Facebook has brought back my love

Facebook! Yes Facebook.

On Saturday nights after my son has gone to bed and no ‘gal’s dinners, I kunyihia hwai online. I check my emails, travel through graduates.com, facebook.com, blog abit before getting to my research project. I’ve done this for a few months now, and it’s become a norm.

A few Saturdays ago, I visited facebook.com. I don’t know whether I’m the only one who looks at friends’ friends. But this Sat, I had a look at a few friends’ profiles, their friends, then the friends’ friends, and the friends’ friends etc. And LOL, I saw this face, it looked familiar, a bit aged though.

‘Lol, that was my high school sweet heart.’

Last I saw him was 8 yrs ago (after 12 yrs) when I went home for holidays, I bumped into him on the streets of Nairobi, exchanged phone numbers, met once for coffee near his work place. He told me he was a Legal Advisor in the banking industry; he was married (recently separated) with 2 beautiful boys.

We reminded ourselves of our days, and he told me how heartbroken I had left him when I left home for Europe immediately after school. I had promised to keep in touch, but 6 months later, the distance kept us farther and farther away. He also expressed how unhappy he was in his marriage, and how he was trying to make things work for the sake of the boys. I was not an expert in that area, but I assured him I’d pray for him. 4 days later I was on my flight back to London.

But here he was, on facebook.

I quickly took a trip down memory lane. He was so sweet to me those days. He’d go to the nearby town centre (girls were not allowed to leave the school compound), and bring me goody goodies, and of course he’d bring chapos and katharika when he went home for the weekends. We always went to the dining hall and assembly together, were involved in the same clubs and activities. We even encouraged each other to take extra subjects to be in the same classes more often. We were very compatible. Needless to say, I loved him. Damn distance.

Back to facebook: I poked him, and the next day he not only poked back, but requested to be my friend, he send a message, and scrolled down my contact details for my email and send me a lengthy email, summarising the last 20 yrs in an A4 size letter. HE’S SINGLE AGAIN.

We’ve been emailing each other every day, and we’ve been phoning each other every now and again (I’ve become a big stake holder at the corner shop next to my house - low cost calling cards), and my phone bill is huge. I feel like a teenager in love. I had forgotten how it felt like, and I feel special. This beau is bringing all this back. We’ve been up and down the recalling highway; there is so much to catch up on. Last weekend he reminded me of our second last meeting before I left Kenya. We had just sat our last exam paper, general paper, I think. It was a Tuesday. Apparently we had organised for our luggage to be picked the weekend before, thus, we were very light. We went to Ken-Chick (pornographic chicken) somewhere near the bus station. We talked till very late in the evening.

He took out a ring. He must have picked it up from a curio. It was a cheap thing, (but it meant the world to me). He put it on my middle finger and said it was a token of his love, and that he’d wait for me(3 yrs). I cried, and cried. He held me close. He told me how much he loved me. I promised him I’d be back and we agreed that we’d get married, have 4 babies (2 boys and 2 girls) who’d look exactly like him. (We had seen far, we were both 18). He said he wanted to have the flowers(smile kama maua)in his family, forever.

We then just sat there, not talking for a very long time. We tore off a piece of paper from an exercise book, and started writing love notes, and responding to them, without talking. It was so romantic. We photocopied that paper to remind us of that day, and our promises to each other, sealing our oath. (I kept it for years, until I was convinced it was no more).

2 days later he joined my family and friend to take me to the airport. It was the last time I’d be considered a child. I kissed everyone goodbye, and lastly I hugged him, he held me tight. We were like that for 2-3 good minutes, promising the world to each other. We were true. With my family witnessing all this. No contamination. He went back to ours and spent 3 more days with family, playing the perfect son and brother-in-law. That was 20 yrs ago.

But, thanks to facebook, a few weeks after resurfacing in my life, I think I’m in love with him, again, He’s asked if we can be Mr & Mrs Maua. I would like to, but there are 3 children involved as well (his 2 boys and my son), they do not know yet. He does not live with them, but they are in the equation.

He’s trying to get a visa to come to UK in a few weeks (to get formally engaged) and when my son closes school in summer we’ll go home for a month. He says we should take advantage of that time and just tie the knot. I’d love to, but for the sake of Master Maua (school) I’m not ready to relocate. He does not want to relocate here. He’s more established in Kenya than I am in UK.

Are we dwelling on unfinished business? For 20 yrs there've been several people in my life, and I'm scared of this one being a statistic as well. Blogthren, what do you think I should do?

For once age is just a number – he’s 2 months older