I woke up so early in the morning,it was the D day. The day to say goodbye to my poor village oooh how l hated living in that shabby structures like houses. Having been born and raised in that village,l had no choice but to endure the life that everyone in the village embraced it.The life that no one cared if they could die from starvation or from birlhazia. Being the only child of my parent l had no different kind of life from other kids. We had a similar kind of life surviving with one meal a day that was an order of the day if not the norm.
Lily is my name. A girl with a dream to change the situation from my background. "Lily how come you wake up so early today?" Grace asked. Grace is my friend in this village and l feel so bad that am going to leave her here as l pursue my education in the city. Everybody knows that l sleep like a dead elephant. Waking up early was not my norm since finishing my O level l had promised not to wake up early.
"Ooh Grace are you the only Visitor in Sawenge?" I joked. "I am supposed to report tomorrow to National University of Kenya"
With a sullen face she didn't reply she just looked with her puppy eyes of 'are you going to leave me here alone'.
"Don't worry, l will be coming back during holidays" l answered her un asked question. "So will you mind helping me finish my chore. You know l already booked my bus ticket l don't want to be left behind.
Grace was was a sister l never had. Infact a big sister. We schooled with her from my primary education to secondary education. Until when she dropped out of school in form two because of financial constraints. She was just living with her grandmother and she doesn't know much about her parents.
I was so lucky to be a daughter to my Mum and dad. Oooh how l missed them. Mum and dad were domestic workers of Mr Nyongesa a rich business tycoon who was paying my school fees in exchange of my parents domestic service. I wished that one day l will change their life style and make them happy. Not only them but every family in that village that is going through hardship. Anyway it's just a dream and l must wake up and chase it.
When Grace dropped out of school l was devastated but l couldn't do anything. The only thing l could do was working hard and changing the situation. I worked hard in school until my effort yielded fruits and fruits was l was joining in of the prestige university in the country. Being the first girl in the county was not a joke. So the county government offered to pay for my school fees for four years. Mr Nyongesa agreed to buy me everything that l needed in school. Including a new mobile phone. Oooh wow who couldn't be happy owning a new version of iphone in the county l felt like walking on the top of the world.
Time flew like something was pushing it. It was already time to leave the village and board the bus. All the villagers present come to my compound to wish me well and others adviced me to stay away from boys ooh no men. Some of them put some coins and notes in the pocket of my big skirts that l bought it in 'Mtumba'
Mtumba- kiswahili word that means second hand clothes sold
in chebukube market.
I felt emotional as l hugged each and everyone that was there in the compound. The last people to hug was Grace, dad then Mum . I felt like abardoning my dreams and remaining with them but no l have to. I waved to them as l sat on the motorbike that will drop me in bus stage.
I refused to look,but l could see their emotional kind of smiles in rear mirror of the bike. Soon we were in the bus stage. It was almost time for it to departure. I showed the ticket then entered and sat on my assigned seat
I had booked for the night travel so that was it. My Journey to campus had just started. I took my cell phone and plugged in the ear phones l didn't want any form of disturbance. I turned to local Music play list.
This was the longest Journey l will be traveling since l was born. I didn't know how am going to survive. Like sitting for almost 12 hours. My buttocks had started complaining since l was not used to sitting all these hours. Back in highschool l used to move in and out of class when it was chemistry double lesson to ease my behindes from swelling. I was fidgeting in my seat and that disturbed the boy who was sitting beside me.
I pretended not to mind the way he was looking at me. If looks could kill l will be dead by now.
"Will you Just sit still stop moving in your seat you are disturbing me?" The boy complained.
I ignored him l didn't real want to talk to him. He was not that good looking so l just looked away. Since l was seating near the window. I just looked outside despite the fact that it was already dark outside and l could not see anything.
"Hey miss l said you should stop moving around you will push my laptop" these time the boy raised his voice. I decided against all odds that am going to answer back. Who does he think he is to raise his voice to me.
"Hey my name is Lily not miss, and for your information l have every right to do what l want in my seat because l have paid.
"Hahaaa , he laughed out loudly until l felt embarrassed, did l say something bad? "Who asked your name, l don't know who told you that if you have rights l don't have... remember l paid for these seat too so mind your words" he said
"Oooh boy don't reprimand me okay l don't care if you have rights or not...l really didn't know what l was talking but l just didn't want to just shut up how strange
"For your information don't call me a boy again or else...
"Or else what?eeh tell me." At this point l remembered that in my culture you can't call a circumsised man a boy. They always get offended l don't know why.
" Just don't call me boy, my name is Willy, William for instance" he introduced himself.
"Hahaa it was my time to love and who asked you about your ugly name"
At that moment a young couple sitting opposite us seemed like eavesdropping because they were looking at me everytime l talked to Willy. I was right because they decided to chip in our conversation.
" Young miss why can't you talk to him politely he is trying to be nice to you, you know" the woman said.
"Yes, maybe he is attracted to you and he just don't know how to approach you, you know men can be misterious, right hunny?" He turned to his wife and asked the last part.
It was so lovely that l wished Sam was the one sitting besides me instead of these Willy guy .Maybe one day he will look for me and find me and finally be a couple. Aaah what am l think we are just childhood friends and l don't think if Sam will ever dare me besides we come from different world he is from a rich family and my family is their servants. I am the one who always try to move things to next level. Anyway maybe we are now mature he might just return my feelings....
