Chapter 4

'What?? How can you kiss a complete stranger? Have you gone insane? What if.. what if..??' Tonny panicked. Jen swallowed back all the words she was about to say. She was shocked by her reaction.

'Come down. That was it.' She continued. 'I then told him we should go so he brought me here as you witnessed.' Her eyes scrolled all over. She has never lied to her in her life, this made her feel awful. But she made herself believe that telling her the truth especially after her reaction to the beginning would be a bad idea so she kept the truth to herself. The truth of how magic happened under the sun.

' O thank God.' Tonny woke Jen up. 'I was worried something happened!'

Jen shakes her head.

' No no nothing happened. Ummm.. Thanks to him my ankle is fine now. Take it as a thank you kiss.' Jen continues ' But you do know we have assignment!' She tries to change the subject.

' O God when will this end.' Jen smiles at Tonny as she knows how bad she hates education. It is thanks to Jen she made it this far.

'Don't worry. It is only one more year and we are off to collage.' Jen comforts her.

'I really wish that day would come soon. As much as I want to take care of my father, I too want to see the other part of the world.' Tonny smile gazing away.

'Am sure it will be awesome.' Jen sits besides her and gives her a hug.

'Did you cook dinner?' Jen asks Tonny.

'Am about to.' Tonny gets up.

'How about we go help mother and we can all have dinner together?'

'Yes please.' Tonny looks relived. 'Was thinking about all the work that was waiting for me.' She continues.

'Finished with the assignment?' Mother asked as hey entered home. Mother was standing in the kitchen making dinner.

'It is due Friday we have two days mother.' Jen explained letting herself in.

'Can me and father stay over for dinner?' Tonny asks in a polite manner.

'Ofcourse dear. Now don't just stand there. Come help me prepare.'

Before it was 8:00pm dinner was served. Tonny runoff to her house to call her father to have dinner. Six members including Tonny and her father gathered around the so called mattress to eat.

'Thank you for having us.' Tonny's father spreaks. 'This girl is to lazy to take care of her old man' he continues looking over his daughter. Tonny looks down smiling with shame. Everyone around the table starts to laugh.

'You know this is also your home.' Jen's mother speaks giving him a smile. Always after dinner Jen's mother serves coffee. The way she makes it always amused Jen. And Jen also followed in her foot steps as she also makes great coffee. After having coffee, Tonny and her father went their house and the rest of the family went to sleep.

March 13,

Jen didnot sleep the entire night thinking about the magic that happened under the sun two days earlier.

'Get up. Time for school.' Her mother wakes up Jen , little did she know she was awake way before. Jen got up and wore her uniform. She gets her bag and kisses her mother good day.

'Tonny!' Jen yells not to be late for school. Tonny walks out the door with a bread on her hand. She locks the door as her father went out early for work. She hands the bread she was holding on her right hand to Jen but Jen refuses. She is not a breakfast person unless she is hungry. They walk to school as their school is not far from their village. They make up silly jokes and laughed as they walked a bit, they reached their other two friends house. They called them out and continued their journey together. They were getting close to school as Jen saw him standing under a big tree not far from where they were standing. She froze. Noone payed attention to her. She wanted to pretend like she didnot see him and pass by but it was impossible. She paused and spoke.

'Oo I forgot my geometry paper. I will go back and get it.'

'Are you sure? You will be late! You want me to come with?' Tonny asks but Jen refuses and walks back . She walked slow to make sure they are out of her scene and walks towards him.

'Come.' His only words. She follows with out question. Like he has a spell on her.

He walks straight down the hills, Jen owes. He stopped as he made sure he reached a place where noone could be seen. He turns to Jen. Jen stood behind him as she saw him pause.

'Hi.' He smiled at her. She got confused but felt flattered. 'Hi.' She smiled back. He stares at her and walks towards her. With out another word he takes his left hand around her neck and right hand around her waist. He kisses her lips. She kiss him back.

'I couldnot take you out my mind.' He speaks with emotion nodding his head left to right, his eyes looking down. He holds her tighter. She moaned without awareness.

