DOUBTING SAM.

I find Sam warming up near the fireplace of Tom’s kitchen. He looks drenched, perhaps the rains must have caught up with him on his way home. Tom is busy cleaning up the cups to serve the boda boda guys who are also feeling the cold, like me. I head straight to him hoping to get the warmth that he has been enjoying.

Rainy day in Kericho

“Don’t say it. You told me so. I get it.” The irritation in his voice makes me quiver. There must be something bothering him. Tom comes in and offers us tea and vanishes to serve his other customers. Ever since the rains started pounding the country late last month, I suspect that he has been making tidy profits. But that is a story for another day.

Lingering Doubts

“Is there something that is bothering you?”

“Yes. Just a minute.” He takes his time to arrange his thoughts. I also use this time to enjoy the hot tea, something that I don’t get while at the shop in town. Sam drops the tea and turns to face me. He looks nervous and I don’t know what to expect from him.

“Bro, I am having doubts over Emma. There’s something about her that makes me uneasy.”

“Whoa!” This is incredible! But he was not done yet.

“Do you think she will make a good wife?” I take another sip of the tea.

“If you give her the chance, I believe so.” But he doesn’t look convinced.

“But didn’t she dump you for Max?” I keep silent. The memory comes flooding back.

It dawns to me that Sam is scared of a similar thing happening to him. But I could not play the devil’s advocate here nor nudge my best friend into something he wasn’t 100% sure of. I knew Emma was capable of treachery whenever it suited her. She was the bad girl while Sam was the good guy and the refrain goes that good guys finish last.

“Bro should I call off the whole thing?”

“I don’t know man.” I left it there. The cold weather in Kericho coupled up with my long dry spell had made me agree to the meeting tomorrow. He didn’t know about the meeting and I wasn’t going to tell him either. I was prepared to break the bro-code for my own interest.

NEXT: The unexpected happens.