Family Emergency

3.45 am-The rain patters softly on the decra dark roofing. I am half asleep, half awake. Little because of the rumbling nimbus clouds and more because of the work report, that I have to find ways of finishing and submitting before the week ends. It is Friday morning. I toss and turn, delicately on the bed avoiding the cold parts of it. The phone buzzes! I look at it on the purple carpeted floor, where it had been charging in the night. I am hesitant to get out of bed and pick it up because, I meeeeaaaannn, who the hell would be calling at this ungodly hour.

4.00 am- A cold wind passes through my door as I open it. He stands there, dripping wet. I am not sure whether it is because he ran all the way from his place and was sweaty or because of the rain outside. He is in his gym wear; a gym trouser with a crispy jacket, his sports shoes on and an exercise band tied on his left arm. White earphones dangle from his phone. “Baby nimekumiss,” he says as he saunters in the house, opening his arms for me to enter in for a hug. I happily insert my naked warm frame in his arms and we stand there for a couple of minutes, not minding the rain, or the cold wind or the time, in fact, the nature further stirs the emotions between us.

4.15am- I hear the hot shower running. The smell of Dettol soap quickly hits the one bedroomed house. He has to shower before he joins me in bed. I am back in the white cotton covers, patiently waiting for him to finish. I imagine him in the showers, the water conjuring a sweet pattern on his dark rich skin. He must be scrubbing his beautiful strong arms by now, or the well-formed biceps on his tummy or his sculptured handsome face. I smile naughtily for a second imagining those arms gripping my thighs. My thoughts are distracted by his bass echoing from the bathroom “Baby, nitumie towel yako?” he asks. I head to my closet and retrieve one of the new white towels I had got from the mtumba market last weekend. I had made sure that I soaked them for a night and washed them with some softening perfumed soap that my babaa had bought. Babaa had said it was a necessity in my new house. I pick one and knock on the bathroom door, he opens, slightly and shoves his hand outside. I hand him the towel. He turns off the shower.

4:30am- We are in bed, under the covers, me in his arms. He holds me tightly from the back and kisses my neck gently. We stay in that position for a few minutes. Quiet. He must be deep in thoughts. This is unlike him; we usually have those long conversations in the dark when the world is asleep. The world has been so unfair to him today. That is why he comes here in the first place. To unburden his problems. To get peace. He sighs and tries to turn me to look on his direction. I change my position and I come face to face with him. I stare into his sleepy eyes. He is a tired man. A weary man. He kisses me on the lips and whispers a sincere, “Thank you and I love you.” He doses off to sleep. I continue staring at him in the dimly lit room and kiss his forehead. The rain now falls in crazy chaotic drops, becoming louder, accompanied by flashes of lightning and roaring thunder. I hope it won’t be raining when the real morning comes.

6:30am- His still sleeping. I get out of bed. Slowly removing his arms around me and covering him to his neck. I reach for my bath robe and head to the fridge in the kitchen. It is stocked thanks to my impulsive shopping disorder …funny if that’s even a thing. Four boiled eggs, some brown bread, black tea tinged with ginger and lemons, fresh juice and some slices of apple would do. I decide to pass on the fresh juice; I don’t want the blender to wake him up. I put the eggs on the cooker and walk to my wardrobe. I remove a fresh cotton t-shirt, one of the few he has been leaving at my place and some blue jeans, his boxers and a white vest and lightly put them on the two seater sofa.

6:50 am- He is standing naked on the kitchen door, smiling. I hum to some music in my phone’s album as I make the breakfast, handling sufurias carefully so as not wake him up. Unaware of his presence. This time he is the one who tiptoes and holds my waist from behind. “Si today we just stay indoors with you,” he suggests. I look at him. I smile. That is the worst idea ever, but I love it! “We can both skip work today baby, it is a Friday,” he continues to cajole me.

I know he needs this, and besides the thought had already crossed my mind. I haven’t been with him for a week. His been home with his family. I already know how the day would be, we would have breakfast, then shower, make love, shower again, dress up in just underwear and tshirts, watch movies we have already seen and day drink. We would later head to the supermarket, buy some more wine and more snacks. We would come back to my place in the evening, he would help me prepare dinner, then after dinner continue with our drinking spree. He would then open up and tell me whatever has been weighing him down and I would hug him for the rest of the night. We always got each other like that. I pick my phone and send a quick text to my supervisor, “Hi Sir, I won’t be able to show up at work today, family emergency. Thanks…”