2.Surprisingly,I had slept peacefully that night, not just that night only but for quite a few. No dreams or visions. Not exactly true, she had not come to me, but I could have sworn Mr Handsome Stranger had featured in every fit and start dream I had had. She wasn’t there this time, in the cave calling to me. I was the one who had stood in front of that wall of rock and it had opened before me. I could feel everything as if I had actually been there…and he was there too, staring so deeply like he knew me. I f I thought the woman was strange, this was even more chilling.
I decided to commute to work from that day. I was rarely superstitious but it looked like I was beginning to buy into supernatural hogwash. For a woman who studied psychology I was being ridiculously antsy about this. But how then could I explain the recent blackouts, the trance-like dreams or maybe visions? And why wouldn’t they go away? In fact, the question now was why had they stopped?
I absently answered my phone.” Hi Gogo ..”
“Hello, muzukuru wangu. How are you? You never call shuwa..Are you alright?”
“I’m ok Gogo.” She always fussed like this when she called. “Runako, you have to take a break, you sound like you need it…and your sekuru would want to see you as well..” Now she sounded troubled.” Gogo, is Sekuru ok? Is he sick or something?”
“I don’t want to worry you dear, but please do come down. Your sekuru is not well and he would like very much to see you…Nothing serious, no need to worry. And we also have to talk about your sister Muzukuru…there should be a discussion for a way forward. Miriro is not well, mumusoro make makatokanganisika, she needs you here .”
“Gogo what is it? Is Khuru ok?” She knew I loved Grandfather without fail or cause. He was the only one to whom I had given my love freely. He was a father, a mentor, a guide. He was the only one person whose love mattered to me. And she would not have mentioned him if something was not wrong. I knew he had been sick on and off, but he had assured me it was nothing, just old age."I will come down this weekend. And please give my love to him. We will talk about Miriro then. I love you, Gogo." This was very odd, but then again, my life was pretty odd right now. The day was quite normal, by that I mean no drama, trances or otherwise. and somehow I felt worse at the non occurrence than I did at strange events occurring. I'd gotten used to them .
“Runako, you've got a meeting,” my assistant Nicole told me. "When?”
"Right now,.” She said.
“What?! With who?.." It was the guy from populations and human rights, about the new project which my boss could not have been any clearer about how important it was. How could I have forgotten that it was today? A potentially career changing meeting? Thank God I'd done all the research necessary or this guy would think I'm a joke. But then again I was very good at my job and today was the day to prove it. “Let him through.. This should be fun, seeing as you didn't give me that reminder you always give.”
“Come On, boss lady..I sent you a reminder email yesterday as per usual,” said Nicole as she left and I had the strong urge to throw a paper weight at her retreating back.
"Hi.." I could never forget that voice. I had been obsessing about it for days and to me that said something. It kind of occurred to me that the reason why creepy woman had not shown up the past few days was because my mind was preoccupied by Mr Handsome, and here he was in the flesh, in my office, smiling that odd smile of his. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm your next appointment. Let me reintroduce myself, formally this time. Kundai Mabasa,Head of operations at Populations and Human Rights Association.” So, he couldn’t have told me this when I was cynically sizing him up the other night? Why did I always have to become illogical and unreasonable in his presence, asking silly questions? I was not one to dwell on sentimentalities.
"Oh ok .I suppose you already know who I am. Let’s get started then." I said. It was a fruitful meeting, having accomplished what both our bosses wanted us to.
“Have lunch with me." He said.
“Kundai, let's stick to business alright? No need to complicate things.” But of course he was persistent, and we had lunch on Friday afternoon. I don't even know why I agreed. But I decided I'd leave those thoughts for when I came back home from kumusha.