Tick tock tick, the sound of old momma’s wall clock,
A harsh reminder of the draining power of my favorite gadget.
The loud whirl of a wind so angry, the cries and wishes of the trees,
The beautiful agony of rural electrification.
In the land that Momma and Pappi made a home.
Red volcano soil covers me with each step I make,
With the unforgiving scorcher drowning me,
Sweat assuming my new wear, a remedy for my deodorant hate.
Each step carefully made, lest the dust swallow my melanin,
Destination known, the unfaithful life of a smartphone user.
Uncertainty creeps in, the blown transformer a sad tab,
Determination wills despite the strange welcome of the small town.
My first stop a hair dresser community, reality slaps hard.
The android I’m holding beeps with warning,
Just a little more time, till no more twitter,
No more Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Imo,
Inkitt, my absolute unhealthy social media obsession.
No generator noise, just absolute silence,
Courage seeps and questions asked, suddenly there’s hope,
The flicking lights on an M-pesa banner.
Excitement, anxiety, the greatest of forces,
That have my tiny legs moving so fast.
A blue shirt, pink trouser, and a pair of black sneakers,
Catch my eyes, cue the fashion sense,
And for a moment I’m lost in them, scared to look up,
My eyes don’t want to make the move,
But then eventuality arrives too soon.
Those brown eyes have my heart singing,
Singing a different tune altogether.
I can’t tell if it’s a rap but I can tell the fast beats.
The pouty lips have my insides welling with desire,
And the chin so perfect, has me dumbstruck.
The android beeps, snapping me back to reality,
And I honestly want to disappear.
I realize I’ve been openly staring, and trip
As if it couldn’t be any more embarrassing.
I brace myself for an impact which takes too long,
But finally comes when blue shirt covers me.
The red volcano is very welcoming, despite the protection,
And awkward becomes an understatement.
Our lips are close, dangerously close, so much that
Just a simple turn could press them together.
I’m plainly staring, again, but this time,
The brown eyes are seem trapped deep in mine,
And I almost forget we are in public.
Another annoying beep, breaks the stare,
And I’m thankful, for the gadget in my pocket.
I push beautiful browns away from me,
And attempt an unaffected storm,
Heading towards the flicking lights.
No one’s around, so I wait, and
Beautiful browns walks in and seeks my despair.
Struggling with the Focus on my desperation,
I hand him Ally, the lovely faithful gadget,
Then a silence so deafening takes over.
I make my way out hoping not to trip,
And silently praying that beautiful browns,
Doesn’t become an overwhelming obsession.
Evening comes, and the little one goes for Ally.
As darkness creeps, there’s a knock,
Grandma answers with her conviviality evident.
The person behind the door, is her neighbor’s son,
The one she’s praised since we arrived,
The ever so kind and courageous good lad,
The one I’ve wished a meeting for very long.
I’m forced to shake hands with beautiful browns,
The insane consumer of all my thoughts.
If only there was a disappearing act button.
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