The Dancing Bride And Her Spirit Warrior - Episode 44

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‘’Juma,’’ Vuyanzi held her breath looking at the phone. A new number had called and she picked up. The caller had been Juma. Vuyanzi sat up straight from her seat. It was in the afternoon and the house was quiet. Koni had driven her uncle back to his hotel room where he was residing promising to be back so that they can prepare to go and meet his father. They left Vuyanzi alone in the house . She had kept herself busy studying the notes Caro kept sending her though her new phone.

She was trying hard to comprehend but her mind kept going back to what Koni had said that morning. He had asked her to be his fiancée and she had agreed. Vuyanzi was to be introduced to his father later in the day. She couldn’t believe how much her life was changing in the past few days. She was busy scrolling her phone when the Juma called.

‘’Vuyanzi how are you?’’ Juma greeted his voice warm and Vuyanzi felt her heart clench. She missed him.

‘’I am fine Juma,’’ she answered and paused waiting for him to continue. Silence stretched between them.

‘’I am in the area and would like to see you. Can you come out?’’ he asked at last. He mentioned where he was and Vuyanzi was surprised

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. He was in the same neighborhood Koni’s apartment was. Vuyanzi wanted to go and see him but she also knew that Koni would fly out of his handle if he found out she had gone to see Juma.

‘’Please Vuyanzi, it’s been long and I just want to talk to you,’’ Juma’s voice pleaded, ‘’or is Koni Jasiri holding you hostage?’’

‘’No he is not,’’ Vuyanzi felt the need to defend Koni’s name from being tarnished.

‘’that’s good because the Vuyanzi I know never let anyone tell her what to do,’’ now he was taunting her but his voice came out amused.

‘’I have something to tell you Vuyanzi, something I have meaning to tell you for a long time. Come met me,’’ Juma was not going to give up. Vuyanzi knew instinctively what he was going to say. He was going to confess his feelings. Caro had told her that Juma was in love with her and that night of the hyena attack, he was going to confess his feelings. But it had been too late. Vuyanzi only had fond attachments towards Juma, a harmless crush of her childhood but he was also a dear friend to her. He had tried to defend her from Kweyu the lunatic. He had also tried to defend her against the attacking hyenas. She owed him a lot.

Vuyanzi decided to meet him up and listen to what he had to say. No harm in that. If she left now and was back before Koni came back to the apartment, Koni would never know she went out with Juma.

‘’Okay. I will meet up with you. Tell me where you are,’’ Juma gave her the direction to a restaurant near Koni’s apartment. The call ended after she promised Juma to be there in a short while.

Vuyanzi quickly freshened up and left the apartment for the first time since she had come to the city. Jaffar, Koni’s the guard manning the entrance was seated out and he stood up when Vuyanzi approached him.

Vuyanzi had to be smart enough to get through him.

‘’Miss, are you going out?’’ he asked looking at her up do. She was dressed in black slacks and a white silk shirt, courtesy of Koni’s endless supply of gifts.

‘’I am just stepping out for fresh air Jaffar, I will not be long,’’ she tried to assure the astute guard.

‘’I don’t know Miss, Koni insisted you were not to leave the building unescorted, I am coming with you,’’

‘’No, you should stay here incase Koni comes back and asks for me,’’ Vuyanzi tried to reason with him. The guard following her would not be wise.

‘’I was appointed to watch out for you. If I let you go alone Mr. Jasiri won’t be amused.’’ Clearly the guard was no going to let her go so Vuyanzi decided to be cunning to get through him.

‘’It’s okay Jaffar, it looks like it’s going to rain. Why don’t you bring me an umbrella? It’s somewhere in the house, then we can go to together,’’ Vuyanzi revealed her pearly white teeth to him willing him to fall for the trick.

