fun water fighting. The look on Caleb's face at the sight of adults acting like children was priceless. He looked like he was going to have a heart attack which was quite good because that way he didn't see the people advancing towards him from behind ready to throw him into the water. When Tony, Cathy and Lucy lifted him off the ground, he looked ready to die of shock. "You!" He shouted at me and being the great person I am I burst into laughter.

"Look around you Caleb," I said. "Everyone is having fun but you, what kind of friends would we be if we let it remain that way?" I added dramatically.

"You're no longer my friend," he screeched right before the trio hurled him so far into the lake he would have a long swim back. Seconds later he emerged, spluttering water and looking ready to kill. The laughter all around him did nothing to better his mood but after sometime he stopped trying to get out and decided he might as well join in the fun.

"Its time you lived a little, Caleb," Tony told him right before he dunked  him and fled. And the fight was officially on.