An Unexpected Love

Episode3

The taxi pulls away, and I stare at my phone as if I could see right through it; it almost feels like I can see him standing right in front of me, that’s how intently I’m staring at the phone, thinking to myself, “Is he serious?” I clench my teeth, thinking back to his voice, which annoys me more than anything. That voice I used to love hearing for a while, and now I can’t support it anymore. That’s when I realized that there’s only one step from love to hate.

Caroline had told me: “He’ll come back; it’s always like that with them.” I knew myself that this is how it would go; I know men like that so well, and the worst part is that. They never question themselves.

I spend the rest of the ride looking out the window, my hands folded over my bag, listening to music and trying to shake off this bad energy. I think of Loufa, his wife, and my two-year-old niece, who’s probably up to some mischief somewhere right now. Just that thought makes me smile. at least some positive vibes today. I can’t wait. I tell myself that tomorrow, everything will be just fine.

The taxi pulls up in front of the house. I pay, get out, and take out my keys. The door closes softly behind me.

My dad is in the living room, holding a book. He looks up at me and immediately frowns.

– Him: Didn’t class go well? You look a little off.

I drop my bag on the floor and sit down next to him,

– Dad, everything went fine, I’m just exhausted; I’m just eager to sleep.

– I get it, with classes and the traffic in Dakar, it’s not easy at all. You need to eat and go to bed early so you can rest.

– You’ve got it exactly right! that’s exactly it. So where are Mom and Ablaye?

– Well, check the kitchen; I think they’re in there.

– Okay, thanks a lot!

I go check the kitchen, and sure , they’re there.

– Hi, Mom, hi, Ablaye

– Mom: Hi, sweetie, how are you?

– Ablaye: Hi, Seba? Are you okay?

– Yeah, I’m fine, thanks. I see dinner’s already ready!

– Mom: Yep, go get changed. I’ll leave your plate out for you.

– Okay, thank you so much!

I go up to my room, lie down on my bed, and stare at the ceiling. I’m so tired and I really don’t feel like getting up, knowing that I have to take a shower before going to eat.

I check my phone again and see a message from Caroline:

– Hey, sweetie, did you get home okay? I hope you’re doing well?

– Yeah, I got home fine. How about you? I’m doing okay too, but tomorrow, like I told you, I won’t be coming to class.

– Ohhh, I’m going to miss you so much, but hey, enjoy yourself, the main thing is that you’re having fun.

I laugh. Caroline, at least, never changes; she’s still that cheerful girl, always there for me, always making me smile.

I take a shower, slip on a loose T-shirt, and finally fall asleep faster than expected, lulled by the thought that tomorrow is going to be amazing, I even forgot to eat.

I wake up with a start, it’s the big day. No alarm, no social media, I’m just too excited.

I check my phone and see a message from Loufa sent at 6 a.m. (he’s been up for hours already, he’s an early riser): “Little sis, we caught the flight earlier than planned. We’ll land at 2 p.m. Get your room ready: your niece wants to sleep with Auntie Seba."

I’m smiling so wide—I’m so happy. I jump out of bed and go through my morning routine, humming to myself. After getting dressed, I go out to say hi to my parents; Ablaye has probably already left for work.

– Dad: So, I guess you’re happy today?

– Oh, so happy—they’ll be here in a few hours.

– I know, he called me this morning. Your mom was over the moon. She’s already cooking up a delicious chicken dinner to welcome them.

– Ah, that’s great! We’re going to eat well and have a lot of fun.

– Of course we are.

I decide to go to the airport with my dad. My mom prefers to stay home to finish the preparations. In the car, I can’t sit still. I check the time every five minutes. “2 p.m. … 2 p.m. …”

Outside the airport, the usual hustle and bustle. Families, taxis, people running around. And suddenly, I see them.

Loufa, tall, smiling, a cap pulled down over his head, pulling a suitcase with one hand and holding his daughter with the other. Next to him, his wife, looking beautiful in her sunglasses.

I run over and jump into my sister-in-law’s arms; we hug each other tightly, bouncing up and down like little girls. We finally let go; I give Loufa a big hug too before lifting my little princess into my arms.

– My sweetheart, you’ve grown so much!

She puts her little hands on my face as if to gaze at me and says “tataaaaa” so cutely, I almost have tears in my eyes.

– Loufa: Wow, little sis. I miss you, you know?

– I miss you too, big brother. I miss you too.

– Mami: We’re going to have a great week, Seba. Get ready to lose sleep.

Oh, how I love that woman! They reunite with my dad, and we head to the car to load the luggage and head home. We chat and laugh the whole way; we’re already starting to plan our outings. I can tell we’re going to have a blast. I’ll skip the rest of the trip—we arrive home about forty minutes later. We reunite with Mom and Ablaye; everyone’s smiling, everyone’s happy, and the atmosphere at home is incredible. We let them get changed, and in the meantime, Mom and I set the table with the chicken and the desserts I’d made a few days ago (I haven’t told you yet, but I love baking; it always makes me happy to make them, and everyone who tries them loves them). A few minutes later, everyone is gathered around the table; we eat and chat, and laughter fills the room.

–Loufa: Oh, by the way, Bassey should be here in about 30 minutes. (Bassey is Mami’s brother; I hear about him often, but we’ve never met or spoken.)

– Me: Oh really? Is he coming to Senegal too?

– Him: Yeah, he’ll spend the night here before we head to Saint Louis together.

– Oh, that’s great!

Actually, my sister-in-law is from Saint Louis (a city in Senegal, the former capital of French West Africa, known for being an amazing place with kind, smiling people). Their mom, Tata Oumy, lives there, so they’re going to visit her tomorrow. We finish eating and clear the table, and we start unpacking the suitcases, and they give me lots of chocolate. I’m so happy—I’m a huge chocolate fan. We’re all gathered in the parents’ room, sharing the gifts and chocolates they brought while chatting. Suddenly, I see that Loufa is getting a call; from the sound of his voice, I know it’s Bassey and that he’s outside the house. He goes to open the door for him, and a few minutes later they come into the room—and there? I stand up to greet him and see a very slender man with such a clear complexion, a mesmerizing gaze, magnificent eyes, and a smile that almost threw me off balance. I pull myself together very quickly and go to shake his hand while trying to hide my emotions. I need to come back down to earth; I mustn’t let a man into my life like this anymore.