Chests pressed so close together they could feel each other's heartbeats through their clothes.Fingers tugging on red dreadlocks.Lips smashed onto each other for so long one would think that their lips were mashed into one.Only coming up for sweet air momentarily before they want back to tongue duelling. That was always how it was when Eva and Guy were together.They couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Her mouth always had something to occupy itself with when he was around and that wasn't to form words.No, she could barely form a corrigible phrase let alone a sentence,except for a few monosyllabic phrases that consisted only of vowel sounds. Kissing him was addictive.She enjoyed playing with that magnetic  tongue ring of his. The sensation of his warm mouth and the cold metallic ring together,did things to her.She had never been kissed like that.But then again she had never been kissed before. Guy was Eva's first in every sense of the word; first and only.

And Eva felt there was never a more worthy guy-she smiled at the pun, to have  been her first.They had chemistry like no other.Her body seemed to respond of its own accord when he was in the vicinity.But it wasn't just physical.It went beyond that.Eva felt that they had a connection on another level.A much higher level that everyone else just didn't get and that was why,she had given herself to him entirely.

"Chocolate,"he said as he traced her upper lip with his thumb making her breath hitch ,"strawberry."he said as he repeated the same sweet torturous action with her lower lip.

"Your lips will be the death of me one day,"he uttered breathlessly before they embarked on yet another kissing session.

What Eva didn't know was that one day,what he said may have just come true.

She shook her head,dismissing thoughts of Guy.She was in front of her door.The sweet incense of rosemary signifying that her mother was home. She took a deep breath before she opened the door to the three bedroomed apartment that she shared with her mother. It smelt like home but it no longer felt like home.

Eva stalked into the kitchen finding her mother bent over vegetable stew made out of some traditional vegetables that Eva no longer cared to remember the names of.

"Food will be ready in a minute. Get ready to eat."

Eva flinched at the dead tone her mother regarded her with.But after what she had put her mother through when she had to clean up the mess that had resulted of Eva's and Guy's relationship, the relationship between mother and daughter had cooled off.No more big wet kisses on the cheek from her mother asking her how her day was.No more movie nights,no more kisses,no more hugs and no more warm smiles.

Eva left the kitchen to go get ready.She understood her mother's reaction.She had been a huge disappointment to her.It was almost like she had repeated her mother's life's mistake:getting involved with a man who ended up forsaking you.Eva was a result of that mistake.Though her mother always told her getting her was not the mistake it was with whom that was.

Her mother had been a fresh green first year student when she met Eva's father.She had received a scholarship to go study engineering in Germany. Having been in a girl's boarding school for six years through high school and living a pretty shielded life at home as well, she had hardly interacted with boys.But she always felt that she could be immune to their advances.

That's until she met Eva's father,a tall Ugandan student with a charming smile. He was persistent with his advances until she felt overwhelmed and finally susceptible to them.She kept on asking herself, What does this man see in me? Next thing she knew she was pregnant with his child and he denied it being his.She later discovered that he preyed on young naïve  international students like her and she probably wasn't the first girl carrying his child.So that's what he saw in me,she thought with regret.

So Eva's mom returned home ashamed and broke with no future prospects.Her mother has slapped her at the airport right in front of everyone.She had wanted to do nothing but cry and wallow in sadness.But she was bringing life into this world and she promised to give her daughter the life she could have had.So she trained to become a teacher of German and began learning French as well.

One of her passions as an art enthusiast turned into a profit when she began exporting African curios to Europe and other western countries.That enabled her not only to buy the apartment they were currently living in,in the lavish area of Lavington but other properties throughout Nairobi.She got to give her daughter the life she had promised when she was still in her womb.

"I googled a few universities that have really great facilities for engineering courses,"her mother said as she placed a plate of food in front of Eva.

"The local universities are good as well,"she continued.Eva kept mum.

"Are you even listening?"her mother snapped.

She's changed so much, Eva thought.She was no longer the mom that Eva had learned all her German curse words from.Now it was all curt and impersonal conversations with her.

"Yes,I'm listening,"Eva answered silently.

