Chapter 37

After meeting my mother ,it was decided that I will be going to America with Marcus. I was so excited. I haven't been outside this country and I am yet to visit our neighboring countries Tanzania and Uganda.

I must admit my job takes too much of my time. And when I got time off ,I was normally too tired to go anywhere. I had to watch my friends travel all over the country and outside the country enjoying themselves while I was stuck at work. I guess that was the part of the job no one told me about.

This job was demanding, always had been. Most doctors don't have a life outside their careers. We spend too much of our time in the hospital. We don't have time to date or to even go for dates. That is why most doctors marry their fellow doctors , nurses or even hospital staff as they spend too much of their time in a hospital setup.

Unfortunately I was not interested in marrying a doctor. I wanted someone from a different profession as me. If we both got stuck at work who will help the other? Besides I wanted to learn new things from my husband and that wouldn't happen if we were on the same field.

After meeting with mum ,I went home to talk to my dad. I needed his blessings too. My parents opinions were important to me even though the last decision was my own. I was ready to plead my case and cry if I had too. My dad was the strict parent between the two.

He didn't even allow us to sleep at our relatives houses when we were younger. We would go visit for a few hours and then come back home before evening. He would even call to confirm that we were back. He hated us going anywhere without him or mum . He always said he didn't raise tourists.

When I approached him with the subject, he quickly accepted. I didn't recognize the person I was talking to. Someone must have done something to him. I even asked a second time if he was sure and he said yes.

His condition was that I could only be gone for 3 months. That worked to my advantage as I accumulated all my off days and yearly leave to get the three months. And when I get back from the trip, I could go back to work. Me having a job when I got back was important.

This was a trip to meet Marcus's parents , to see his world and familiarize myself with it. I was very excited but also I couldn't help but be nervous. I didn't know what to expect. I don't know where we stood as a couple but I hoped this trip will put some things into perspective.

Once my dad gave me his blessings I went to talk to my bosses. Since I was using my off days, they agreed to let me go for three months and not a day later. Everything was going perfectly, too good to be true. I felt like someone was pulling the strings behind my back, making sure everything went smoothly. But I pushed that thought at the back of my head and focused on the positive. I was going to New York . I have only seen the place on tv and in movies but now I get to see it in real life. Who would have thought that would happen? Certainly not me.

I felt like a child tasting candy for the first time. I packed everything I needed. Marcus told me we had to shop for some winter coats as we were going during the end of winter. The place gets really cold. Considering the winter we experience in Africa wasn't that cold. The temperatures drop to 10°C to 15°C which was not considered cold to him.

I will have to take his word for it. A day before our flight ,his driver came and picked me up. We were to stay at his place as it was closer to the airport than my place. We went shopping and bought some fur coats that were really warm. We tried a new restaurant for lunch. We went around town buying some things for his parents and sister.

We went drinking in the evening but went back to the house early as our flight was at 8am. We had to get the airport an hour before our flight. We made love and fell asleep in each others arms content and happy.

I was too excited to have a good night sleep as I kept waking up during the night. The next thing I knew was Marcus shaking me awake. It was really early in the morning. I woke up quickly because I knew where were going. Normally if you woke me up at that time I would be angry but this was something else .We woke up at 4am in the morning to prepare and leave. His house keeper had breakfast ready for us.

We took a bath separately to avoid getting late. We ate breakfast in silence as the driver loaded our bags in the car. We double checked that we carried everything and left for the airport. It was dark outside but you could see market women rushing to buy food stuffs brought in the market by large lorries. If you wanted to buy groceries at a cheaper price that was the time to buy them as they are sold in bulks. They are also fresh, straight from the farm.

Bodaboda ( motorcycle) riders we carrying mizigo( luggage's) from one place to another and some business were already open. That was Nairobi for you, the city that never sleeps. We had a 40 mins drive before we got to the airport. We both did our own things to be productive and waste the time away. We arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 6am.

We left our luggages in the car and settled in a restaurant to pass time. Before we knew it we were boarding the plane. It was my first time on a plane and I was getting anxious. How can that big thing fly? I was not afraid of heights but it was normal to be afraid of something you have never tried.

Our seats were at the VIP section. The place was beautiful and looked comfortable but that did nothing to ease my anxiety. My seat was next to the window. Marcus made sure to find me a seat next to the window so that I could enjoy the view.

I was not enjoying anything at all, in fact I was terrified. My brain was filled with images of us crashing and dying. I couldn't die at 24 years, I have a lot to live for. I haven't been to Paris for God's sake.

Marcus sensing I was spiraling he took my hand into his. He kissed every finger and then my palm.

" Zee look at me. Everything is going to be okay." He tried reassuring me.

I couldn't calm down. My breathes started coming in pants and my palms started sweating. My chest felt tighter than before. I was having a panic attack in the plane. I couldn't hear anything other than my loud heart beat.

Suddenly Marcus pulled my face towards his and kissed me.