Jaffar looked wearingly at her, ‘’okay, wait for me here. I will get the umbrella,’’

As soon as he had turned into the house, Vuyanzi locked the heavy metallic door and ran towards the elevator. The first time she had used it was when she was with Koni and she barely remembered how it is operated but would figure it out as she went on. Using the stairs was more risky, the guard would catch up with her if she did.

She fumbled with the buttons on the elevator and by some miracle it opened and she stepped into in just in time to see Jaffar stepping out of the apartment with a huge black umbrella.

‘’Sorry,’’ Vuyanzi apologized as the elevator doors started closing.

‘’Miss, it’s not safe for you…,’’ Jaffar frantically tried to stop her.

She found the button for the ground floor and pressed it. For some reason the elevator didn’t stop on any other floor. It was a direct descent. Koni must have been special or something.

Finally it opened and she was in the lobby of the apartment. It was empty and decorated in warm colors.

Quickly she walked out the rotating door into the cloudy Nairobi city.

……………………………………………………………………………………

Vuyanzi walked on the cobbled streets searching for the restaurant Juma had given the address for.

It was becoming clearer to her that Koni lived in an affluent neighborhood. The streets were empty and full of jacaranda trees. A cool breeze whiffed through her adding to the chilly atmosphere. It was going to rain. The clouds were gathering and she could see lightning from a distance.

Her phone rang and she picked it, Juma.

‘’I am right ahead of you Vuyanzi,’’ she looked up and saw Juma leaning against a building waving at her. She waved back and hurried towards him,

‘’Vuyanzi,’’ Juma pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back, a sense of comfort enveloping her, he held her for a moment longer until she pulled back. He let her go.

‘’You look lovely,’’

‘’Thank you,’’ she answered modestly embarrassed. Juma could still make her blush.

He looked good, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. He didn’t look like he had been attacked by possessed hyenas two weeks ago.

‘’Come, we have a lot to talk about,’’ he pulled her hand inside the hotel. The hotel was classy, suiting the neighborhood. Soft Lingala music floated the air and the waiters and waitresses were polite and courteous. Vuyanzi felt completely out of her league. It reminded her that Juma was also from a wealthy family. It was the only way he could afford such luxuries.

A waiter brought a menu and served them chilled fruity drinks. Vuyanzi could not believe the price on some of the dishes. She closed the menu and placed it aside waiting for Juma to order. Though Koni had forcefully given her a card and some cash she was reluctant to use them. More so her stomach was heavy, butterflies and all.

She was anxious. From disobeying Koni? Yes. She feared his reaction if he found out she had gone against his word.

‘’Are you not going to order Vuyanzi?’’ Juma asked when he noticed she had closed the menu without ordering anything.

‘’No I had something to eat at home,’’ she lied. Her stomach chose that moment to introduce itself. Grumbling. Loudly. She was embarrassed and Juma let out a hearty laughter. She joined him, laughing too.

 The tension between them dissolved.

He ordered for both of them and Vuyanzi was relieved. She was afraid she would embarrass herself to the waiters by wrongfully pronouncing some of the names she saw on the menu.

They talked a lot. Vuyanzi had a lot in common with Juma. They talked about Nyati town and the people. They talked about the game reserve and everything  between his game and his studies in the city college. What they didn’t talk about was the attack and the obvious tension between them. The food was delicious albeit being served in small potions. What she enjoyed most were the chilled fruit drinks. They had a unique taste and were blended nicely. Outside the clouds kept gathering but Vuyanzi didn’t notice it was warm and cozy inside the restaurant.

‘’The attack made me think about a lot of things Vuyanzi,’’ he said after a pause, surprising her.

‘’I am to blame Juma, I shouldn’t have left the hostels that evening. It was stupid and impulsive of me,’’ Vuyanzi wished she could go back and stop herself from going out that night but she couldn’t. It was the past and they had to live with it.

‘’You were worried about your grandmother. It is normal to react that way,’’ Juma tried to assure her.

