The Long Journey to Freedom

A very rare Friday morning, where we have to sit in the boardroom all together. We rarely have staff meeting but it seems the boss has decided to introduce a new thing. Today we get to do our weekly review and also welcome the two new stuff members. As the boss is giving her boring speech, I feel someone’s eyes on me so I lift my eyes. Only to lock them with Tangaza who has been staring at me. He smiles at me, a very rare smile but beautiful at that, so I smile back at him.

Finally the meeting is done. As I head to my office, Tangaza follows me.

“May I come in?” he asks

“Hi Tangaza. What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to ask if you would like to have a lunch date with me this Saturday after work.”

That takes me completely off-guard. Since I have no excuses at the top of my head, I agree to have a lunch date with him. He smiles and leaves my office.

Damn! I have been trying to avoid office romance. I guess the drama likes me more.

My day is over. I pack my stuff ready to leave. I pray and hope Tangaza is not in the reception area waiting for me or something. The whole day I have done no other thinking than trying to figure out what to wear tomorrow for our date and trying to guess how the date is going to be. It is so weird for me to have a thing going on with a person I work with in the same institution. But let’s see how this one goes.

All set, I pick my bag and tiptoe to the reception area. I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding when I find the area empty. Not even Brenda is anywhere to be seen. Increasing my pace, I rush to the elevator and head home.

Most Saturdays, I go to work in jeans and sneakers. Today is not most Saturdays. I have a date. I have to look good. My bandage grey high-waist skirt will have to work. I pair it with an orange crop top. I want to wear my black lace up block heels but I figure it won’t be realistic since I have a lot of walking to do in the office. Instead I tuck them well in my brown totes together with my blue denim jacket. Hair? Check. Accessories? Check. Shoes? Check. I look in to my tote bag. Lipstick? Check. Cologne? Check. Phone? Check. All my other bag stuff are instead. I am ready to enjoy myself after I meet my clients.

2 pm and I am so famished I could eat a whole chicken, but I still have a client in the office. Our discussion has gone past my time but I like this client, so I can’t complain. I check my phone one last time and she notices.

“Oh, I am so sorry to keep you this long,” she apologizes.

I give her my best smile and reply, “It’s no problem, anything for our clients,”

She stands shakes my hand and leaves.

I push my chair back and stretch, it feels so good.

“Hey Maselinah,” Tangaza startles me so hard I narrowly miss toppling over my chair.

“Hey,”

“Are you ready?”

“Give me 15 minutes and I will be ready, I need to write this report,”

“Okay,”

He disappears leaving me sweating under my armpits. That was the most embarrassing thing I have encountered in a long time. I actually don’t have any report to write now as I can just do that at home, but I needed more time to compose myself and freshen up. That is exactly what I do. I pick my make-up kit and head to the powder room. I look in the mirror and smile at my image. I am ready for the date.

Thirty minutes later I find myself in a small restaurant downtown Nairobi. My feet are killing me and I can’t wait to sit down. We have been walking around the town like aimless people. Tangaza was not sure where to take me and so he decided to tour the whole town as I walk beside him with platform shoes. I thought I was famished but the sharp pain from my toes have over passed my hunger pains. He surveys the restaurant looking for the right booth to pick. He picks the bar side and I follow him. I am too tired to complain, I just want to eat. We sit on the bar stools.

“What drink do you want?”

“I really don’t want any drink right now, I prefer to eat first,” I say

“Okay”

He turns and gestures for the waiter.

“Do you have chips?” he ask the tall skinny man in a black and white uniform.

“Yes we do,’ the guy answers.

“Can I have two plates of chips?”

“Okay, anything else?”

“No, that will be all”

When the waiter leaves, he turns to the bartender and ask for a cold tusker lite.

I am too dumbfounded to utter a word, so I sit there and play along.

“So, where do you live?”

 He turns and asks me.

“Why? Do you want to come?”

“Wow! That was easy, Of course I would love to come to your place.”

Oh God!! This is becoming unbearable by the minute. I have to get out of here.

“Excuse me, I have to use the washroom,”

I leave the counter and don’t look back. I walk to the nearest decent café, order some chicken periperi with rice and clear the whole plate

“What’s up girl? Where are you?” I call Michelle, a friend whom I haven’t seen for some time now.

“I am at home?”

“Wow!! That is a first,”

“I have two off days, wanna come over?”

My friend Michelle is a nurse. She is the busiest person I know. It is always a surprise to find her free any day. Since I have lots of stories to tell I decide today evening should be the day. I head home, pack a few stuff and head to Michelle’s place.

We have a lot to catch up on.