" Why are you smiling, you are just smiling alone,do you mind sharing with me?" The Willy guy said to me.
" Shut up, l am using my mouth why can't you use your mouth to smile" l answered.
"Jeez, you are so rude, l just said it nicely, why do you have to be so rude to me anyway l won't talk to you again, enjoy the rest of your journey" Willy said.
Oh noo for the first time in my life l felt so bad for talking like that l wished l could apologize but with my pride there is no way l will do that to just a stranger it suits him right for talking to me that way. I knew our next bus stop will be in Nakuru where we will be given half an hour to stretch. I will finally shift my sitting position because there was two seat at the back without passengers. I leaned back on my seat l forced myself to sleep.
* Back in Lily village*
"I wonder where Lily have reached now, l hope they have passed Salgaa, you know hunny in every accident that happened it's always at Salgaa l wonder if that place is a rendezvous for accident or " lily's mother Miss Yanna said.
"Hunny will you just relax,our daughter is fine okay don't worry l know lily will call us if anything happens to her, don't worry just relax. Let's just eat and go to sleep okay. Mr Simiyu said.
" I won't sleep until l talk to my daughter hunny, l will just be restless the entire night."
" As you wish my lady, just finish eating then we will call her okay"
*****
All this time Lily tried sleeping to no vail. Everytime she closed her eyes she could see his face. She tried thinking about the other guy but her mind won't oblige. She has just met Willy some hours back and now she can't remove his face in her mind . Did these guy had some charm.on me.
Her phone rung and jolted her out of her mind.
Who might be calling me this time of an hour,she or he better have a good explanation for this call.
Hello Mama,how are you l.miss you already..
"Ooh lily dear, how are ,you,where are you are you okay?
"Oh hunny give her time to answer one question at a time don't stress her" Mr Simiyu said to his wife.
Dad are you there too? I miss you. Am fine Mama papa l just miss you, we are nearing Nakuru Mama
"That's nice sweet take care, we were just checking on you okay, take care bye" Miss Yanna said.
Bye mama papa l love you. She needed the call.
My parents are too loving l wouldn't trade them for anything. I didn't know what l did to God to deserve these good parents. Even if they are not rich with possession they are rich with love and care. They have done everything I see me through my school and given me everything that l ever needed.
Sometimes they make me forget every problem that l might be facing. I will make sure that l study hard with passion until l change the situation at home just to make you happy My Mama and Papa. I will make that village the richest in this country everybody will wish that they could have been born there.
The bus stopped in Nakuru and the passengers alighted so that they can buy some snacks and drinks before they proceed to the city the final destination. Lily was left alone. She decided to alight after some minutes have passed because she didn't have some extra cash for snacks. She was used to this kind of life hardship life . This is why she spent sleepless night reading. She wanted to pass with flying colors so that she can look for green pastures. Her fellow students called her book warmer,because to no circumstances did she come late in class. Some students thought that she used to sleep in school premises.
She remembered there was a time she was framed with her fellow students that she normally steals books to go and sell on black market. The students hide their various textbook in the library store. They reported to school principal that they saw Lily carrying a bag full of books the other day. So they all believed that she is textbook thief who sells to black market. The school watchman was the one who came to her rescue when he found the book in library store and testified that the previous day Lily went home early she didn't remain behind for remidial discussion or personal study. All those students who had framed her were sent home for suspension after writing.
After that incident she forgave them and talked to them so that they can form group discussion for their own benefit. That idea bore good fruits as right now she is the product of that group discussion as the best student in the county and school. For the first time their academic class of that year produced a half for the class qualified for the university. All thanks to that incident.
The passengers started to go inside the bus. She hurriedly run to the toilet to relief herself. When she come back all were seated. Something was a miss because The Willy guy was not there.
" Eeh driver one of the passenger is not in yet,the one who was sitting here" she said as she pointed at the empty seat.
"Don't worry l decided not to seat near you,don't worry am here ,you really care about me huh?" Willy said from the back of the bus.
"You wish l was just checking if you have entered or not'
I felt embarrassed and sat down silently. I needed someone to disturb for the remaining distance now that l am not sleepy. Now this guy have decided to run away from me after l have decided to talk to him nicely.
Everybody was busy eating snacks some were drinking sodas and juices.
She remembered her water. She had carried water in a water bottle as adviced by her mother. Now that she was changing environment her mother adviced her to carry some water that she will mix with the water in the university. Because eof the change in environment ,her mother was worried that she might get sick if she get to drink the water from a new environment without mixing it with the one from home.
Actually her entire village belief the water from the natural spring the one they are used of fetching water from. No one has ever suffered from birlhazia or typhoid and that's why her mother told her to carry some for mixing with the other water before she drinks.
Now that everybody was busy drinking or eating she took out her water and started sipping without any care in the world. The journey was peaceful. She started feeling cold when they entered limuru town.
Just like a knight in a shining armor, he come from behind and sat on his seat,beside her.
" I saw that you are lonely and l decided to come back to my seat, you don't have to look at me like that if you don't want me to be near you just say a word then l will go back."
No actually just sit l don't like forming enemies you know, even if you are not my friend let's just be in good terms okay
"Since you started talking this is the first time you have talked something sensible. I didn't know you can be this polite you know am astonished. You can have my sweater l see you are feeling cold you have goosebumps hope you don't mind.
