Arjun sat in his chair, with account ledgers scattered on the table before him. Without warning, his thoughts spiraled into the past - into the weight of his misfortunes.
He had come to Kenya at 17, as a railway worker alongside his elder brother Raju. The early days were brutal. Low wages and manual labor. Yet they managed to survive . They lived on edge, but hope had kept them going.
Then, 6 months ago, Raju died of Malaria. The Railway workers had come together, donating enough for a simple funeral. With the coins left from the funeral contributions and the little savings he had, he had opened this shop, where he now sat with account ledgers that showed he was just getting by.
"I need biscuits. Those that are spiced with a bit of cinnamon. Do you have them? "A female voice interrupted his thoughts.
Arjun was startled. After recovering from his shock, he looked up and there she was. She was a beautiful British girl. Average build. Definitely his age. She wore a white gown,white gloves, and had remarkably soft skin, as if untouched by hardship.
Her Jasmine perfume overwhelmed the scent of spices that once filled the shop
"Yes. I definitely have those. They are at the back. Follow me this way," he said while standing and showing her the way.
As they walked side by side, he reached out his hand and said, "I am Arjun, by the way. Arjun Patel. "
"Nice to meet you, Arjun, by the way. "She said sarcastically before adding, "My name is Elkins Jones."
As soon as the second name was said, Arjun stopped in his tracks. He had no shame in admitting that he feared Jones. One would be a fool not to.
Elkins noticed the change in his body language. As soon as they resumed walking, she asked, "Why are you afraid of my father? "
"I haven't seen you around, so I can only assume you haven't been in the country for long. You will find out soon enough", Arjun said as he stopped to pick up a packet of biscuits from a shelf before handing it to her.
"Is there anything else you will need? "
"That's all." Elkins smiled and replied, "I'll come around next week to pick some silk for my mother's birthday, which is coming up soon.
Arjun wanted to say that he looked forward to seeing her again soon. He wanted to invite her to stay longer.All he ended up saying was, "You are welcome to visit my shop anytime."
"Anytime? "She asked
"Yes, any time." Then came the awkward silence as he walked her to the door.
His body buzzed with excitement-undeniable proof that he wanted her. There was no point in denying that. Acting on what he felt was wrong for so many reasons, and he knew that. His sole focus now should be survival.
He walked her to the door. She handed him a coin and left, but not before throwing him another smile. He could tell right away that she felt the same way about him. If he asked her, he could find out for sure, but he didn't want to. He thought to himself, "Some things are better left unsaid."
As he closed the door, he was startled to see a man standing near the counter. Recovering from shock, he asked," Kamau, when did you get here? "Kamau was silent, observing him for about 20 seconds before saying, "A word of advice, brother. Stay away from that lady. I don't mind that but if any other African sees you doing what you are thinking of doing now, word will spread and Africans will boycott your shop. I have had a quick peek at your accounting books. You can't afford to lose even a single customer."
Arjun had to admit that Kamau was right. The African natives hated the British, whom they accused of stealing their land. The British hated Africans, whom they accused of being savages and illiterates.
So far, he had managed to walk a tight rope of selling to both. While each side hated the fact that he sold to the other, they were still willing to tolerate it. He had a feeling that having a relationship with a white lady would not be tolerated.
"You are probably right. Anyway, enough of that. Last I heard, you had travelled East. Did you get to meet the man they claim has no shadow?"
"Yes, I did travel east, and no, I did not meet the man. At this point, I am starting to believe he is just a myth. None of our spies have seen him despite the fact that we have told them to be on the lookout for him. Do you have the gift I asked for?"
Arjun went to a nearby shelf and pulled it out. It was a beautiful Kamba bracelet. "Talia will be a fool not to like this. You really outdid yourself this time," Arjun said as he handed him the bracelet before, "And before you go, some letters came for you. Wait here, and I will get them for you.
Arjun went to the back. He went past the place they had taken Elkins to get biscuits. he reached a door that opened into a small, cramped space where he slept. he went in, raised his mattress, and picked up three letters before heading back and handing them over to Kamau. Kamau thanked Arjun, stuffed them into his pocket, and left.
He wanted to go home and rest, probably take a nap. Then later that day, he would find Talai. His Talai. God knows he had missed her !