love gone sour
Posted by Social Matters , Wednesday, April 1, 2015 1:24 PM
‘Love gone sour!’
‘Woman attacks lover!’
‘Woman murders lover in cold blood!’
‘Scorned lover kills boyfriend!’
‘Bloody murder!’
Ciru looked at her reflection in the
mirror as she washed the blood off her hands, thinking about how the headlines
would read the next day. Her only encouragement was that it would not be front
page news. A woman murdering her boyfriend was no match to politicians stepping
aside because of corruption scandals. Even on any other day, she still would
not have made front page news; it would have been reserved for politicians and
whatever they did on that particular day, even if it was of no personal
importance. Nonetheless, she was not looking for fame when she killed Kamau. She
stopped on noticing the cut wounds on her hands. She studied them slowly, it
should have been painful but she was numb with disbelief. She had just murdered
her boyfriend of ten years. ‘Why would he joke about something like
that?’ she wondered as tears filled her eyes. ‘I guess you are not laughing
now.’ She laughed a bit, in a manner of fact kind of way.
She turned and stared at the lifeless body,
once full of life, the body of the man who had told her that he loved her, and
she loved him as well, it was not a bad dream, there was no waking up from this.
He was her world, her dream man, her everything. She would have killed for him,
not him. It was no supposed to be that way! When she started stabbing him, she
could not bring herself to stop, it was like she was possessed or something. It
was like someone got a hold of her hand and drove the knife through her
boyfriend’s chest over and over again. Once could have been understandable but
after first five times, she lost count. She looked hopelessly at her blood
drenched clothes. Her life was over, her dream for a marriage and children,
that would never be! And not because she would spend the rest of her life
behind bars, but the crowd outside was baying for her blood. They had heard the
screams of her boyfriend as she attacked him. They knew someone was dead and
they were baying for her blood. One saw her sink the knife into her boyfriend’s
chest through the window. The entire neighborhood knew, she had killed someone,
and they were waiting for her with stones, knives, machetes, bare knuckles, diesel
and match boxes. If the police would not arrive, she was dead meat. There would
be a section in the paper of how she had been dragged out the house and beaten senselessly
to death.
She collapsed a miserable heap. ‘I did not mean to! I did not mean to!’ she
whispered to herself as she cried out loudly. She cries were muted by the chants
of an angry crowd. She had no good reason to kill him. Kamau was a good man, he
had been a good boyfriend. Light skinned or brown, with big brown eyes that
just seemed to smile at her. His smile seemed to make the earth spin off its
own axis. She smiled at her own thoughts. He was average height and of the ten
years they had been together, he had never cheated on her. Then why did she
snap? She pulled the braids off her head and let off a frustrated scream, the
chants outside went silent. Nay! The world went silent, really silent. She
listened as the silence condemned her. What would she say to his family, she
had killed a mother’s only son? What would she tell her own mother? The single
mother who had raised her and had hopes for grand children.
The third month of the year had been
amazing for the loved up couple. Kamau seemed to have changed. He was happier and seemed to be in love with
her even more. She could tell by staring at his big brown eyes. It was love. He
also seemed like he was finally ready to propose. So the story on the first of
April, was supposed to be culmination of 10 years of happiness and moving
towards the next part of their relationship, marriage. And like most 35 year
old women, she was ready to be Mrs. Kamau. He seemed to prepare her by telling
her he had something special planned for her. Ciru was excited as she bought a
new dress, a pretty little red dress; perfect to celebrate her pending
engagement and marriage life.
‘I want a grand wedding. I am 35 years
and so I have thought about all the details in DETAIL, and then I will pop
those babies, like you pop those farts after eating beans and ugali.’ She joked
to her friend Mugure.
She had even visited bridal shops and
she could she herself walking down the aisle with all of the WEDDING dresses on
display. Her heart jumped with joy as Kamau kept hints coming.
‘Are you ready Shii?” he called her
by her childhood nickname.
‘Yes dear!’ she smiled
looking into his eyes. ‘I can’t wait!’
‘I can wait for this special day as well.’ He said. ‘You
are going to be surprised.’
As the day grew closer, Kamau seemed
even more excited. A week before March ended, the surprises started, there was
the swimming lessons, and she felt so protected in his arms.
‘Maybe there’s a body of water somewhere
in the honeymoon.’ Mugure guessed.
The other surprises ranged from bike
riding, house hunting, movies and nature walks. Her excitement was almost
boiling over as the first day of April approached. Kamau seem excited. He had
achieved what he hoped to achieve, getting her overly excited and hopeful. She
was burning, nay, literally roasting with anticaption, the curiosity was
killing her literally. It was time for the candle lit dinner he had planned for
her. Kamau did know his way around the kitchen, he was a culinary god. He
prepared some fried chicken, rice, chapatti and some kachumbari. Ciru wore her
beautiful little red dress and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. After
waiting for ten years for Kamau to propose her life was about to change. She
smiled as Kamau poured her some wine red, as the beautiful love songs played in
the back ground.
‘How was the food?’ Kamau asked.
‘It was lovely.’ She answered,
almost drowning in his brown eyes. ‘Sorry
for forcing you to bring me this big knife to cut that big piece.’
‘I have something for you.’ He took a small
box, perfect for an engagement ring and went down on one knee.’
Her heart was pounding as she took the
box, she wanted to smile but the suspense was killing her. She slowly opened
the box and seemed confused.
Kamau just smiled.
She took out a small piece of paper and
read it out loudly.
‘Happy fools day!’ she was shocked
and confused, she did not even realize that it was fools day.
‘Happy fools day bae.’ He got up
laughing hysterically. ‘You really thought I was going to propose!’
he went on laughing. ‘That was the perfect prank, I must tell
Davie.’ He turned took his phone and called his friend Davie. ‘Man
she fell for it. Aki I cannot stop laughing. Aki you should see her face. It is
to die for.’
Ciru seemed to be in a gaze, as she took
the knife, turned him round as though to hug him, then stabbed him several
times. He never saw it coming! She did not even hear Davie on the other side of
the line begging her stop. ‘At least he died happy.’ She started
laughing, before the laughter turned to tears again. How do you kill someone? Especially
someone you love, when you have never killed before. It wasn’t a dream, there
was no waking up. ‘I wonder what hurt the most, watching the life leaving his big brown
eyes, or the gaze on his face when he realized it was his girlfriend killing
him.’ She wondered.
Ciru noticed a small shiny object
sticking out of his pocket, she bent to pick it. It was a ring. ‘I
must explain why I did this? She
got up quickly, her heart racing. Even before she could move, she felt a heavy
blow on her head, falling to the ground with a thud next to Kamau’s lifeless body.
THE END.
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