The Kenyan Seer

                                                         “ First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity.” – George Bernard Shaw We were a story worth telling, just not one meant to last. It was our first “date.” I was in grey sweatpants and a matching hoodie, my hair covered. The saloonist hadn’t quite delivered the style I wanted, one fit to impress this not-so-short, wide-eyed, slightly plump, and rather handsome guy with his coarse hair. But here I was, regardless. Seated near the flower hedges that lined the park opposite Thika Road Mall, I kept glancing toward Gate A. Where is this guy? How dare he be late? I called one more time, no answer. Annoyed, I sent a text threatening to leave. Of course, I wouldn’t. I wanted to meet the man I had fallen for in just a week! First dates are a mix of excitem...

                    I ’ve been meaning to check in, to give an account of how life has been and whether I’ve stayed true to the promises I made to myself at the start of the year. Is it just me, or does it feel like 2025 has already been quite a year? It’s only February, yet it feels like so much has happened. My year started strong; I found myself in spaces and rooms I had never been in before. I’ve been confronting my fears individually, and I’m learning to commend myself for it instead of ruminating on “you could have done better.” At the start of the year, I set a goal: to break the rules I had unknowingly created for myself—rules that, spoken or unspoken, sometimes served as excuses not to do the needful. I wanted to challenge my pattern, especially the one of waiting for the perfect time to do things. Have I done even half of a problem set because “the little work counts,” as I told myself? I’d say I’ve been trying. I’v...