It had been a crazy there weeks dealing with exams while nursing a heartbreak but I was officially done. My last paper was two days ago and I was packing up all my stuff. Lee and I were going to Nairobi the following day to ready everything we needed for our semester of studying abroad. My parents had been skeptical when I told them I was going to the UK for four months but when they heard Lee was coming with me they relaxed. It's like they thought I wasn't capable of taking care of myself. I was twenty years old, well almost twenty but that's besides the point.
Right now Lee was trying to convince Jake that he couldn't come with us. It would be the first time they would spend so much time apart and in different continents at that. Let's just say Jake was not thrilled to be separated from his queen. I knew their relationship was strong enough to survive the distance. They would find a way to make it work.
Speaking of relationships, it had been a whole month since mine and Masons relationship ended and two weeks since I heard anything from or about him. I actually lived for those sweet texts he continuously sent me but I never replied. One day they had stopped, I had been so tempted to text or call him back but I stopped myself. I had to remember that all this was for the best. There was a reason we split up and we had to keep it that way.
I had so many things to pack up and no space to put them in. Lee was supposed to bring me the new suitcases we ordered after she was done with Jake. I could have gone and collected them myself but I was banned from ever going to the hostels where she stayed. When we were in second year their holier than thou caretaker had caught me smoking weed outside Lee's door because she hated the smell and I was banned from ever going there again.
Finally everything that had space to be packed in was done and the rest was neatly folded awaiting packaging. Lee had better be here soon because we had an end of semester party to go to and I was pumped. I wasn't going to get drunk or do any drugs but I was gonna have fun with my friends and take videos of people doing crazy things under drug influence so I can use them to blackmail them later. They had done that to me a few times so now it was time for payback. I had also found out who was coming with us to UK. One was from our class, Liam who choreographed most of our dances and was a wizard when it came to playing drums, both modern and traditional. He was tall with dark skin and a medium build. He was nice and I liked him so we would get along just fine. The other student was a second year who I had come into contact with a few times but couldn't remember his name clearly. Mark or Martin or whatever, was a good actor his voice put the angels to shame. He was always nervous around me but if I got him comfortable enough am sure we would get along pretty well.
We had all been worried about our living situation there. The first proposal had been the universities hostels but Liam had a super rich aunt who lived over there who was more than happy to host her little nephew and his adorable little friends, her words not mine as quoted by Liam. That had been awesome and according to Liam she was cool so she wouldn't be on our necks all the time. Those four months were going to be epic and I was going to make the most out of them. Who knew the next time I would be able to go there?
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An hour later I was bored and deciding on an outfit for wearing to the party. I was torn between a cute white jumpsuit that ended mid thigh or a pair of ripped skinny jeans paired with a maroon hand woven crop top that I had fallen in love with. I was picking out shoes for either outfit when there was a knock on my door. That couldn't have been Lee, she never knocked and she had texted five minutes ago saying she was going to be another hour because Jake needed more convincing. That was just code for sex.
Maybe it was Mwamba, I had told him to come get some food for his family that would go bad if I left it here and some clothes I had stopped wearing for his daughters. Don't judge me, most of them were almost new and I don't see you donating anything to a man who had seven mouths to feed with a job that paid minimal wage.
I dropped the shoes I was holding on the bed and walked towards the door before the person knocked for a third time. Hold your horses I don't want dents on my door. As soon as I opened the door I shut it back again leaning on it my breath being knocked out of me.
This lady had a thing for going to peoples homes unannounced. How did she even know where I lived? Mason you traitor! She knocked again louder and more impatiently. What did she want? Hadn't she done enough damage already?
"Young lady open the door. I want to talk to you and the heat outside is killing me." She said.
I took a deep breath giving myself a once over and I decided that I was decent enough so I opened the door. Who was she to judge me anyway? I was in my own house I could wear whatever I want. A white lace dress that reached above my knees was good enough paired with knee length black socks.
"What do you want?" I asked rudely.
I didn't owe this woman anything. I didn't have to be nice to her. Then my mother's teachings of killing them with kindness hit me, I tried to brush it off but the thought was already there. I wouldn't want to disappoint my mother.
"Where are my manners? I'm sorry for that. Please do come in. Don't take off your shoes." I said stepping aside to let her in.
She was taken back by the huge turn in my attitude. Hah! Take that!
"Thank you." She said getting in.
I took deep calming breaths and plastering a fake smile on my face and followed her.
"Please take a seat." I said offering her the only seat I had in my place that was on my study desk. I didn't need a chair when I had my bed. "Would you like anything to drink? Am sorry but my choices are limited to water and juice." I offered.
She still seemed taken back by my attitude but she composed herself really quickly "A glass of water would be just fine."
I grabbed the only glass that wasn't packed,glad Lee talked me into buying drinking glasses. I rinsed it out in the sink before pouring some bottled water for her before handing it to her.
"Thank you." She appreciated taking a drink.
"You're welcome." I said sitting on the bed in front on her.
