And Then I saw Her

Tieno has been having it hard emotionally for the past few days. She has tried her best to be calm after Tekan betrayed her and slept with her now ex-best friend Maua. They had built the best friendship people dream about with Maua. She included her in everything, and when she met Tekan, Maua had been so supportive and encouraged her to accept dating him. Now Maua and Tekan are together; living under the same roof, making love, kissing, and making cute videos to post online.

Of course, they have been getting some hateful comments, but that hasn’t stopped the love they have for each other. Tieno had never seen this coming. When she found out, she didn’t react.

“I have to confess that I love her and want to start dating her, Tieno. I know this news will sound so bad to you, and your heart is breaking, but I can’t pretend anymore,” Tekan told her after calling her to come to Botanica, a restaurant Tieno loved to visit.

“How long has this been going on? I mean your love for her?” Tieno asked after pausing and taking this information in.

“It’s been for a while,” Tekan answered, not necessarily giving the details.

“Okay then, I wish you two luck,” Tieno answered, smiling.

Tekan got confused. He shyly walked out of the restaurant, leaving Tieno. After a month of keeping busy and keeping her mind off her breakup and betrayal from her best friend, she decided to visit Botanica again. It’s her favorite restaurant, and no mere breakup will make her hate it!

Dressed in a long maroon dress with a bare back, black platform heels, chunky bangles, earrings, and a necklace, she then adds gloss to her lips. Her hair in brown-dyed afro style, she adds a long trench coat due to the too-cold weather of Nairobi. She calls an Uber and leaves for the restaurant.

There’s a calming female blues song playing at the restaurant as she arrives. She takes the seat near the window.

‘Pretty view, I will never get used to this!’ she thinks.

As she settles and starts to scan the code to view the menu and make an order, she notices someone approaching, a white, middle-aged man. He has short white hair shaved nicely, a little longer at the front of his head, probably covering his receding hairline. He is dressed in a black suit and a bow tie, nice watch, something about his walking style.

“Hello, how are you?” the white man says after reaching where Tieno is and brings his hand for a handshake.

“Hello, I’m doing great, thanks,” Tieno answers.

“You are very beautiful!” He smiles. “My name is Gerald. What’s your name?” he adds.

“Gerald, I’m Tieno,” she answers, smiling.

“Are you waiting for someone, or can I join you?” Gerald asks almost jokingly while smiling.

“I wouldn’t mind company, haha,” Tieno answers.

Gerald, a very interesting guy. Works in IT, born and raised in Canada, and was here in Nairobi for a two-month business trip. He had noticed Tieno from the reception of the huge building before she took the lift to the restaurant floor. Being that there are three restaurants in the building, he had gone checking on all of them and lastly found her at Botanica. He talked about himself and asked Tieno about herself too.

“Would you mind going to a jazz concert? There’s a lovely place I found that plays very good jazz. I would love to take you there,” Gerald had said that afternoon.

“Sure,” Tieno answered, smiling.

After several jazz dates and visiting a few pretty places, Tieno had forgotten about her heartbreak, living in the now and giving herself grace. The two-month business trip had come to an end, and Gerald was traveling back to Canada.

“I’ll be back to see you again, I promise! I must!” Gerald had told her while bidding her goodbye at the airport. He had his bags arranged in a trolley and was going in. Tieno and the Uber guy who was waiting to drive her back home were watching him go. Gerald suddenly parked the trolley near a rail at the side and came back to Tieno. He kissed her, then hugged her tightly.

“Bye, Tieno,” he said, kissing her forehead.

“Bye, Gerald.”

She was surprised. As much as they had done several fun things together, she wasn’t expecting this. She let it happen though, and that’s what surprised her.

Tieno and Gerald went on having several video calls. They were growing a bond!

On a Thursday after work, Tieno prepared dinner, ate, and then Gerald’s video call that always rang at 8:30 p.m.

She was done and was preparing a smoothie to drink before bed when she heard a knock at the door.

‘At this time? Who could that be!’ she thought to herself as she grabbed her robe and went to check.

Tekan?!

She slightly opened the door.

“Hi, can I come in please?”

She thought for a minute and opened it. He came in and was too humble to sit himself on the couch.

“You can sit, Tekan.”

He looked at her a little shocked, then smiled.

“You know the last time I had you call me Tekan was so long ago. Those days we were still going on dates, you remember?”

Tieno sat down, her legs curled on the chair across from Tekan.

“What do you want? You didn’t come here to ask me about two years ago!” she answered calmly.

“I miss you, Tieno. I miss us. I messed up and went for your best friend. She was the one who lured me into liking her. She had always given me these signals, and I was stupid enough to fall for them. Ever since she got pregn... Look, I’m sorry. Can we get back together?”

“Maua is pregnant?”

“Yes. She’s been different ever since, and that’s how it hit me that I made a mistake.”

“So you’ve left her in the house alone and came here to tell me to get back together with you? Get the hell out of my house!”

“Tieno, can’t you let me fix what we broke?”

“The only thing we’re fixing is you never stepping into my house again. Get out!”

Tieno went and opened the door, pointing out for Tekan. He left, faking a sad face.

What a world!

After that day, she vowed to never open her door past 7 p.m. and to never open the door for someone who didn’t say earlier that they were coming, to avoid opening her door to people she didn’t like or wasn’t expecting.

Her phone call rang, a voice call from Gerald. It was 2 p.m., the weekend; Saturday, also her day off.

“Hello, I’m at the airport. Can you take a ride here?” Gerald said, sounding so excited!

He was surprising her! He didn’t say he was coming. Two months ago, he had kissed her at the airport saying goodbye, and here he was, back!

She wore a floral pink dress that had small flower printings in white and yellow. She combed her afro hair, put on a chunky necklace, and took a tote bag. She wore Maasai sandals, called an Uber, and left for the airport.

“Ooh my! The sun should always appreciate this melanin! You look so beautiful, Tieno,” Gerald approached after she had reached the airport. He kissed her. The Uber guy then helped them bring his luggage to the car, and they left for the hotel, Layona Royal!

“This hotel is so pretty,” Tieno said as she entered the big Royal Suite Room that had two beds, a couch, nice decorations of green and mustard yellow, and a few paintings on the wall. It was indeed quite a sight!

“Yes! You haven’t seen the best part yet!” Gerald replied, smiling shyly.

After having his luggage put in the room and everything settled, “Let’s go see the best part,” Gerald said, reaching for Tieno’s arm and holding it, leading her out of the room.

A smiley man was out waiting for them, his shirt having a tag written ‘Supervisor’. He led them to a small hall that had decorations, nice writings on the wall written ‘Will you be my girlfriend’, a nice table set with a cake written the same thing, and a wine bottle with glasses.

Tieno noticed he was carrying something. He placed it on the table, pulled a chair for her, and after she sat, he asked

“Will you be my girlfriend, Tieno?”

She looked at him and answered calmly, “Yes,” almost like a whisper.

“Can I call you babe?” he asked.

“Yes,” Tieno answered shyly.

Gerald kissed her hand and pulled out a gift box from the small bag he had placed on the table. He opened it, a diamond necklace. He helped her with putting the necklace around her neck, kissed her on the cheek, and sat down across from her.

Chet Baker’s song My Funny Valentine playing in the background.

LOVE.