A Glimpse

An old man whistled as he sat down on a crate outside of a closed tailor's shop. Light from the setting sun shone on his profile, blinding him in his right eye, yet he did not stop. The tune was that of an old Kenyan lullaby that spoke of children tasked with bringing in cattle from the rains. His voice was low, yet sweet. The few people who were walking on the pathway gave the man a nod or smile. One young mother carrying fruit in a basket tried to give him money. He politely declined. When offered a piece of mango, he humbly thanked the mamma as she went on her way.

Dogs began to bark in a nearby alleyway. The last rays of the sun had taken off a little edge of the days heat. Once resting and heat exhausted, the dogs were eager to go out and feed on whatever they could find. Their howling almost drowned out the old man's whistling, until suddenly the howling stopped. The man paid no attention to the dogs and continued to whistle. From the shadows of the alleyway, a small figure crouched down near the entrance.

A young woman in her mid teens tried to peek around the corner to observe the street. The black head scarf she wore was loose around her chin. Pulling it to her nose, her fingers brushed lightly against the dark sunglasses she wore. Her bare feet scraped against the dry, rough ground as she moved closer to the edge of the alley. The long red skirt she wore hid her feet as she crouched. The matching red top revealed her mid-riff but had short sleeves to cover her shoulders. The design woven into the fabric zigzagged horizontally. The last shimmer of sunlight glistened against her ebony skin as her hand reached for her head scarf one last time.

The man was finishing his lullaby on a simple and high note. The offered mango was beginning to grow sticky in his hand. He moved his head to look down at the fresh fruit.

The girl moved. Quick as lightning, she ran from the alleyway towards the man. He did not seem to notice the girl as he raised the fruit to his cracked lips. The fruit was ripped from his open hand.

The woman could hear the man shout "HEY!" as she rounded the street corner. She continued to run and run until her breath was almost gone. By then, there were many blocks between her and the man. She slowed down to a walk as she munched on the sticky mango. Her empty stomach begged for more. Licking her fingers clean, she rounded a corner not far from the edge of the city of Kitui. The woman pulled her headscarf closer to her as a very subtle wind blew from the East.

Where am I going to sleep tonight?

The girl scanned the area for some corner or alley to sleep in. The square she walked into was empty. She crossed until she was beside a fruit stand. Unfortunately for her, all the discarded fruit was too rotten to eat. As she sat down, three rats scurried away. Repulsed, she tried to step over the pile in order to get to the alley in the background. She groaned; lowering herself to the ground proved difficult as her fatigued, skinny legs had become sore. Moving her legs so they were tucked carefully under her full skirt, she glanced to the pile. A banana peel shifted as a little gray mouse poked its nose out.

Looking up at the young woman, the mouse scurried over to the surprised woman, sitting a meter away from the teenager's hem. Cautiously, a hand stretched out towards the rodent. When the mouse sniffed her fingers and climbed across her palm, the girl slowly raised her hand. Balancing her hand on her knees, the woman spoke,

"Now what kind of mouse would want to be near a girl like me? Everyone else runs away. They always do. They take one look at my eyes, and they run like scared cattle. I bet you will too!"

The girl tore the sunglasses away from her face. Opening her eyes, she revealed onto the rodent what she had hidden. While her eyes were large and shiny, one iris was a deep reddish brown, and the other was hazel with red around the pupil.

"People think I'm cursed. A strange girl with two different eyes is never a good omen. No one can take me in. No one can even explain who I am!" The mouse did not move or run away. "I woke up in an alley two months ago covered in blood and alcohol with no memories. I had no idea how I got there, and no idea who I was. I do remember a name though...Kalisha. It would make sense...though I doubt I'm a sorceress. But you know...I am tired of being lonely...as far as I know, I have no family and no one to stay with. I've been kinda wandering around the area looking for clues. But of course, nothing has come up... you know, you're a pretty good listener, little mouse."

The mouse crawled up her arm, to her shoulder. Kalisha lowered her head cloth to reveal a red diamond nose ring, soft full lips, and a dark beauty mark just below her left lower lip. Her short, ringlet, dark brown hair sprung out from the tight cloth.

"Don't have a name eh? … Does Chipo sound like a good name? I heard an old mamma tell another mamma that's what her grandson was named."

The mouse nuzzled against Kalisha's cheek.

"Chipo it is then!"

The dark sky had finally fallen against the sky. A few brave stars glistened against what light pollution was coming from the main city. The streets were pretty quiet, all that could be heard were dogs barking, a baby crying, and music coming from a bar a few streets down. Chipo squeaked beside her.

"It's okay little guy, we're save here. The stink from that pile of rotten food will keep those drunk bastards away. And you can get close to me, I don't mind. I am never cold at night. Besides, I'll kick the next rat who tries to give you trouble."

The mouse ran down her arm and into her waiting lap. Nuzzling close to her knee, Chipo fell asleep.

Laying her head back against the wall, Kalisha looked upwards to the dark sky.

At least now I have someone to talk to. I hope I meet more people soon. It get's pretty lonely on the street, you know

Kalisha fell asleep not long after. She slept peacefully for the first time in weeks, knowing she had someone beside her.

What Kalisha didn't know, however, was that someone was watching her. Across the square, in a dark backstreet, the shadow of a man watched the sleeping young girl. He was stopped when a hand grasped his shoulders. Nodding to his companion, he stood. Before they departed, his partner flashed an icy grin across the square, towards the sleeping, and unsuspecting girl.

*DODGES ALL THE PITCHFORKS AND ANGRY, BITTER READERS*

I KNOW I KNOW, It's been more than a year. I got a new computer, lost the story and what progress I had made on the new chapter. Then life happened. Yay life.

But LOOK! A PREVIEW!

I had a snow day today and after getting a lovely review, I felt inspired. So after having a read through and doing so research, I produced this.

I told you guys you'd be getting a glimpse of the new sister. Meet Kalisha (means sorceress in African via 20000 Names). I gave you guys quite a bit of back story at the moment, but I hope to explore more as time goes on (assuming I don't leave you for another year again).

And hopefully next time around you'll get to see your favorite writer, major domo and all the rest of the gang! Might have to look at some old episodes to see how to write Owen again (it's been a LONG ASS TIME since I've watched the show. Thank God for Youtube).

So tell me loyal readers, what do you think so far? How is presented Kalisha is a little different from what I originally planned. And you guys have only really seen one aspect of her. I want to experiment with a more complex character this time around.

Press the button in the center and tell Miss Riddle what you think. Ciao for now!

Chippo: gift in African