I’ll miss Trevor. But at first, I hated him. Or disliked, since people say hate is such a strong word. Weird how so much can only happen in a week, right? Like you can discover your whole life with a certain person has been a lie. Or have your eyes opened to things you didn’t know that change your entire life.
Or in my case, you can refuse to pray in a crowd for the first time. And own up to the fact that you are actually not a Christian anymore. And when they insist that you pray regardless, you shall proudly say that in your chosen nonreligiousity, you do not pray. And that small public acknowledgement, shall light up your soul in ways you didn’t know possible. Its like taking control of something that belongs to you but had been snatched from your hands.
But back to what can happen within a week, you could meet Trevor. A huge man. Not humongous. Just big, like gym instructor. And tall. Not in a scary way. In a coach-like manner.
And brash.
But at first, he doesn’t concentrate in class. And you hate that. Again, dislike, not hate( note to self, people reserve hate for the devil). Imagine teaching a class with a student always on his phone ? That would be rude, right?
But that only lasts in the theory class. Once the training gets to the skills part, Trevor comes alive, as if he was waiting for this moment. Suddenly he is participating. Overly participative if we are to be honest. Volunteers for shit. Answers back. Asks questions and chooses to demonstrate back. As in, in a twinkle of an eye, Trevor becomes the ideal student. Right from the worst to the best.
While for me? Within a week, I become the Trevor who started out. The one always on their phone. The one whose mind isn’t in class. The one who fumbles when asked a question because reading about Uhuru’s sinking ship sounds better than sitting down for 8 hours a day. My butt complains the whole week. This isn’t what I signed up for in adulthood after a whole lifetime of sitting down in school.
And within a week..you realize that maybe this is what adulthood is about. Experiencing a week with people, going through the motions of life together, hating some bits, quarelling at times, bonding over bad lunch, and finally, finishing and exchanging contacts which you know you probably won’t use, but you still exchange them enthusiastically anyway.
Maybe life is about a week like this. And then another different one. Then another boring one. Then another one. Till its that week when you meet Trevor. And become him. Or till it’s that week when you realize your love life and school life are in the same boat. Sinking. Or till its that week you drink yourself to sleep. Or till its that week you find yourself in Chalbi desert. Or till its that week you barely eat a meal. Or till its that week you go back to therapy.
Until finally, its that week you start alive and end up dead.
Mwende Kyalo 