‘’I should have approached it differently not going in head first like that, I endangered your life Juma. That is on me,’’

‘’You didn’t force me to follow you,’’

‘’I shouldn’t have called you,’’ her voice was coming out slowly.

‘’I wanted to see you, you had been avoiding me for a long time,’’

‘’Am sorry, it was wrong of me,’’

Juma didn’t say anything, he just looked at her, ’so you and Koni are an item now?’’ he changed the topic suddenly.

‘’um…yes I suppose so,’’ Vuyanzi answered awkwardly, this is the question she was fearing most.

‘’Then I don’t have a chance with you?’’

‘’A chance?’ her voice came out choked, she broke into a cold sweat. She avoided Juma’s searching gaze and focused on the flower arrangement on the table, suddenly finding it fascinating.

‘’Look at me,’’ his tone forced her to look up, ’yes, a chance for us to be in a relationship.’’ His hands reached out for hers, he held her wrists across the table and pinned her with his gaze.

‘’Be my girlfriend Vuyanzi.’’ He implored her, his eyes honest and clear.

For the longest tome in her life, Vuyanzi yearned to hear those words from Juma. She had literally dreamt that he had asked her out on several occasions. In her dream her answer was forever yes and they had ended up together with Tabu her cousin crying behind them. That had always been her dream. Juma would be a perfect boyfriend, he was handsome and trustworthy. He had a good heart and a kind smile. In her dreams, they always had a perfect relationship where he ended up marrying her and having a family with him. If he had asked her the same question a month ago, her answer might be different but not now.

 Everything was changed.

She pulled her hands from his warm ones,’’ I…can’t,’’ Juma let her go, a hurt look on his handsome face.

‘’I guess am too late then,’’ he smiled sadly at her and Vuyanzi felt like the worst type of person in the world. ‘’Is it Koni? Of course it’s Koni Jasiri, he had been hindering me from seeing you for a while now.’’ He sighed, ‘’is he at least treating you okay?’’

‘’Yes, he is kind to me,’’

‘’Kind? That is not the term to use on your lover, he sounds like a very patronizing person,’’ Juma said snidely and Vuyanzi picked up on that. She knew he was angry but that was not the reason to badmouth Koni.

‘’He is not my lover,’’

‘’Not yet,’’ Juma picked up his glass and drowned his fruit drink then signaled the waiter to come.

‘’Juma!’’ Vuyanzi had never heard Juma talk so harshly.

Juma ordered the waiter to bring him an alcoholic drink.

‘Juma I don’t think you should drink alcohol now,’’ she tried to dissuade him but he went ahead to order anyway.

‘’You know Vuyanzi. I have had feelings for you for years and yet you had always managed to evade me somehow,’’

‘’I am sorry Juma,’’ she didn’t know what else to say.

‘’Stop apologizing,’’ he picked up his delivered drink and took a swig,

‘’I thought you were dating Tabu all this time,’’

‘’I never dated Tabu, she is just a friend,’’

‘’What?!’’ Vuyanzi couldn’t believe it. Her cousin kept on flaunting how she and Juma were dating and posting their pictures everywhere in the internet.

‘’Is that the reason you have been avoiding me all this time? You thought me and Tabu were dating? Where did you get the crazy idea Vuyanzi?’’

Vuyanzi didn’t want to throw her cousin under the bus, ’it seemed like that,’’

‘’Did Tabu say something to you?’’ his eyes were hard on hers.

‘’No, she didn’t.’’ Vuyanzi answered quickly, too quickly. Juma scoffed and took another swing of the frothing drink before him.

‘’Your cousin was wrong, I have wanted you for a long time and I can’t imagine loosing you,’’ Juma’s tone had changed, Vuyanzi was seeing another side of him and she didn’t like it.

Before she could answer, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. To distract herself she checked it only to find ten missed calls from Koni. She had been caught. Without thinking she dialed his number and he picked up at the first call.