Her mother sighed and settled on the chair across from Eva.She rubbed her temples and the action made her  look much older than she really was.

"I know you've been sneaking out of the house again at night.I also know about the large withdrawal you made from your bank account two weeks ago."

"Eva,I don't want a repeat of the mess that was last time."

Eva swallowed hard,tears brimming on her lower eyelids.

Her mother noted the tears in her eyes."I'm going out tonight.Don't wait up and be careful."

She stood up and made her way to her bedroom to pick up her things.Just as she was about to open the door,Eva called out to her.

"Mom."She didn't even turn.

"Can I borrow the motorbike tomorrow?I promise to be careful."

"Go ahead."And with that she left without even one backward glance.Eva was left staring at the bottom of the Ankara skirt that her mother had been wearing even when she had already left.

******************************************************
The wind flew through her braids.Eva felt peaceful,free,contented and the list could go on.Most of all, she felt like she had  actually achieved self actualisation.This was her thing.All through her life,she had worked hard to please people around her.Her mother,her friends,her teachers...Guy. But this was entirely for her.It had not been easy to learn how to ride a motorcycle in the first place. She had to put herself through classes from her own pocket-secretly.

Her mother had only bought her a bike because she was so overjoyed by her sterling performance at school when her results came out.But that was after much begging and convincing her that Eva would never stray to any major highways with that thing.Riding her bike on a normal road was another issue.Female drivers got harassed.No,not through catcalls.They just weren't taken seriously.So how much worse would it be for female cyclists?

So this was a real achievement for her.One that she immensely prided herself in.Nina,her bike made her forget about everything and everyone,her mother,her platonic friends,because that's what they were and even Guy.But her thoughts kept straying to one person with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.And she found herself smiling because all her thoughts regarding him were entirely pleasant.

***************************
Louis woke up that morning with a weird feeling. He felt strongly misplaced. Misplaced in his own life. His throat was scratchy and his head felt heavy.

He had found his mother staring dazedly at the ceiling.He had tried to talk to her but her attention remained fixed on the ceiling.He had only left because Lina had coaxed him to do so,promising to take care of her. It was going to be a terrible day and he knew it in his bones. He was probably exaggerating seeing that what he was feeling were only the beginning symptoms of a cold.But he truly felt like crap.

But as he left his home not only with a bitter taste of life on his tongue but also the bitter taste of raw tangawizi mixed with the burn of hot coffee on his tongue,he decided that he was really not exaggerating.

He was busy rolling his tongue out of his mouth trying to cool it like a dog would do,which in retrospect he thought was very stupid when he reached the accident spot.

"Can't help but drool over her, can you?"that familiar voice said.She was sitting on a motorcycle,dressed in dark jeans and a black leather jacket.Wait,a motorcycle?

"Down boy!She's mine today and I'm not letting you touch her."She said when she noticed him checking out her motorbike.

"No,I just don't plan on getting on that thing with you driving it. Since you know,you're accident prone."she bristled at the mention of this.Had that accident affected her this much?

But she recovered quickly.

"Just say it's because you don't want to be seen riding behind a girl.And 'this thing' has a name.Her name is Macy."

"That's a terrible name for a bike,"Louis rolled his eyes.

"What you did just now was an awfully feminine thing to do,"seriously,it was.What with his perfectly shaped eyebrows.Eva would bet her bike that Louis threaded his eyebrows."Now I think you might just be comfortable riding behind me after all."

Louis flicked her the bird as he climbed onto the motorcycle behind her.Eva was too busy laughing her head off to notice the way the corners of his mouth twitched and how hard he was trying to suppress a smile.

Maybe it won't be such a bad day after all,he thought as he put on a helmet.

I feel ashamed .Sorry for taking so long to update.

Ankara skirts:  A-line skirts with African print.Below are some photos of Ankara skirts

Tangawizi:  the Kiswahili word for ginger.so Louis had been chewing raw ginger,that is the roots of the ginger plant to probably ward off his cold.Yuck!!!

The song:if I ever fall in love by Shai.It's an acapella.I loooove this song.Listen to the song.

Vote,comment.....forgive me.xoxoxo.Big wet kisses like Eva's mom used to give