Always keep your options open – Kabi’s diary

‘So,’ Shiru asked as she downed the last of her Beefeater, ‘do you think you’ll do it?’ The rest of the ladies looked at me, some with pity because they think I’m a goody two shoes and wouldn’t dare, others excited for because I just might, it was the usual Friday hangout with babes from the office, it had been a rough week and this meant we would probably be out all night having a good time and spend all weekend regretting it. Before I could think of what to say, Naya was back with 6 glasses and shouted SHOTS! And all was forgotten… for now.

***

I recoiled in bed feeling the sun from my poorly drawn curtain, deciding if to wake up and adjust it or ignore it and go back to sleep. Thinking was making my head heavier. Why do I keep doing this to myself? It’s not like I am 21 and can pull a night out and go for a morning run the next day. Or am I an alcoholic? Is that even possible?

There is a dreadful ring all of a sudden, it sounds like an alarm, I am trying to figure out where the phone is before my brains blow up. Its my mum, she is calling again to ask what dad’s will says because she wants the house in Nairobi and Mombasa and can’t bear to think it’ll go to any of us, as her favorite I am always spying.

‘I don’t know mum, Kamau is the one drawing the will, he does it with a partner at the firm but I don’t get to see it because I’m also a beneficiary’

I know this is gibberish to her but I still insist on telling her. If anything, dad loves mum, always has and she’s just paranoid he loves his only son more. With five daughters and one him, he really is the apple of his eye, like a traditional African man and though he says he loves all of us equally, we know he loves him a tad bit more.

‘Ni sawa mum, ntakuambia when I talk to Kamau,’ I lie

I throw the phone on my bed and start recollecting the nights events, we started out at our usual spot in Kilimani from the office and somehow ended up at Memphis on Thika road because Naya had a friend performing, in between was a major blur, except the part where Shiru asked if I would go for the big guns.

‘Babes, you are practically single and you are a hot mami, you can get whoever you want at the snap of a finger and be taken care of, sijui mbona you keep putting yourself in situationships kila time,’ went Andrea’s voice replaying in my mind.

Andrea was always the boss babe and mega feminist of the group of all the girls at the firm I always wanted to be like her, so unbothered and believing everything would work out. She partied hard but worked even harder. She was top associate at the firm 5 months in a row and was working on pushing her way and making it to the big leagues. She was aiming for Senior Associate before hitting the third floor.

But am I really willing to go down this road? I adjust the curtain blinding out the light heading to the dresser to take off make up from last night looking at my reflection wondering what is the worst that could happen. It could be landing on Kilimani mums on Facebook or BNN or Edgar’s Instagram right? But Nairobi will forgive and forget even faster, they would be the same people watching my videos when I am a trophy wife and life coach or start a fashion line.

Ring Ring,

It’s Odera calling, I probably shouldn’t because I know what happened the last time when one of his friends carelessly revealed I was not the only one in his life (though I thought I was). It had been a month since we spoke and he was out of my system, but seeing his name on my screen just brought back visuals of his amazing dark skin, coffee brown eyes, ample …. okay not completely out of it…. I reach for my phone, put it on speaker and reach for some bio oil.

“Hello”

“Hi Jaber, is it a bad time?”

-I roll my, eyes, Jaber, really? That’s how you start?

“No it’s alright, to what do I owe the honor?

“Well, I know Freddie was a bit lose mouthed last time before we had a chance to talk, and since you haven’t been picking my calls or responding to my voice mails, I wasn’t sure how you felt.”

-Lose mouthed? Wow, what ever happened to being with a woman and remaining exclusive until you decided it worked or it didn’t. But again, was I really expecting him to commit after going out for a couple of months? Especially an ex rugby player for the national team known globally who decided to pursue something outside the sport. It is Nairobi after all, you ALWAYS keep your options open, always.

“I’m alright, work has been keeping me occupied”

“You know I love it when my women wok hard for their own, independence is so attractive…”

“Where are you getting at,”

“Oh pole mrembo, I want to know if we can go watch the 7’s next weekend down at Vasha, you’re the only woman who understands the game.

He knew he had me, he knew that’s where our chemistry was birthed 6 months ago and it was hard for me to say no, he never got no’s from mamis, he was it, tall, dark, handsome, Colgate smile, smart and candid never holding back on making a woman feel special. For him asking was a formality, he may as well land at her apartment on Friday night have a Netflix and chill evening before they leave Saturday morning.

But he really liked this one, she held back and made him hunt, and oh how he loved to hunt, she was feisty, she made him think, she made him look good with the boys and they loved her, they probably loved that round bum, just as he, her smile made him feel light, like he could relax. He wanted a yes, needed one in fact and wouldn’t stop till he fixed Freddie’s drunken slip up.

He needed her.

“Kabi, are you still there”

Today we’re going back to the short story arena, just to flex this muscle a bit since we’ve been slacking the past few months. Let me know what you think on my socials: Instagram here like Facebook Page here or comment below. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel here

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Featured Photo by Ian Kiragu on Unsplash