A Holiday Chance Encounter

It was a public holiday, and Kate, nursing her bruised heart, had been antisocial for weeks. Craving human contact, she called her friend Marcus and persuaded him to accompany her on an outing. Reluctantly, Marcus agreed on the condition that Kate chauffeur him since he was feeling drained. They found themselves at a birthday dinner, and Kate’s attention was immediately drawn to a tall, round-faced man sitting with two others. She felt a strong connection, silently hoping that he would approach her and not assume she was with Marcus. Their eyes kept meeting, and the man approached Marcus, jokingly teasing him for sitting with so many ladies alone. Marcus smiled shyly and invited him to chat with anyone he liked. As the conversation progressed, Kate overheard the man mention his hometown, recognizing it as her maternal village. Excitedly, she blurted out “ARE YOU FROM NUNGUA?” He smiled and said yes, inquiring if she was from there too. He introduced himself as Kwame, and they exchanged contacts. After dinner, Kwame spoke with another lady while Kate and Marcus departed On the drive home, Kate couldn’t resist calling Kwame, eager to clarify that she and Marcus weren’t a couple. Kwame requested that she visit him the next morning before he left for his city. Nana’s excitement couldn’t be contained as she woke early to see him. Kwame got back to his city and they kept on communicating and having video chats. Kwame came to Nana’s city one week later and they were both excited to see each other. After a passionate embrace, they talked about their serendipitous meeting over lunch, Kwame explaining that he and his friends were supposed to dine in their hotel room, but he insisted on buffet downstairs,the universe making sure they met.