His name was Oti but due to the fact that he could almost poke holes through every roof he was aptly nicknamed ‘Mrefu’. He was probably in his mid twenties and I in my late teens. He was so awkward that one, skin so dark and parched as though he slept in a sack of coal and rolled all night. I barely ever heard him speak despite the fact that everytime I saw him his mouth was always open. Opened involuntarily by his two front teeth that leaned way waaaay outward looking ready to escape his mouth. Mrefu worked in the gold mines near my home and I could spot him pass through the beaten paths donning his grey kaunda suit. I wonder how he laundered it because it was ever clean yet worn on a daily basis. Either he had tonnes of the same suit or he must have been doing a wash and dry overnight routine.
Despite all these attributes and more, I was madly titties over ears in love with him. I would carve out gullies in the ground, almost scraping off my toenails, in the name of drawing maps at the mere mention of his name. I longed to kiss his lips irregardless of how his rebelling teeth would probably chop off my nose in the process; of how I would have to peer out the 2nd floor balcony with him on the ground, just to be at face to face level. Ooooh my darling black stallion, lanky like an underfed girrafe that fell in a hole full of tar, yet I slept with his name on my lips and woke up to the same.We never said a word to each other, never got close enough for our skins to brush against each other or feel any warmth. Yet I still loved him to Mars (the home of men) and back. I was in love with Mrefu but even I never knew I was.
I noticed over time how he seemed to have grown quite fond of me. Whenever we came across each other he would grin at me and seemingly try to advance toward me but decide against it and stop midway. I could tell he was always trying to get a word out but shied off. In my trying to be nice I reciprocated his grins with smiles and kept on walking away. I probably left him puzzled as to why I professed my love in private yet gave him no time of day in public.
One day I came across Mrefu during my morning market run. He stopped me with a grim look on his face and spoke his first ever words to me, “Una roho nyeusi sana na tumemalizana.” He then spat on the ground near my feet and walked off in a huff. To say I was shocked is an understatement, my heart raced and I questioned his sanity. I did my market run hurriedly and got back home to tell my family of this weird encounter.
Amidst narrating my story, my small brother kept giggling and finally burst out laughing hard. He then confessed how he had made Mrefu believe I was interested in him in return for silly favors. Turns out he had been giving my brother money and sending him to deliver his expression of love toward me. He had also been buying him lunch at the shopping centre and paying for his video games. He would then draft fake letters from me hence making this giant believe we were now a couple.
When Mrefu finally asked to set up a meet, my cunning brother decided to end the charade to avoid getting caught in a lie. He told him (Mrefu) that I was no longer interested and went on to say, ” Amesema shida yako ni urefu futi kumi na suti pair moja.” My goodness, I now understood why the venom.
I was set to join college in a few weeks and resulted to dive into bushes for the remainder of my stay whenever I spotted Mrefu. During my holidays I saw less and less of him and finally he disappeared. It’s been years and I wonder if he considers me a part of his X-files.
Article Written by: Nana (Chronicles of Nana)
She is a young Kenyan lady; a wife,mother,friend and a lover of life. She believe in the ability to transcend to a beautiful imaginary world through the power of the written word. Live,love,laugh and learn through my experiences.
