The Entry: Mulberry Stains

I wondered what this meant to you. A moment in between eternities
perhaps, the only way to describe it was in comparison. Such a primitive
attempt to completely articulate intoxication. Even then, words were a
pixilated opinion of brush strokes immortalized on canvas. A tangent to
a pool that stretched as wide as the eye could see, that dove as deep
as the heart could feel. The sun lay on your back, kissing you golden.
I could almost see the pine in my peripheral, a hazy stream of green.
The red Mercedes growling towards the horizon, a confident and elegant
beast. Introductions had just been as delightful as the conversations,
but my time was up and these were my final moments with you, right here,
an arms’ reach for a kiss away. The wind whistled past the slightly wound
up car window. It gently tucked your hair beneath your chin.

“Too bad you can’t make it to church” Pete broke the silence.

I had forgotten that he was with us. He was driving. He had been driving
us all over the city in the last two days. An informative young man,
taking time to show and name places as we drove past, The Town Hall, the
Bus Terminus and a small shopping mall that vaguely reminded me of Samy
Levi’s Village back in the capital. This had been my first visit.

“It would have been awesome” I replied while we exchanged a glance from
the prismatic rear-view mirror.

“I, unfortunately, do have one or two things that need my attention today
for tomorrow” I continued. Pete nodded and said, “Sure thing. Come visit
for longer next.”

The car had passed most of the suburbia now and was drawing closer to the
Central Business District. Harare was slowly pulling me back towards
her. For now, however, I was still here; with her. Nothing else mattered
except this moment. Her palm resting in mine, a little warmer, a lot
lighter yet just as communicative. I must have stared into her eyes till
I had to blink. Imagine losing a glimpse, because I had to blink. Well,
my eyes lived for the moments in between.

“I love you, you know that right?” my fingers said, caressing hers.

“As do I. With all my being, and all that’s left after that” her fingers
whispered back.