Perpetual

Its after 8PM and most restaurants I know are closed. The kitchens in bars should be closing soon but I don’t want to take Pearl home on an empty stomach.

‘How about we go over to my place and I can cook dinner for you?’

‘You cook?’

‘Of course I do, I am not all manly you know.’ She smiles, even though I can tell that the encounter with her cousin has left her in low spirits.

‘I don’t have a problem with that, besides mum is not expecting me until Sunday so getting home a little later won’t hurt.’

‘Sure.’

I try to make conversation but her responses show that she isn’t really interested in talking so the rest of the journey is quiet until we are finally home.

‘Welcome to our humble home.’ I say with a smile.

‘Our?’

‘I share it with James.’

‘The gentleman you came with to the restaurant?’

‘Yes that gentleman.’

‘I see.’

I notice that she has left her things in the car. I don’t know if I was expecting her to remove them from the car or I am rushing all this.

She is still quiet even as we enter the house but I notice that her eyes wander around the place.

‘How about a mini tour?’

‘Sure?’

I start with the spare bedroom, my bedroom and I just point at the door to James’ bedroom, the bathroom, living room and then the kitchen where I ask her to make herself comfortable on the kitchen chairs.

‘What to cook?’ I ask myself looking through the freezer. I haven’t cooked in years, I don’t know if I still have it in me.

‘How about breakfast for dinner?’ she asks as if reading my mind.

‘Are you sure about that?’

‘Well look at the time, a sandwich won’t hurt. What ingredients do you have?’

I close the freezer and open the refrigerator.

‘Bread, cheese, lettuce, eggs, left over chicken, sauces, tomato, bell peppers and water.’

‘That is more than enough. Let me.’ She says walking over to the sink where she washes her hands and grabs a clean apron on the apron stand.

‘Kindly fry two eggs for me and pass me the rest of the ingredients.’

I pause a bit when I realise the command in her voice and weirdly I like it.

‘Leo why are you smiling like that?’

‘Nothing.’ I say shaking my head vigorously.’

She shakes hers in disbelief and starts to wash the vegetables in the sink. When done she puts everything on the kitchen table that has been nicely wiped and starts making the sandwiches.

‘Thank you for this.’

‘For what?’

‘Saving me from Sasha. My cousin is a handful.’

‘She is mean. Don’t try to make excuses for her.’

‘You can say that but really I think when you get to know her she has some good traits.’

‘When you tolerate her you mean. And what were you doing there playing house help?’

‘I don’t know Leo, honestly growing up Sasha has always put me in her shadow. She wants all the good things to go to her and she forgets that she is not the only one that goes through issues. She only cares about me listening to her and never the other way round and whenever something good happens to me, she makes it a point to do something for herself so that I am beneath her.’

‘And what do you do about it?’ I ask feeling the hurt in her voice.

‘I don’t know how to fight, I would rather vindication comes to me at the right time.’

‘And when it doesn’t? What then do you do?’

‘If it doesn’t come I wait for other things to work in my favor. At the end of the day she is a relative and I know someday we will need each other.’

I have so much to tell her, like how some relatives will never acknowledge our presence or how they will never have better attitudes towards us but I choose to keep quiet. At the end of the day they still remain cousins and I don’t want to come in between them Pearl knows what she is doing and for her sake I hope she realises soon that Sasha is just a bad person.

‘What’s going through your mind?’ She asks with a smile on her face

‘I am thinking of the offer.’

‘What offer?’

‘You looking at my office.’

‘You were serious? I thought it was a scape goat.’

‘I was serious.’

‘Okay how is tomorrow?’

‘That’s okay, I will be at the office tomorrow. I can pick you up on my way there.’

She smiles.

‘What?’

‘I thought you would ask me to sleep over.’

I open my mouth to say something but nothing comes out.

‘I am messing with you Leo, there is a reason I left my stuff in the car.’

‘You know I like you right?’ I ask her.

‘And I do too. I want to build a friendship with you.’

‘I like that.’ I respond.

…

Kwenje’s Girl

Winnie

🙇🏾‍♀️