Nadir

The pounding headache is what makes me open my eyes. Jackie and I have had some crazy moments together since we crossed paths but nothing like what happened last evening. We started out well, drinking with care and then somehow the drinks hit so hard and we just let ourselves go.

‘Good morning sunshine.’ A man says walking into the room.

‘Oh my God.’ I exclaim putting the beddings over my head to see if I am fully dressed.

‘Nothing happened.’

‘Who are you? And why are you in this room and where am I?’

‘First you need to take this, I bet the headache is making you feel like you are about to die.’

Well that is true and there is no way that I am not taking the pain killers. He hands me a little saucer which has two pills. I pop them in my mouth and get the glass of water from his other hand. After taking about four sips, I hand it back to him.

‘I promised Jackie that I would take care of you.’

‘I have never done anything like this before. I have always been careful with my life and not once in my life have I ever woken up in a strange bed. And I don’t think Jackie could have left me alone with you.’

He comes over and sits on the bed, just at the edge.

‘Maybe we can start over.’

He pauses.

‘My name is Joshua, we met yesterday at the club and you ladies were so drunk I couldn’t let you drive so I offered to drive you but when you passed, I thought I could hang around just to make sure nothing bad happened.’

I have heard everything he has said but I am not sure what to believe. The last time I had memory loss from alcohol, I came to discover we had been dancing on tables and we have never gone back to that club.

‘I believe you are Nandy.’

‘That I am.’ I say with a deep sigh.

‘I prepared breakfast, how about you take a shower then join me.’

‘Okay.’

‘There are clean clothes in the closet.’ He says and walks out of the room.

Immediately the door closes, I look around for my phone until I find it. There are three missed call notifications from Martha and a message from Jackie saying she has gone to the spa and will be back later. I don’t finish reading the rest of the text as I quickly dial her number and she picks up on the third ring.

‘Good morning sleeping beauty.’

‘Jackie what is this?’

‘What is what?’

‘We got drunk last night, dead drunk I must add and I expected to wake up next to you but.’

‘But you woke up with a hot dude right?’ She asks cutting me short.

‘Jackie this is not funny, we are not twenty anymore. We can’t be making such mistakes.’

‘Why are you calling it a mistake?’

‘Because it is. We shouldn’t have drunk that much.’

‘Girl your complaints are the reason I am going to the spa. I need to relax.’

‘And you left me? With a stranger?’

‘You are a big girl, you can take care of yourself.’

‘You know what, bye Jackie.’

‘Come on Nandy I didn’t mean it like that. Not big as in your body but big you know.’

I cut the line without letting her finish. She tries calling back but I just let the phone ring. I am in a strange house and I am not about to make myself comfortable so I look for my things, which I find nicely put in the closet. I wash my face and my teeth using the tooth paste I find in the bathroom with my finger then use some mouth wash before walking out of the room.

‘Done?’ Joshua asks, he is in the presence of another guy and it makes me sick.

‘I need to go home.’

‘But breakfast is ready.’

‘I shouldn’t have been here in the first place, I need to go.’

‘Yeah you should.’ The yellow bone says.

‘And what’s your deal?’

‘You are a grown woman and should not be winding up drunk in a strange man’s house, now get yourself out of this place before I kick you out.’

‘Come on Ems, what’s this about?’ Joshua asks.

‘I shouldn’t find you when I come back.’ He says walking out of the room.

‘Wow, what was that about?’

‘I am sorry about my brother. He is just upset that he is going away for peace keeping in Ethiopia. That’s not how he wanted to spend Christmas.’

‘So he took it out on me? Wow.’

‘Don’t be like that, he is just going through a phase.’

‘And I am not?’

Joshua is about to respond when angry yellow bone reappears.

‘Come on, I am driving you to your place.’

‘No you are not, I will get on a taxi.’

‘Like hell you will.’ He says roughly getting car keys from the console table.

‘I will drive her.’

Joshua is about to resoind when Ems speaks up again.

‘Have you forgotten what today is?’ He asks before shaking his head and walking out of the house making sure to bang the door behind him.

‘Wow.’

‘Unfortunately you will have to go with him, I am meeting mum for lunch.’

‘I would rather rot in here than go with yellow bone.’

‘Yellow what?’

I roll my eyes and he laughs, exposing his perfect white teeth.

‘I will see you again Nandy.’

‘Not a chance Joshua.’ I say and walk out of the house.

..

Kwenje’s Girl

Winnie

🙇🏽‍♀️