blog whispers,: we return what we borrow

i am sorry it took forever vefore i got the whispers on but i changed the story so many times i was usure i was ready to write a book, so Carsozy who threw this story to me...i shall not fail and break the link that was started by Princess, i bowed by the way, her start was something i most def would have carried along, then Dark Knight was given the previledged spot and he passed it on to streetsider who dribbled it it over to undiscovered who unraveled it for esquire who rhymed it for Angie who whispered it to Heaven who passed it on Rented who messed it up for Sleek who sneaked it to Carz...and cARZ GAVE ME A TEST... But i hope i passed it...


The Instructions.

1. You take the story, and give it your own unique twist.

2. Link back to the blogger who whispered to you and or include their name in your post.

3. Whisper the new challenge into the ear of a blogger of your picking.

4. Let them know by leaving a comment at theirs.

Pass it on with the instructions!


Ernesto’ she cried ’surely you wouldn’t kill your own son.’


“noooooooooooo!” I screamed and could hear my voice reverberate in unison with everyone else in my neighbourhood and beyond as the town went black for miles around. The dastard power cuts right at the very part when everything started to get really nice!
“yessss! “ hissed my brother, I could see his lanky figure dramatically bend in his forever irritating ‘yes!’ pose then he sighed with added enthusiasm
‘hey Gracie, God heard my prayers , my jeans are scrapped and holed at the knees from praying everyday for you to come out of that soap o’vella mania, geez, how can my buddies know I have a hot sista who watches soapvellas”
‘Darling, its tele-novellas...read my lips! Besides, that one in particular is the hottest there is; even your high and mighty buddies watch this stuff… don’t lie!’
He chuckled, and pretended to dribble and toss an imaginary ball,’ whose friends? Oh… your girlfriends that recently became my friends? Oh, yeah, I will excuse them coz we share a common denominator of locality…. You,’ he added that bit cheekily before ducking his head as I tossed the couch pillows at him. Despite him being totally irritating at times, his teasing always evoked a mixed reaction within me, I laughed and gritted my teeth simultaneously. And I keep thinking, gee, he’s only 17! And I am what? 19?
“Don’t worry Gracie love, I won’t tell, no those guys that saw you come to my school the other day in that micro skinny skirt….” I was already up on to him in a flash… “They love you, Gracie, simply adore you!”
“And I am going to make your life miserable!’
We raced round the living room, him laughing tauntingly… it’s just the way he laughs it could drive the mobiius caves mad! I was madder still that I couldn’t catch him coz he was playing ‘basketball ‘with me. Dodging, jumping, dribbling past me, then the final straw picking my 5 foot 2 inches self and shaking me up and down till his ears were red with me pinching. ‘Nyan, put me down! ‘I was screeching.”
“First say you’re hot …but local!’
‘Nyan!”
“I hear… ‘but Ernesto, you imbecile, please!’” he mimicked my dark haired heroine Ellyn in mock delight enjoying every moment, till I was saved by the bell. Not a bell really, loud rhythmic knocks at the door.
‘company!’
(2)
He dropped me in a jiffy and headed for the door. “Get a lamp on, will you?” he called from the door
“You get it yourself,’
‘Someone is ‘miss grumps’ innit,’ he mimicked graciously then chuckled, “don’t worry, that’s why I have a fly phone!”
Mom and dad had gone out as usual. They religiously took every Saturday night off and it was Nyan’s turn to get frolicsome while I watched his back, but tonight I wasn’t in that mood even though I had laughed. I was sulking for UMEME and its bad scheduling timetable.
Loud male voices floated in imposingly on my pity party and I groaned when I heard Nyan tell his friend to come in, he wanted to introduce his ‘hot’ sister. The crap of a boy, I thought. I really love this guy, I mean I cleaned the poo in his pants when he was little, took beatings for him but not this! Not now at least… well though I thought that then I dint think I would miss him terribly or that deep within, I felt he was secretly proud of me.
‘Gracie, meet my newest pal Luke, Luke, Gracie, last names for later , his is a tongue twister. ’ then the embarrassing child leaned over and whispered in my ear as I said my hellos, ‘He’s a hunk and from outside countries, you might like him more…”
I jabbed him in the rib with my free hand.
‘Nice to meet you, Luke. It’s terrible you have to be here when there is a power cut,’
‘I am getting used to Kampala, ‘ his accent wasn’t totally English, it was mixed and I couldn’t tell exactly what he looked like but from the silhouette hovering over me, it looked good so far.
‘So Gracie anyho, Luke and I decided to chase them doldrums off you and we will …tag you along just this once to my party. Hm?” he nudged me.
“nope.” I sat back unmoved.
‘aww come on, it would be nice beside it’s not really a party we just hanging out,” Luke interjected
Ýeah Gracie…”
“Mom and Dad didn’t know we had plans…”
“Come on…don’t be a goody-two-shoes…”
“this goody-two-shoes saved your ass many times.”
Luke seemed to be enjoying the exchange, I could tell from the way he stood watching us and I honestly was curious about him, maybe it was the black out, my mood and the fact that the dim light from the phone seemed to make him mysterious, I would have gone out but the thought that I knew mom and Dad would want to come to a home with someone in it, I held back.
‘your sis is right Nyan, so how about we go pick up some pizza and soda and stuff and come back and talk besides, I think I would like to know this goody-two-shoes better.’
Him saying it somehow didn’t feel too bad
I could feel Nyan’s look of surprise, his mouth gaping in that all too familiar animated way, “what? Are you for real? Man….”
Luke laughed, ‘sure, we keep her company a bit and then hit the road,’
Nyan relaxed, ‘okay, lemme drive your car go get the pizza so you guys can bond while am away then we eat and go…” he teased
Luke laughed, and handed him the keys and money, ‘treat’s on me’
(3)
“Drive carefully knucklehead!” I called as he rushed out. Kinda glad we were alone. I did want to get to know him better. So I made my apologies and set about getting candles lit. He was cuter than I had imagined. In 15 minutes I found out he was partly Mauritius, partly Arabic- Tanzanian and had been to a number of international schools.
He was here as a transfer student for Nyan’s school for a month, had been around for the last two months already and though he was 18, he seemed to have it all worked out, he wanted to be an architect which I thought was totally overtly much for a kid his age to think so far. Despite it all he was extremely knowledgeable about everything especially history. I told him I like history too, and there was a particular shop that sold lots of old stuff somewhere across the road, I spent a lot of time sifting through their books and stuff. Funny, I had never seen that shop till two months back. I brushed off the thought, Uganda was one amazing place, new shops and malls and stuff sprung up all the time, but this one was different, every time I was in it, I felt like I was transported to another place. Augustine, the shop attendant seemed to be quite a peculiar person too, always bringing up things for sale. The idea of going to see this new place with this hot hot guy seemed worth it, he was already impressed.
‘Maybe I could take something home with me.’ He was watching me searchingly. And though I like to be stared at, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy…searching eyes are not my favorite cup of tea.
Nyan was back almost instantly saying the pizza line was amazingly fast and we settled down to eating, joking and Nyan’s best word ever…bonding in the dark… It’s strange the little things we take for granted or the people till they are gone.
(4)

