ROAD TRIP

I love waking up early, but not because I’m that focused but because I love seeing the sun begin its journey. I wake up everyday same time pull my rocking chair and sit facing the window. The beauty in it I cannot explain. How the sun illuminates the sky with its ebony- sometimes pink, red or orange, can’t tell- tinge leaves me at bliss. Immediately all my worries vanish paving way for unfathomable hope.

When the sun is all risen, I take my bible, read some verses then pray. Now my day can kick off.

I like a bespoke look, so I rush to my closet and pick one after a shower of course. I hurriedly rush to the kitchen and pick what my sister had prepared and artistically arranged in a basket ready for the road trip. I walk all the way to Manji’s place as agreed. He is the guy with the wheels, so the journey starts there. I love his black off-roader Jeep, honestly with no reason. Manji is very ready oh my! He welcomes me with his famous saying; ‘Guys who spin roll with time’. After some minutes of waiting for the two queens to arrive, we hit the road in a quest to find the most beautiful sunset view.

Kish handed the camera to me: the guru, paparazzi they used to say. We manoeuvred across the city into the suburban areas then into the savanna. I couldn’t help but notice the difference in the buildings in the city, suburbs and the savanna: tallest, taller, tall or short.

We stopped randomly by the roadside just to see the giraffes, gazelles and zebras united ha! ha! Ivy, the hyper one, kept us laughing all the way allowing me a chance to admire Kish’s smile through the rear mirror. She was as beautiful and glorious as the sunrise that I woke up to. Her white teeth kept glowing in the rear mirror I had to use my shades: bad joke! It kept me smiling or blushing. Maybe this was a signal of something between us, or maybe I was jumping into conclusions because the only thing between us was my seat.

We saw the mountain ranges racing against us, the horizon playing hard to get and the sun following us steadily.

‘Wow! Are those flowers?’ Kish has this love for flowers, and we had to stop by the roadside to make her happy. The flowers grew extensively amidst the grass creating a perfect spot for a shoot. Kish sat on the lush grass and began doing what people do in front of a camera. I could still see that smile through the lenses, and I couldn’t help but focus on them. Wow! Photogenic she was. I was clearly attracted.

We had our lunch under a certain shade as I took more pictures. I love cameras, they capture beautiful moments; moments when Kish would smile at a butterfly perched on her finger or when Manji and Ivy would smile at each other rather unconsciously. Feels gooooood!

We get into the Jeep and drive some few kilometers to river Tala. The sound of the water flowing over the rocks underneath it is so therapeutical. I used to hear of stories about this river. The Tala community used to conduct weddings there. The bride and groom would sit together with their feet submerged in the water and facing west. As the waters brought life to the sacred flowers at the banks, so it was believed that it would bring life to their marriage. The elders would then unite them in a glorious ceremony. This is a perfect place for a sunset. We spend a lot of time there and finally what we’ve been waiting for appears: the sunset.

I join Kish at the riverbank, and we all watch the glorious sunset unaware of what Manji and Ivy were doing, just concentrating. We hold hands, with our feet in the water, look at each other and then back at the sunset. Nice ritual indeed.

When the sun has set, no candle can replace it. The glow in the twilight, the soft rays that illuminated the earth producing a unique color, the reflection of it on the waters. As the water flows it spreads the sunset’s glory throughout its length. I feel the energy between us and the sun, the exchange of radiance, the beauty in the air, the assurance of a happily ever after.           

~Astonishh

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