scar tissue.

i met up with a long time friend this weekend, we kinda bumped into each other and the only image that came to my mind when i saw her was her eyes briming over with tears as she flashed the simple gold band with a single diamond stud on it, telling me excitedly about Nick's proposal....,i was soooo excited, this girl had kissed too many frogs and we all decided it was good for her to finally find a prince...
but as i scanned her in the pretty floral dress and scarf... i noticed the taletale signs of a ring...not there anymore. as we talked i could not help but notice Nick did not punctuate our conversation so i braved and asked, suspecting the worst..' hows Nick'
she frowned leaned forward and asked 'who?'
i did not pursue it any further... the blank icy pain in her eyes could not have disguised themselves no matter what.

the blues

somebody told me once that love was my strongest point, something she marveled about me, the strength to whole heartedly give of myself and my time for those i loved. friends, family, a beau... and she told me, 'love is you, when you decide to distance yourself from it... you lose who you really are.

well life has its cruel twists like barbs cutting deep into the very heart of my strength, as if trying to test my resilience, my endurance, as if mocking, 'can you take this too? and that? is love really it? is it strength or weakness."
and like a weary warrior i trudge on encouraging those fallen by the way side that 'love is worth it, it is what makes you beautiful within and without,'
but
after being hit with the blows and barbs of excruciating pains and aches in form of people that claim love or that somehow with 'strength' you choose to love, hurt, betray, forget who you are... then i ask the same questions those i encouraged asked...
'is love strength?"

'why must i be vulnerable only to get crushed?'
'i begin to understand the boy that could not be helped, who told me stonily, 'why must i bare myself to endure an ungracious cold human being. no i don't love no more and that's how i will stay,' and i thought him lost and alone.
but i find myself asking the same question.

i find myself on the inside of my own depression looking out at the world rosy and alive while i die on the inside, groping to join beauty because i know it is where i belong but i find myself wanting...scarred, touched up, scarred and touched up again, so much i am losing who i am and why love is important when all its handed me is barbs, strong thick and sharp.
and i am lost..
i know my greatest strength is what i need but i dont know how to make it to the otherside because i want to leave it behind.
step out of my broken disillusioned self, weep for it, sing a dirge, morn, bury me and live like those dead to love

dead to love....

it feels safer this way.

oba me?

1. What time did you get up this morning?
4.45am
2. How do you like your steak?
very very well done.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Public Enemies
4. What is your favorite TV show?
i donno...ummmm....criminal minds.no! ghost whisperer.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Oh God IN A LOG CABIN SOMEWHERE FAR FAR AWAY FORM THE MADDING CROWD!
6. What did you have for breakfast?
nothing, i am not a breakfast person.
7. What is your favorite cuisine?
as long as it has irish potatoes i am good to go.
8. What foods do you dislike?
fried eggs.
9. Favorite Place to Eat?
anywhere artsy and alfresco style, closed places make me feel claustrophobic
10. Favorite dressing?
gypsy,linen, loose clothing, short short skirts and short dresses and jeans!
11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?
feetlings
12. What are your favorite clothes?
eh? is it me? or did i not answer that one?
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
well some days....its either, or
15. Where would you want to retire?
ummmm...Greece?
16. Favorite time of day?
twilight, and dawn
17. Where were you born?
UG
18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
basketball.
19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
i am not thinking, not caring
20. Person you expect to tag you back first?
not thinking banange!
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
ummmmmm, Sleek, Streetsider, Rhino, Sam, the weak dudes!
22. Bird watcher?
Not really
23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
night person
24. Do you have any pets?
used to.
25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share?
well, lets see... i am excited about the future...
26. What did you want to be when you were little?
oh a tourist forever , can you imagine?
27. What is your best childhood memory?
watching horror movies
28. Are you a cat or dog person?
dog person!
29. Are you married?
nope
30. Always wear your seat belt?
nope
31. Been in a car accident?
Nope
32. Any pet peeves?
inconsiderate selfish people
33. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
ground beef
34. Favorite Flower?
ummm not a flower person
35. Favorite ice cream?
rum and raisin
36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
not so into fast foods
37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test?
haven't done any
38. From whom did you get your last email?
can't remember
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
i am not a shopping person
40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
yup, was tired of living frugally, i closed my eyes and ordered me a big chicken meal at nandos
41. Like your job?
which one?
42. Broccoli?
collie flower, plse.
43. What was your favorite vacation?
Egypt and the pyramids, Ramadan, ice-cream on cold nights and cute Arab boys
44. Last person(s) you went out to dinner with?
Elvis...tea, lunch then dinner
45. What are you listening to right now?
eh its noise here, a little radio, telly with some stand-up guy
46. What is your favorite color?
ummmm maroon? purple? i donno
47. How many tattoos do you have?
gwash!
48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
as many as possible
49. What time did you finish this quiz?
8.20am
50. Coffee Drinker?
oh yeah!