In a few days Nyan was talking about becoming an architect.
“and what happened to being a journalist?’ mom was asking
He shrugged, ‘Nah… hey, cant a brotha change his mind, after all I have forever to get to campus,’ he replied. But I knew why he changed his mind. Luke and him were hanging a lot lately and he listened to everything Luke said like he was his brother. It made me jealous and I stopped hanging with them. This was my baby brother, he used to listen to me! He didn’t tease anymore like he used to. His sentences were always punctuated with “Luke this… Luke said that… urrrrgggghhhh!” it was beginning to make us all groan. Luke came home for dinner now and again, always polite, funny and the perfect guest. My parents changed their minds about him too and thought him a good role model for Nyan…
(5)
Some lazy afternoon, Luke drops by and I am totally shocked coz Nyan wasn’t in, he said he was going to play ball awhile.
‘I came to see you, Gracie, we never ever went to the shop, remember?’ I remembered he cancelled coz he had a test or something and it never came up again.
“Would you still wanna go? ‘he asked real nicely by the way…all the jealousy and slight irritation at all the limelight he had stolen from me melted and I decided it wouldn’t be too bad , in a short while I was bubbling again about everything keeping stride with his conversation, marveling at how much he knew and how much I learned. I couldn’t help but begin to regain and understand the fascination everyone had with him.
‘I really wanted to make it up to you, I felt like I was your brother’s keeper suddenly, and I didn’t think you took that too kindly,” he suddenly punched that in as we entered the shop.
I swallowed and smiled, ‘no, no, no, no, ‘I denied, ‘it’s nice for Nyan to meet people he can glean a lot from, I just beat his backside,” he laughed lightly.
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“well, that’s your problem,’ I got a bit curt.
‘Wow. This place is really nice, I can’t believe I was going away without seeing this, all this old stuff should go to a museum,’ he knew where not to tread in the conversation.
‘I know, but Augustine here collects stuff and sells them, I doubt he would want it gone to a museum.” I told him and motioned with my chin to the middle aged man seated across the room counting something. “hi Augustine,’
“halloooooo” he always dragged his hello’s, ‘you are back? Good to see you, I got other pretty things you would like, sea shells and old photo frames from my older sister, she travels a lot and always brings things she collects from wherever…aaaah who is this?’ he turned his attention to Luke., ‘nice young man, where you from…hmmm have I seen you before?...”
Luke was cordial enough to introduce himself to the gentle man. You need to know I have heard that story about his older wandering sister soooo many times, I wonder if he notices, I wandered away from the two of them feeling everything I could see, I loved the old gramophone , his sister gave to him from the USA he said, the weird bits of clothing, the beads, photos… I loved the photos best… I constantly wondered what the families in the photos lived like… were they happy? What time of century was it?
One in particular always stood out, it was an ancient picture of a group of 5 men. Augustine knew the story by heart. They were by far the greatest historians and scientists of their century; what was it…18th or was it 19th or 16th? I can’t remember any way they lived back then and were trying to discover something on astronomy and life out of the world and something else I could not completely remember…what I remembered was that it was fascinating tale. Sometimes I think Augustine fabricated most of this stuff to get people to buy his merchandise. Artists and tourists love this place, more because of the way it transported you to places you could only dream of, centuries, countries, times, name it, this was at this little antique shop, ‘Augustine’s Paradise’.
As we got out, and Luke walked me to a near restaurant, he broke the news about his departure ,’ hey, I want to say thanks for taking me to Augustine’s Paradise, a real paradise. “
‘You are welcome, so do you think you will be coming back at all?” I felt a tinny loss already.
He shrugged, ‘well, I donno…maybe. I like your family and you guys are amazing…and I got you this… thought you would like it.”
I laughed; it was an old pocket watch hardly ticking at all, ‘how old is this?”
“1821” he said with a certain tone that made me look up. His gaze was far off, longingly.
