It took ‘special’ soda for Fiolina and I to get back together

We have had differences since she joined Mosoriot TTC, and things got worse early this year when she claimed to have left for college, only for me to learn later that Mosoriot was closed due to the teachers strike.

Let me clarify that there is nothing wrong with Mosoriot TTC as a college. There is nothing wrong with the lecturers.

My main problem is a certain current student at Mosoriot going by the name Alex. Alex seems to have made it his mission to move Fiolina as far from me as possible and as nearer to him as possible.

As a result, ever since she left for college, Fiolina and I have not been talking. No SMS, no calls, nothing.

But if members of #teammafisi, like Alex, are eagerly waiting for us to go our separate ways so that they could take advantage, I have news for you — Fiolina and I are back together; closer, tighter and friendlier than ever before.

OUR MLAMWA

It all started last weekend, after I had travelled to Nairobi to represent Mwisho wa Lami Primary for an exchange programme with Daystar University.

As you may be aware, my brother Pius and I crossed paths sometime ago, after Pius talked my father into giving him a lovely piece of land that I had always known to be mine, and on which I had planted 31 eucalyptus trees.

As such, I could not spend at his place and so I travelled overnight to Nairobi via Msamaria Mwema, arriving in the wee hours of the morning. I reached at Daystar at around 10 a.m., after getting lost several times.

While the story of what transpired during the exchange programme is for another day, I must, however, mention that what I saw at the university was good for my eyes: all ladies were dressed like Nzomo: short and tight skirts.

My plan was that I would stay at the university until late evening and take the return bus that evening. But I don’t know who told Pius that I was Nairobi, because he called and told me that he would pick me from Daystar, from where he went to his place.

He wanted me to accompany him to Connections Bar for a drink but for once, I gathered enough energy to say no. Not because I didn’t want something but because whenever Pius buys you a drink, he would later preach to the whole world that he bought you a drink.

He returned several hours later; needless to say, he was toxic.

“How is mlamwa?’ he asked me of Fiolina. I told him she was fine, although I wondered why he was so interested in the affairs of my wife – unless there was something between them that I did not know.

“What did you do for her on Valentine’s?” Pius asked me as we had supper. That is when I remembered that I forgotten all  about Valentine’s.

As you know, I am the only man in Mwisho wa Lami and its environs that knows and marks Valentine’s Day. But this year, for some reason, the day had passed without my knowledge. I told him I hadn’t given her anything on Valentines, as she was away in college.

“I would have given you the Valentine’s gift I bought for her but I doubt you understand what Valentines is,” he said. I was disturbed as to why my brother would by my wife a gift.

NAME ON A BOTTLE

We forgot about that story until later that evening – just before we went to sleep. Pius gave me a paperbag and told me: “I bought this for you and your wife.” When opened, it had two bottles of coke sodas. This did not interest me much since my all-time favourite soda is Stoney – Stoney Madiaba.

But on closer examination, there was something unique about the two sodas: one was written on Mwalimu Andrew and the other Fiolina. I was pleasantly surprised, as I knew that must have cost Pius a lot of money. It is not cheap to convince a whole Coca Cola company to manufacture two sodas just for the two of us.

Immediately, I changed my plans. Instead of going home directly on Sunday morning, I would pass by Mosoriot to see Fiolina. I had to deliver the soda to her.

The journey to Mosoriot from Nairobi was just as long as the one from Mwisho wa Lami to Mosoriot. At Nakuru, where the bus stopped, I did some shopping — handkerchief, juice, scones, and Vaseline.

I arrived at Mosoriot at around noon. I could see all the students outside – they had just left church and some were cleaning while others were dozing away the afternoon.

Once there, I asked for Fiolina to be called. Since we hadn’t talked for long, I guess she never expected my visit, and I saw here from far coming slowly. But when she saw me, she wasn’t sure whether to run or walk.

“I have missed you,” I told her as I tried to hug her, although she did not allow me. The hug was actually directed at Alex should he be nearby. We were allowed to walk to the market centre where we settled down under a mango tree, where she spread a leso for us to sit. As we walked, I had tried to hold Fiolina’s hand but she had not let me.

“How have you been?” I asked her. She said she was okay and was now used to college life, but that she had not expected me. Since I was hungry, I got out the scones, and slowly got out the sodas.

“Close your eyes,” I told her, remembering that the last time I had asked her to close her eyes for a surprise was during our premarital days. I placed the soda in her hands, and when she opened, she liked what she saw.

LONG WALK

“Wow!” she said on seeing her name of the soda. “Happy Valentines Fio!” I said.

“This is so lovely,” she said, then added shyly. “I love you Dre.” She then hugged me, and the hug was long such that I regretted that we were out there in the open. How I wish we were somewhere private.

She opened her soda and started sipping it slowly with the scones I had brought. I also opened mine and started drinking.

Within minutes, I was done with my soda, and I walked to the shop to buy my Stoney Madiaba, which I poured into the Coke bottle that had my name. Fiolina was sipping her soda slowly, and she kept looking at her name on the bottle.

Shortly after, I escorted her back to college. We walked back slowly and leisurely, holding hands. After bidding me farewell, she stood there looking at me until I disappeared.

That evening she sent me an SMS: “High deer, thank you for coming to sea me today. I was shocked to sea you” We have since been sending each other SMSs every day and night – just like the old good days. Meza wembe Alex!

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