IS THIS LOVE – Episode 55

IS THIS LOVE – Episode 55

A story by Kennedy C Katongo

 

HUNGER GAMES – 1

3 MONTHS LATER.

”What time are you knocking off?” Lydia asked.

“I just have an hour left then am done. You have knocked off already?” I asked her.

“Yes, I have. My shift ended early. You will find me at your place then. Later.” She said as she cut the line.

.

.

.

MATIMBA: ‘Baby are you coming through?”

CHILESHE: ‘I have a few things I need to do in town. I will have to get back to you.’

MATIMBA: ‘But you know how it is, Lister wants you to be there, so does her boyfriend. You can’t be late this time around.’

CHILESHE: ‘Am not promising babe. You know I don’t like being around your friends.’

MATIMBA: ‘But they my friends. I don’t say that about your friends…’

CHILESHE: ‘That’s because you only know one friend of mine.’

Time had moved fast, what seemed like forever drew nearer and boom! Everything just changed.

In the first week of April, Matimba and I decided that we give it a try _ having a relationship that is. So the trial period began with a lot of bumps. I thought it would be fun, I thought being with her would rock my world but then I realized I preferred being friends with her to dating.

I was always caught up with work. I looked for every excuse I could get just to avoid meeting up with her friends because I always felt uneasy around them. Not only that, I was forced to pay for meals I had not budgeted for.

Even though everything seemed fine, both Matimba and I would avoid getting into confrontations, yes!, Even if the other person was wrong and was now becoming a big problem.

@@ @@ A MONTH AGO @@

@@

Lydia had always maintained communication even after I had told her I was now in a relationship. On one occasion, I met up with her after work, I had just started, it was the month of May.

“Since when did you start coming early?” She asked me as I sat down.

“That is not funny,” I told her. Lydia was that good when it came to discovering new eating places. She was always the one telling me where we would meet up.

“I had nothing to do so I decided to show up early or maybe I should go back.” I teased her.

“Nah. I missed you.” She said as she got up to kiss me.

“I missed you too.”

“So what would you like us to order?” Lydia asked.

“Can we do a platter. I’ve seen one on their menu here.” I suggested.

“That’s a good choice. Am starving.” She said as she raised her hand to call the waiter.

“Starving? I thought you were at your boyfriend’s place?” I asked her.

Yep. Lydia was still with her boyfriend. In my mind, I thought if I could start dating that would ease up things between me and her. However, that wasn’t what happened. Things became worse for us and intense.

@@ @@ PRESENT DAY @@ @@

Lydia had just stopped by at home. Mwenda’s off days had finished by then and he had already returned for work in the Copperbelt.

His girlfriend imposed on him that they get promise rings since he didn’t seem so sure about the whole getting married thing.

That kind of reasoning in itself sent fire shots to Mwenda who didn’t welcome the idea and felt like he was being trapped into committing. The end result of their relationship was taking a break.

On a sad note, I knew that was my friends plan to escape that relationship.

“So, you dating now?” Lydia asked me. I had not moved from Chilulu yet despite the new job I had gotten.

“Yeah. Me and Matimba.” I commented.

“Are you happy?” She asked me.

“Ah. I don’t know. I mean, it’s different from how I thought it would be. I don’t feel the rush of blood _ nothing.” I told her, “some juice?”

“No thank you. I had something to eat before I knocked off.” She smiled.

Lydia was matching around my one-room house going through the decorations that had taken place and the change of colour.

“Was this your girlfriend’s idea?” She turned to look at me as she asked.

“What would make you think that? No, it wasn’t.” I responded.

“I love it.” She said as she walked up to me. “So what’s next for us?” She asked.

“There is nothing for us. You dating and am also in a relationship. We can just be friends.” I told her.

“Do you think that’s even possible?” She laughed in a mischievous manner, the strong look on her face as she said it meant just that.

“Don’t put it like that. Nothing has ever happened between us since you began dating. Just because we kiss and you sleepover at times doesn’t mean we are together.” I told her.

“Are you dumping me!” She exclaimed.

“What! Stop being a drama queen. I just think it would be best if we built some limits on our friendship. You already put your relationship at risk for being my friend.” Said in hopes that she would understand.

Nevertheless, that day ended with me and Lydia sleeping together. It was something that hadn’t happened in a very long time. But it just happened. She just had a way of making me do things that I didn’t want to do in the first place.

“I thought you said we can only be friends?” She asked me as she walked butt naked to the fridge. “What’s in the jar?” She asked me.

“That has to be Fruiticana. You can get some.”

“So… What happens next between us?” She asked me. A glass of juice in her hand and her phone in the other as she began to respond to messages.

Lydia and I always had a no-phone-us policy when we were together. Unless if it was argent. So it just had to be her boyfriend. In that same moment, Matimba called me.

“He Bunny. Are you going to be home?” She asked me.

“I will be home a bit late. I have something that needs my attention in Libala South.” I told her.

“That’s bad. I wanted to come over. I have to wait for my cousin before going home and I have nothing to do at work.” Matimba said.

“That is bad baby. I will see if I will finish early then I can come through. That’s if you will still be around.” I told her.

“Okay love. Laters.” She said as she cut the line.

Matimba was never the type to do surprises. She would always call before coming to my place, well, at least most of the times that. At times have would be already on her way.

“Are you sure she’s not on her way?” Lydia asked me once I put the phone down.

“I highly doubt that. What does your boyfriend want?” I asked her.

“He wants me to meet his elder brother. He just came back from the States.” She answered with a frown on her face.

“Anything wrong with that?” I asked her.

“Nothing. I just feel like he’s moving really fast with everything. He keeps introducing me to his family members almost every weekend. In the end, I will stop moving around because his surveillance cameras would be mounted in every street in Lusaka.” She said furiously.

 

To be continued…