“Anything special about that year?’ he snapped back and smiled,
‘nothing, “ he rubbed my back, ‘you keep that watch well , it may come in handy one day… you know I return what I borrow,’ he seemed to be speaking to himself and I frowned
“What? You stole this?”
He laughed, ‘sorry I was thinking out loud. Of course I bought it off Augustine, now let’s eat, I am famished.”
‘thanks again, you didn’t have to but I love it,’ and I really did, I still keep it, hopping that one day, one day he will return with what he borrowed from me.
(6)
I won’t forget that morning it happened and I wished I had been up earlier, I wished I had said No, I wished…well anyway, It was Saturday like that day a week ago when we had gone out. Luke and Nyan went out to pick books and get Luke packing. I slept in late and hardly said my goodbyes. Mom and dad had travelled up country for a week so the house was in my care. When I got up it was 1 O’clock and Nyan wasn’t back. I would know, he’d be pulling the covers off me and making a lot of noise about how lazy I am and how I need to style up, meet people and ‘bond’.
I fixed lunch, got dressed up and tried to call him becoz it was almost three and he wasn’t picking. I shrugged, ball maybe? In another hour or two I started to get really anxious. It wasn’t like either of them to be out so late and not call or text me. I decided to go to Augustine’s paradise, lounge there and wait for them to text me. I pocketed the watch he gave me from the shop and smiled…he was a nice guy, very intuitive too.
Augustine smiled as I entered the shop, his usual halloooo followed and we chatted a bit as I did my rounds. ‘You are not with that fellow?”
“Luke? No I am not; he is out with my brother… ‘
Augustine smiled, ‘Aaah, very intelligent man, that…do you have a boyfriend yet?”
“No, I am not looking, “I laughed.
‘Oh but that Luke looks like a nice guy and he likes you,”
“How can you tell?” I laughed lightly but eagerly too.
‘We old people can tell…but…you know he seems so out of this world, “he made that note with a sort of queer tone and I frowned.
“How so? He doesn’t wear skins and shirt tails and stuff and speak in ‘yea’ ‘nay’ thou’ phrases,’Iteased
Augustine laughed “no he doesn’t, just something about him… if he was some speaking mannequin, I would add him to my collection…then again there is something familiar about him…I feel like I have seen him…hmmm” Augustine was talking to himself now but as he spoke I couldn’t help but be curious…’seen him? Where?”
Augustine shrugged, “welllllll… forget it”
I couldn’t. Even as I browsed through the collections right to my favourite spot of photos I could not help but think about what he said. I was right back at the picture of five men, all with their top hats in hand, stiff shirt collars pulled up tight, bright faces with smiles… beltless trousers…five men… I was sure… I could have sworn they were five everytime I looked at this photo, which was everyday.
But that day they were six, six men!
“Augustine,’ I called, my voice sharper than usual, ‘did you get a new picture?’
He was by my side looking at the old photograph in my hand. He looked it over.
“Nooooo, why..”
“You said they were five”
“Yes..” then he paused. “ah-huh! I thought I had seen him somewhere… look…” Augustine had forgotten my question. “Look at that man at the end, on your right…closely,” he dragged his words, ‘see? The curl of the hair, the smile, pity it isn’t in colour but I could have sworn… that this was the spitting image of your Luke”
I was puzzled by the photo, buffled, they were six! And now one looked like Luke!
“Maybe great great grand dad, no wonder he knows so much history and science, must be passed down…” Augustine was walking away…
I stared at the picture transfixed… it did look like Luke, too much not to be him… absently I turned it over in its rickety frame and saw something I had always ignored or never seen? At the corner of the photo at the bottom read the tiny letterings,
‘1821, Luke Mavolinona, a league of extraordinary gentlemen, we return what we borrow’
My heart stopped for a bit, my mouth got dry, I dint want to make sense of it, but it was all coming together…events of that other Saturday rolled out before me in quick flashes,in ripple speed, piecing a puzzle I had discarded, allowed myself to be blind to. I turned the photo over and looked at all the men, especially the 6th man… then started violently....he was Nyan!

It was then that the old dead pocket watch in my pocket started to tick



phewx! okay Baz, take it away!