Zaky

I spotted Zaky when he entered the bus. He was the last to enter and I started at him as he made his way to the empty seat in front of me. He was dressed in his usual fitted trousers and long sleeve shirt with the sleeves folded just to the elbows. He was by far the best dresser at work. Maybe it had more to do with his body rather than the clothes. I noticed I was staring and looked away. I had never spoken to him before. I just didn't know how. I heard a notification on my phone and checked it. It was Dede. She was sitting two rows behind me. "Talk to him already. I know you want to."Her message said. I turned around to look at her and she winked at me. I giggled and replied with "My sister, it's easier said than done." Then the bus took off.

My crush on Zaky started the very first day I saw him. He came to drop off something for my boss with Dede. There was something about him. He was obviously extremely good looking but he had that humble demeanour that just got me hooked. He was the type of guy who would offer his seat to an older person if the work bus got full. He did that once for one of our janitors. She said she didn't mind standing but he insisted saying he had been sitting all day. It didn't make any sense why I was too shy to talk to him. He was a nice guy. His stop was two stops before mine. "Look sharp before those head office girls get their hands on this guy oh." Dede teased in another message. Goodness she was right! She found out Zaky was going  back to work at our head office on Monday. He was here for 2 months to replace a staff member who was on leave. The ladies at headquarters were known for their 'manizing' nature.

I took a deep breath and stretched my hand to tap his shoulder. Just before my palm landed someone called him and I pulled back. It was a lady. She got up from her seat and sat next to him. My heart started pounding. Why, I wasn't sure. I turned to look at Dede with an 'I tried' expression. She wasn't amused either. I sat there as Zaky chat with this lady. In no time at all the bus stopped and the lady stood up with Zaky. I watched him walk out with her. I felt all my shyness disappear but it was too late. I put my head down and started banging my head lightly on the back of the empty seat in front of mine. "You blew it, you totally blew it." I whispered over and over again.

"Are you OK? " I heard someone ask. I looked up, parting my braids to see who it was. It was him, Zaky!


To be continued... 

Bitter sweet memories

  It's 8:43pm. I'm in bed wondering if I should eat something before I sleep or not. The indecision in my head gets boring so I pick up my tablet and start playing Welcome Home by Radical Face. Just when I'm putting my tablet down I see a bunch of call cards in a basket near my bed. I pick them up and flip though. Each card carrying it's own memory of how and where I got it. Some made me smile, I rolled my eyes at some, others were not significant enough to earn an expression but there was this one. Just one that made me pause and retrieve a lot of bitter sweet memories. No it wasn't the card of an ex boyfriend. It was the card of a friend. A friend I met in the oddest of circumstances. A friend I didn't know for very long but could chat like we grew up together. Did I mention this friend was just as talented as he was humble. Those rare kind of people that you expect to rosh but they don't. Then the bitter part started to sink in. These were all the things he was when he was still alive. The call card of Dennis Dartey still lies in a basket in my room next to my bed.