'Wow.. It feels like a fairytale.' The nice women that helped Jen interrupts her story. Jen woke from the past and nodes with a smile.

'Ya. It does.'

'Then why did you leave?' She asks.

'Well..' and right after that question Jen dives back to the past.

Its was the end of the year and time for Jen to take her final examination. This was the biggest examination of the year as her result would decide which collage she can go to.

Kasanchis, Jen's village has a tradition that before anyone of the village members, boy or girl go off to college, he or she will be promised to marriage to someone that their family picks. In the village it is said to be best that the children are engaged before leaving to collage as a guarantee that they will come back to their family after finishing their education and serve them. This tradition continued for many generations. Jen's parents also passed through this tradition. As Jen's father was about to go off to collage he was promised to Jen's mom. As he came back having completed his education, they got married. And both worked there to contribute to their village and parents who devoted their lives for them.

'Come in.' Jen's mother and father escorted two people into the house. Jen knew it was time. She never liked this tradition and always have avoided the conversation thinking this day would never come. And now that it has, she doesnot know what to do. She was hiding by the curtains that separates the living room from the room that concludes the kitchen and bedroom in one. They sat down. It was a women and man asking for Jens hand in marriage. After an hour of talking they made a toast and drunk there Areke( a special alcohol drink prepared in the village that shows approval or agreement.) Jen knew she was now engaged. She didnot know what to do as she was inlove with another man.

As the guests left Jen's mother walk into the room.

'Do you know who came?' Jen nods her head yes. Her mother was happy at that moment as she has setup the path to her daughter’s life.

'We are very proud of you.'

'Thank you mother.' She kisses Jen on her forehead and walks out. There was only three days left to take her exam. She had to stay focus to study what she wanted. But she could not. Although she knew she had time she was certain that time wouldnot change what happened today. As a promise would always be kept and respected here.

8:00pm

The family gathered around to eat dinner. Jen asks for permission to sleep over at Tonnys house making reason to study. As her wish was granted, she kiss her parents good night and leaves.

'I saw people came today.' Tonny speaks as she lets her in.

'Father sleeping?' Jen asks. Tonny nods with actions telling her to lower her voice.

'I must tell you something.' Jen sits down. Tonny could tell it was something serious. Jen hesitates to tell but she knew she couldnot do this alone so she opened her lips to talk.

'I have a confession to make.' Tonny looks into her eyes as she sat beside her.

'I have been seeing that man.' She stops to see her reaction.

'The brown bearded man.' Jen nodes. Tonny continues 'what happened that day we left you with him. The first day we met him? I noticed everything about you changed after that day. Tell me.'

'Something did happen!' Jen speaks. She continues.

'Yes.' Jen takes a deep breath.

'I think am in love.' Jen admits and smiles with joy of confession. Tonny stars at her with confusion.

'Are you listening to yourself right now. You don't even know him!'

'But I do. I feel alive when I think of him and when I am with him those are the times I truely believe. His words, his touch, his scent, I miss everything about him being a second away. I think of him even when am not. He defines me in a way I never thought there was a way of. And when he tells me he needs me. I believe because I need him too.' She spoke with passion and tears drowned her eyes. Tonny sat speechless. She knew she couldnot talk her out of anything. But she taught to herself. She is not inlove, she is obsessed.

They both sat,both thought, not a word just thought.

Jen thinks of him. She goes to the moment she felt like she knew him.

Sunday

Sunday, o how Jen loves this day. As they always get up early during weekends to fetch water together, she got up early to go alone this time.

'Why did you get up this early? Are you not going to wait for them?' Her mother asks as she was cleaning the compound while she observes Jen walk out the house.

'I want to go now to come back early so I can study.' Jen gave reasonable answer. She walks faster with wish to see him quicker. She runs and stops to catch her breath and runs again. She got near the river and wondered around. He said he would wait for her here.

'Looking for someone.' She turns as she hears this voice from behind. She stood like a wall. Her hands started to shake. He approaches her. He sees how nervous she was. He takes her hand which was crossed to one another. He stares at her. He looks into her dark black eyes and brown hair that were messy. Her lips that were trembling.