I took a moment to get a good look at her. She looked immaculately dressed like the last time I had seen her but this time she was wearing a grey business suit paired with a purple blouse and a pair of black heels with purple bottoms. She carried a huge purse with her and her hair was done immaculately into a bun. She looked like she'd come off a business magazine. But now she was at my place and I needed her to leave but first I had to know why she was here. She kept looking around my room and I didn't want to see her judgemental look. I already had enough of that from her the first day we met to last me a lifetime and another.
"What are you doing here Madam Baraka? I don't even want to know how you knew where I lived but I need you to state your business and leave. As you can see I was in the middle of something." I demanded motioning around the room.
Her gaze shifted to me and she cleared her throat "No more pleasantries I see."
"You deserve less than I've offered you after how you treated me when we first met. You are lucky my mother raised me well not that you would care." I said the last part to myself.
"I came here to talk about that day." She said finally after staring at me for a while, more out of curiosity than judgement.
"If your not here to apologize please see yourself out. I think you insulted me enough that day and I will not allow you to do the same under my roof." I informed her seriously squaring my shoulders.
"You are absolutely right,I have no right to come unannounced at your home and I do owe you an apology." She said shocking me.
I didn't actually expect her to apologize after the attitude she portrayed towards me that day but here she was agreeing with me. Someone pinch me because I think I might be dreaming.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm actually not the person you met that day almost a month ago." She defended and I just gaped at her more.
"Am sorry you have me at a disadvantage. Am all for second chance first impressions but you....." I trailed off. "You know what why don't I just shut up so you can talk. The sooner you do the sooner you leave. I have things to pack and places to be."
"Okay fair enough. My name is Marie Baraka, it's a pleasure to meet you Becca Rubadiri. I've heard a lot about you the past month from my son, your all he talks about when he does decide to talk to me." She said with an eye roll and I snickered but didn't say anything. "The first time I saw you was the first time I knew of your existence so imagine my surprise when a half naked girl opens my sons door. We don't always see each other but we are close and he tells me everything so seeing you was a shock. I thought you were just another one of those girls Mason dated to spite me. Before you jump into conclusions, Mason and I have had our differences in the past because of the distance between us caused by my line of work. As payback or to attract my attention Mason used to date girls who, for lack of a better word were hoarders. They used him for his money and fame, and when they got what they wanted they left my son devastated and heartbroken. Even if Mason used them to spite me he cared for those girls and spoilt them rotten but they just used him and left him. Mason stopped this when he joined campus which I was very grateful for but when I saw you that day at the door with your tattoos and clothes I thought Mason had found himself another girl to use and I just snapped. I know now that I was wrong to judge you and am sorry." She apologized and I nodded in understanding.
Now I actually saw everything from her perspective and understood her. She was just a single mom who wanted the best for her boy. It doesn't exactly fix the damage but it makes it bearable.
"Before I met Mason I was exactly that type of girl you had described. I wasn't a gold digger but even I wouldn't allow my son to date the person I was. But everything changed when I met Mason. I stopped doing drugs for him and became clean because I wanted to be the girlfriend he deserved." I explained.
"Mason told me everything. He loves you so much and I never realized just how much until he refused the internship offer he has been working for the whole year. If he was willing to give that up for a girl then she had to be special. So I sat down with him a week ago and actually listened to him about you and I realized how wrong I was." She replied.
"If he told you a week ago then why come now?" I asked her.
She lifted her finger for me to hold on before opening her huge purse, taking out two heavy looking manilla envelopes and handed them to me. One of them had my name on it and the other had Lee's name on it.
"What are these?" I asked skeptically.
"My way of saying am sorry. Mason mentioned you are going to the UK for a semester and I thought these would make everything easier. I've learned in my line of work that when trying to appease someone you never go empty handed. In most cases I use money or property but Mason told me you hated when someone used their money on you so I got these for you and your best friend." She explained.
I opened my envelope and everything single document that we needed for travelling was right here. There were Visas, passports, she even had appointments booked for all the vaccine shots we needed to travel. This would have taken weeks to gather but it took her one week. Lee's envelope was the same.
"I'd hug you but we're not there yet. Thank you so much for these. I won't be a spoiled brat and throw them at your face saying I don't need handouts from you because you've just saved us a month of running up and down for these. Thank you so much." I appreciated placing everything carefully back into the envelope and hugging them to my chest.
"Your welcome. I know this doesn't fix the damage I did but I hope it can be the bridge that gets you there." she added and I nodded.
"We'll see." I said simply.
The problem between Mason and I was his mom and now that it was fixed am sure we would find a way forward if the feelings still existed.
"I'll take my leave now. Take care of yourself Becca. I have a feeling I'll be seeing you again very soon." She said getting up.
I placed the documents on my table and escorted her out. She turned to me at the door and before I could react she pulled me in for a hug. I was skeptical at first but I hugged her back.
"I'm sorry again for everything." She apologized.
"I forgive you." I replied and we pulled apart.
She patted my cheek in a loving motherly way before leaving.
I didn't want to over think this so I quickly texted Lee to come quick and started choosing more outfit options.
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Love@Lyssah.