Am back

She woke up all happy and pretty pleased with herself. It wasn’t almost herself to be optimistic, not with her poor life. Mombasa must have been an exciting experience for her it seemed. She whistled softly as she peeled off the covers off her.

“Hey bestie. I am broke and desperate. So could you do me a favor and sort me out please? “ She asked her friend Jayson, way later in the day. “I would like to, but you are the queen of the non-debt payers remember. “

She stared at him long and hard before smiling and left. She threw her backpack on her back and left his dorm room without as much as a backward glance. Her trickery had certainly hit a brick wall. The hunter had become the hunted. She hadn’t anticipated that and considering that she and Jayson were as thick as thieves, she was embarrassed. Now as she walked away, she felt weary and violated.

She didn’t realize nor did she feel the coastal heat, the wind nor even the noise on the streets. Her head felt hazy. She needed to unwind and pretty quickly otherwise she was going down the depression road. Being a bipolar disorder victim, her choices weren’t that varied and she knew that very well. Or we can say it was etched to the back of her mind.

She passed Mwembe Tayari onto Changamwe and she was almost in the CBD when her brain bolted back to her cruel harsh life. “What! Seriously Nje? You are told the truth and you run away like a little bunny running away from big scary foxes? Damn I must be so dumb. What the heck, I am going to be so damned if I continue to run away from trouble, “she thought.

She didn’t have to think long about it. The solution as she thought lay in the fact that she was always a big influence on others. Typically she would have just hailed a cab to wherever but it’s in Mombasa and she was broke. And anyway who does that on an allowance of just two hundred dollars for a whole semester?

An hour and a half later, sweaty and all dusty from the Mombasa dust, she knocked on Ley’s dorm door. She didn’t think of the possibility of Ley not being in her dorm room because she never left. Ley still in her sleeping gown let her in. She threw her bag on the the floor and sat on the only piece of furniture without filthy graffiti, the bed. Ley slowly shut the door and went back to bed pulling the covers over her.

“What are you doing Ley! “Nje asked slightly irritated.

“What do i seem to be doing? “Ley retorted sharply.

“No babe. You can’t do that. You haven’t been out of this room for a month now! I know what you feel but as your girlfriend am tired of it! “

“Thanks but no. It’s not my fault i can’t go outside and am not sorry for being that way.Just leave me alone please. “

A month earlier Ley had almost been raped one night while out on the beach. She had not been able to get out of her room ever since . The trauma had caused her to be agoraphobic. She spent all her time either asleep or stress-eating. She had grown pale, withered and her room stunk of junk and trash. Her parents being on the upper side of high income earners, she didn’t have no struggles about her food. She ordered for it online or sometimes, Nje, her girlfriend and only friend who hadn’t left her yet would get it for her.

That day Nje had been so prepared for her reasons for not going outside her room. She let her go on and on about it without interruption. Nje didn’t even listen the whole time as Ley talked. It was always the same reason, she would be raped. Ley talked for a while and only stopped when she thought she had convinced Nje.

“Guess what girl? We are going out today. Am not taking no for an answer. If someone wanna rape you, they will have to deal with me first. “Nje said. “And first you need to take out the trash. “

Ley hadn’t seen that coming. She opened her mouth but no words came out. She knew that she couldn’t go out and having to deal with an angry Nje wasn’t that nice an option either way. She peeled off the covers and sat up shaking at the thought of that night. Nje on the other hand sat staring at her her gaze unflinching.

By the time Ley was done cleaning her room it was fully dark. She was exhausted and hungry too. Nje took out the trash for her. Being a weekend and the response time for food delivery being slower, Nje suggested dinner in the small restaurant down the street from the university. They walked in the dark holding hands, Ley wrapped up in so many layers of clothes.

The dinner was fine but later that night as Ley tossed in bed she broke down and cried her heart out. It wasn’t out of fear anymore but that she had been locked away in her room for a month like a caged animal by no one but herself. Somewhere else in a crappy rental bedsitter Nje dreamily thought of better times devoid of brokenness.

The following week Ley slipped back into her misery,but this time it got worse. She didn’t eat nor did she even sleep. She was always awake and in thought. She grew paler and shadows began to grow under her eyes. Fortunately for her Nje had been caught up in her school work and hustling to earn some extra money. She wasn’t a rich kid and calling her parents for money wasn’t an option for her.

Despite the busy schedule Nje noticed that Ley wasn’t back to her normal self. Her rage was so much she would have whooped Ley’s backside. That day, she wasn’t going to school nor hustling. With her backpack on her back she went to Ley’s.

“Are you kidding me? Girl you promised and look you are in here curled up like a stupid coyote! Come on, surely? “Nje asked her anger rising steeply.

“Trust me Nje, i tried but I couldn’t do it! “Ley answered in sobs.

“Fine. Am here and am your friend. We’re going to do this together right? “

It wasn’t easy convincing her to face her fears but two hours of teasing, pleading, prying and even threats worked the magic. She first had to get her washed and in clean clothes with her hair made.

Hand in hand they stood at the door looking out into the square outside of the dorm room. They walked out into the Mombasa afternoon sun. They walked slowly, a smile slowly growing on Ley’s face. She let go of Nje and turned to look around. She held both of Nje’s hands and laughed. “We did it! “Ley said loud her laughter increasing.

“Slowly baby girl but we did it. “Nje said to her as she rolled on the grass on the square.