The Suicide Note by Julius Muriungi

Photo by Jerry Riley. Visit http://www.jerryriley.com/blog to see more pictures of kenya

Paul read the message again and again. Could this be a trick? Paul had to live in Mukuru slums when he finished college to cut down his expenses and operate a bar without worrying about the license.

He had met her three years back when she was sweet sixteen, and with a few nice shoes and niceties he had won her cheap love. With his tender care she blossomed into a beauty with curves in the right places. He dressed up and hurried towards ‘Laving ton’ as he normally called the area she lived because of the ever green tree near there and numerous TV antennae.

‘I have a few minutes to live, come immediately my lost love’, the message said.

The door to her place was open .He got in and thanks to illegal power connections the lights were on. He looked around but all he saw was note and beside it a photo album. He dialed her number but all he got was ‘Mteja wa nambari unayopiga hapatikani kwa sasa.’

He picked up the photo album and before him was the evidence of the sweet moments they shared which turned sour when she got pregnant. To him she was an entertainment kit and nothing more. He took the note and as he began to read it, the joy he had when Spain had won the world cup evaporated. He was shaken. He didn’t notice tears falling from his eyes onto the same spots where her tears had wet the writing pad.

DEAR PAUL ………THE LOVE OF MY SOUL

My life was sweet with you around

You lit the end of my tunnel and gave me a reason to live

Now like a passing storm you are gone

Gone to younger arms

You sowed your seeds in my young womb and left

All the sweet names you called me now gone to her

Do you think I can live any more?

Do you think I can watch the fruit of my womb swim in the sewage?

We had dreams to cross Uhuru highway

Questions are more than answers my love

You were all the family I had

Aids took the others away and a woman took you away from my arms

My life is empty…so empty

I have to join them

Maybe they will love me better

And I hope God will accept my soul

It is all I can do to fill the void

If you find me gone, my body will be under the bed

If you can, bury my body

If you can’t, the police will

I loved you in life Paul

And in death I will love you more

Let me die now

I will miss you love.

HARRIET – Your ever loving love.

Paul knelt down and under the bed was Harriet’s dead body. He collapsed and fainted.

©Julius Muriungi

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