just saying...

Ive listened to this song twice or thrice, Te Amo by Rihanna; Her latest hit. i think it is enchanting. her voice is so fluid, crystal clear and strong against the spanish strings and percussions infused as an integral part of the song. now i love music but not just beats, i listen to lyrics for a start and i thought, hey, Rihanna is taking on a male persona in this song, i mean with lyrics like

'She says to me, I hear the pain in her voice
Then we danced underneath the candelabra she takes the lead
Thats when i saw it in her eyes its over '

'Then she says te amo then she put her hand around me waist
I told her no,
She cries Te amo i told her im not gonna run away but let me go
My soul is crying, without asking why
I said te amo, wouldnt somebody tell me what she said
Dont it mean I love you
Think it means I love you
Dont it mean I love you'

so am thinking, really artsy, really nice...if, IF she is actually going this way. then i googled the song and there was this as if one sentence review

"Rihanna might be stirring up a controversy or might be looking at a hit with her latest song “Te Amo” written by James Fauntleroy in which another woman falls in love with her.It is brave of Rihanna to mingle with lesbianism on her tracks."

SO I AM THINKING AGAIN... however i still think its a beautiful song!

mushiness

i watched The Hangover,and thought it was refreshingly hilarious, zack Galifianakis just took the cake for his part.
summary: what do you call a group of guys going absolutely crazy at a bachelor party far far from home, and in the process losing the groom and the morning after,experiencing a disturbing bout of amnesia of the previous night events....BIG TROUBLE!
you need to watch it

then last night i reluctantly started to watch 'Twilight' the teen romance-vampire movie of Bella, new-quickly-gaining-popularity-girl-in-town, falling for Edward a vampire;it grew on me in a few minutes. it is wholesomely worth it watching a movie where the passion and chemistry between two actors actually radiates off the screen and makes you want to fall in love.

what makes this movie nice for me are:

its not the usual vampire movie with blood suckers sulking in the dark, its so 21st century, as if vampires have evolved as well, with supersonic speed and strength,( i knew that for were wolves) the graphics and effects do alot for that, especially parts where he takes her to a mountain like 10,000 feet, whilst running up it and that family baseball game...geeez! their cold intoxicating beauty (so werewolfy too), a deep need for human blood that can actually be repressed then the fact that the typical highschool was giving a horror twist that doesn't involve axe murderers
and, the romance is tangible, its so deep ...it made me mushy. the way he watches her sleep coz he cant sleep. the way he looks at her, soooooo badly wanting to suck her blood but to love her too, at the scene where he comes to her room and tries to kiss her but he throws himself back off her with such force it scares her, and he says with tangible pain...(you guys i could feel it!) "i cant lose control with you,'
then the part Bella says ,' i know who he is but i am not afraid... i am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him," awwww

i wanted to be in love...still do. it felt so forbiddenly and dangerously beautiful.
i am waiting to watch its saga, 'new moon,' already out. i need to buy the books!


anyway critics didnt think it was all that but its kawa, after they applauded 'No country for old men,' i go ahead and watch whatever anyway, to agree or disagree.