‘’Where are you?’’ he barked at the same time thunder cracked outside the window. Vuyanzi nearly dropped the phone she was holding.

‘’I went out to breath in fresh air,’’ she could feel Juma’s gaze on her but she avoided it. It would not do her good to tell Koni that she was with Juma.

‘’Vuyanzi it’s raining, where are you?’’ his voice did not lower. ‘’This stint you pulled is not funny,’’

‘’It’s not a stint, I was tired being cooped up inside the apartment…,’’ she didn’t finish the statement, Juma snatched her phone, ‘’hey Mr. Jasiri, she is with me. Do you have a problem with that?’’

With that he ended the call and switched it off. Vuyanzi tried to snatch the phone from his hands but he evaded her.

‘’Why did you do that?’’ Vuyanzi was simmering with anger. The rains outside started pouring in torrents.

‘’He was being rude to you that’s why,’’ Juma shook his shoulders casually as if he didn’t just cause a very probable world war 3. Koni would be mad. Boiling mad, raging mad and he would probably kill Juma. Vuyanzi knew that Koni felt threatened with Juma.

‘’You don’t know what you have done Juma,’’ she shook her head trying to reach for her phone but Juma was quick. By now they had attracted the attention of several other people in the restaurant. Vuyanzi decided to leave.

She picked up her handbag and dropped a few new bank notes on the table hoping they would cater for the meal she had taken. Juma stood up with her.

‘’Where are you going? It’s raining outside.’’

‘’I am finding your company unpleasant Juma.’’ She walked away without waiting for him to answer. Juma held her hand back pulling her to him, she crashed to his chest gazing up to his glazed eyes. He was already drunk. Vuyanzi fought against him trying to get away. Tears threatened to fall. What was going on with Juma? He was not his true self. Or maybe this had been the Juma who had been hiding all those years.

‘’Why Vuyanzi I never knew you to be a dog that sits whenever your master orders,’’

The statement were like a slap to Vuyanzi, ‘’Let me go, you are hurting me,’’ Juma didn’t release her in fact he pulled her close and whispered to her ear,

‘’Stop pretending you are not enjoying this, I have seen the way you are always looking at me. You want me,’’ this renewed her struggle to get away from him.

Vuyanzi my bride Koni’s voice boomed in her head. Koni was here, Vuyanzi felt delighted.

‘’Get your hands off my bride,’’ his voice roared and Juma was pulled away from her and thrown to the marble floor. Koni was drenched, he had been rained on.

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. His dreadlocks were undone, he looked like an avenging hero. Her avenging hero.

Koni pulled her behind him and stood between her and Juma who was standing up dusting himself.

‘’Jasiri,’’

‘’I warned you to keep away from her,’’

‘’As if I would ever listen to you. If Vuyanzi doesn’t want to speak to me let her say it otherwise this is all but you can’t tell me nothing,’’ Juma sneered at Koni.

‘’You are drunk, go home,’’ Koni started pulling her away. Vuyanzi noted throughout the whole encounter. He hadn’t said a word to her, her heart was breaking.

It was Vuyanzi who saw them first, masked men with hooded sweatshirts entering the restaurant. What caught her attention most was the types of guns they were carrying. Mean and ugly looking guns and they raised them towards their direction.

The following seconds happened as if in slow motion before her eyes.

One gunman raised his gun and aimed at her and Koni, with a growl Koni pushed her down as hail of bullets tore through him torso. Vuyanzi watched helplessly from the ground as Koni went down on his knees. She tried to reach for him but the world around them was turning to chaos. Screams and glass shuttering with a stampede of people coming between them. Vuyanzi was pulled back by someone, she looked to see Juma trying to pull her away from Koni’s falling body.

Somewhere from behind them, she was knocked down and Koni’s thundering roar was the last thing she heard before her world went dark.

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Uh - Uh what has happened now? The storm is here, will Koni and Vuyanzi get through it? and what is up with Juma?

Watch out for more.

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