then, i got really teary eyed today after playing this song twice, on air, i have listened to it before but it struck me different today

if you never listened to it, gosh you need to,


Artist: The Game
(Feat. Chris Brown, Polow Da Don, Diddy, Usher, Mario Winans, Boys 2 Men)
Song: Better On The Other Side (Michael Jackson Tribute)


the chorus especially; you can get the whole song if you want


'This the type of song that make the angels cry,
I look up in the sky and I wonder why?
why you had to go, go
I know it's better on the other side,
you were chosen from the start
never gon let you go,'



'This the kind of song that make the angels cry,
look up in the sky and ask God, why o why why
Do we live and let die
This the kind of song that make the angels cry,
look up in the sky and ask God, why o why why
Do we live and let, live and let die.'
'
its a beautiful tribute to MJ

okay lemme go watch TinTin, i am losing it here getting all gooey mushy.okay good headstart for the week. see you innit

Of holly woods atrocious movies these days.

I am a sucker for cinema but I’d rather spend 2-5k buying a pirated DVD than 12k on a movie that will make me want to belly up bad!
So anyway I was having a crappy Sunday and dear dear Carz lends me ‘l love you man,’ recommended by princess I think as ‘the most hilarious comedy of 2009’ (exaggeration there) so I figure…hm, why not go check it out.
So anyway Monday evening while whiling away the time between dinner getting ready and Ghost Whisperer, I decide to watch ‘l love you man,’
I am sorry carz for what next I am going to say…
But I thought it sucked.
okay some critcis had this to say
"Despite its continual profanity and sexual references, it isn't particularly offensive, just mostly forgettable. " i totally agree

and

"With a better script, this movie could have been REALLY funny, instead of moderately so. Paul Rudd definitely has a gift for comic acting. "

Short of choking over my dinner, kept pausing it to breathe and ask myself ‘why, I was torturing myself through this overly modified chick-to-guy movie-unfunny-totally predictable-romantic feel good- NOOOO! Feel horrible comedy-drama-slash whatever the producers, directors and etcs wanted to call it. ‘
People, maybe you should watch it for yourself but really! Really!
Anyway first of all, it aint funny.
Then its full of the ‘F’ word unnecessarily said; it even looked like a wet diseased rat eating caviar on a 90 yr old man that was prolly brought up proper back in the 30s and can’t let such words escape his mouth (they prolly thought it would be funny) well personally, I don’t think the use of those words makes one cool,.. my own sentiments really.
Anyway then the idea of a guy who cannot properly make male friends and needs his mom, his gay bro and even his wife and her buddies to help hook him up with guys is outrageous! I mean guys know how to hook up with other guys, don’t they? They are not set up for dinners, or coffees as if they are going out! Btw the guy I am talking about is NOT gay. He is as straight as they come and about to get married but finds he has no real male pals to make best man for his wedding so he is on a ‘best man friend’ hunt. Like a chic movie where a babe needs to find a date for some big prom or something…
So chic-like!
The plot thickens
His mom, his bro, everyone is on the phone about him like chics do for their fellow chicks
He goes on a couple of dates and decides they aint all that,
It is sickening to hear his galfriend say things like ‘why don’t you call him’
Like he is a chic for chrissake!
Anyway then we have a text book retelling of why chics hang together when his fiancee’s pals meet and he eaves drops on them like the rest of us watching and one of them is saying ‘I really like to hung with you girls coz you’re are my gals and I can just be myself ….something something and I am thinking duuuuhhhhh! Weak!
Forward to him meeting the guy who becomes bestman. Well I thought he held the movie together, his character was stable through the whole thing with exceptional scenes like the end at his buddy’s wedding where they had an ‘I love you,’ exchange moment with a thousand I love you’s said along with silly pet names they got for each other! Urgh!
Well rewind, when they meet it’s a so ‘girl-meets-boy sort of mode, to-be best friend strolls in somewhere and they start to talk, exchange numbers. Soon-to–be-married Guy at office next day keeps toying with the idea of calling back new amigo till he does finally leading to a series of dates,( even shopping) and guy-getting-married acts like some lovestruck chic who can’t express herself properly before new-found (boyfriend) best friend, all the time talking a load of gibberish, anyway then, they have that moment I was waiting to happen to prove his love (or his love) for his friend…like in all chic movies where girl finds out boy was just on a dare to get her or something lame…they have a fight and man-getting-married tells his newfound buddy to back off, thinks the friendship aint working out for any good (he even tells his gal friend ,’we were not working out,’ how sick is that?)
And they be missing each other, ditched friend walks alone tries to call up buddies to hang but he sure misses his getting-married-buddy, same to guy getting married..he is trying to get into the whole wedding preps thing but misses new found friend… anyway like I said it sucked for me.
Now according to movie directors these days, such scripts like ‘I pronounce you Chuck and larry’, ‘I love you man’ are supposed to be ‘gay-friendly’ sorta movies…’sensitization flicks’ to get people to accept gays through accepting that guys are not all macho they also have emotions…heck yeah but not like chics. I could have borne the excruciating cliché 90 or so minutes of a mundane typical chic flick version to this sorry idea of a macho ice-breaker.
Carz, I hope we can still go watch Pablo this Friday.
Not to mention I am raving mad at rotten tomatoes and the guys that did the adaptation of Khaleed Houseini’s The Kite Runner…what were they doing? Houseini should have sued them for messing his book. Firstly,the bond between the two friends is so not there, the movie was shoddily done with the gist all lost, they just skimmed right through it. Generally I think rotten tomatoes critics were dishing out accolades for the book not the movie. To go to others like ‘he’s just not that into you...’ is for another day.

stripped from the shower...

does the shower do that to you? or the toilet? i still read a book while taking a loooooooong call. disgusting as it sounds it is therapy, i learned the habit from my sister. i actually used to sit in the bathroom with her (for some reason i just hang around her like she was some popular kid).
so last night , going to take a bath, somehow, like always all the silly thoughts came to me and i couldn't help but giggle through the experience. It did help with facing the bouts of cold water , all becoz i was too lazy to boil water and again too sleepy to turn on the heater and wait.
did anyone ever read 'pickled onions". i was unceremoniously forced to start reading at a very young age(thats how i was reading mills and boons, Harlequins, history romances, etc by the time i was 11)... i wrote my first story when i was 9 years after my sister did one called 'Fropillon's spell' and i was so wowed , i wrote one just like hers, only it went on endlessly with no plot. shame.
ANYWAY back to the point of pickled onions. MY SIS used to bring home books with silly stories time and again and this one in particular i cannot find anywhere, unless i take another cold shower and try remember the anthology it featured in.but the memory of that story washed over me as i gasped at the first jabs of icy water on my skin. a muddled hazy recollection but so there! and with about three rounds of cold water over the ones before, i was braver and my memory less fuzzed...story of the little boy who's best friend fell ill with chicken pox and he was left to tramp around all his summer hols alone. in one of his vagabond wanderings, twilight at his heels he approaches what looks like the backside of a warehouse and decides to investigate, climbs through the broken window, stumbles in the semi dark room that's piled with boxes whose labels he can't make out. in his random stumblings, little boy falls upon tins and that's how he discovers the delicious haven he named 'pickled onions.' stabbing his fingers into tin after tin, his hands felt through the soft squishy pulp within and he ate with relish....pickled onions! little boy got addicted and every evening as the shadows of night drew nigh, he stole through that broken window to feed on the pickled onions,for two more weeks as his friend steadily recovered from the pox.

finally when he could hang with his buddy again, he told him about the warehouse and its stash of pickled onions. his friend was eager to see and together they went to this place in the middle of the afternoon with the sun high in the sky. Little boy showed his friend the back of the warehouse and the window he used to clamber through. in the light of day it did look old dilapidated and broken down. when his friend saw this. he silently led his friend to the front of the 'pickled onions' ware house where the huge sign screamed out at them, 'EYE SPECIALIST CENTRE FOR SURGERY AND EYE DONATIONS"
the little boy excused him self went off to a nearby bush and threw up!
deliciously disgusting innit?
have a fab weekend!

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!