I remember his palms often sweaty. As much as I spent 90 percent of my time with him within or without the institution; his mornings colder, his days longer, his vision blurry. He really did not fit in with others as he would do things that others would grin about. He could snore loudly in his sleep and would walk with a certain demeanor that left other speculating his sexual orientation. He took all these in stride. I look back and reminisce the good times we had – in school.
In a sleek car, he drives on ahead of me to pull up by the road side. A 4wd Lexus; ver. 350, alloy rims, leather seats with piped music is my former desk mate at A Level and my neck to neck contender in the literature class at O Level. Let’s talk later, he swings me his card then drives off. He is the Director of the physically challenged association – according to his business card. An entity he started sometime in 2001. His organization seeks to help people who were born with certain challenges and as such strive to fit in the society but more often than not fail. He was and is one of them.
We meet up the same evening (Wednesday, Aug 1). We sat for coffee at a local coffee palour in my neighborhood – Lanagata. He now lives in the upmarket neighborhood of Karen. On seating down, a thought flashes through my mind. This guy has seldom changed albeit for his age and body frame. He nudges me towards him as we grab our seats and continue exchanging pleasantries and the same jokes that we did every so often while in school and much less since parting ways for career purposes. We are interrupted by a call on his cell. “I have to answer this, it’s the office”. “Oh, by all means. Don’t mind me”. That’s my swift response as he leans back to answer the call and I gesture the waitress to order for a drink. I ask for a chilled cold coke for myself and a warm glass of milk for him.
On average, I need some sort of share ownership with the giant drink maker – Coca Cola. I have been loyal to their trademark and even more to their brand of drink – coke for years on end. I sip on it as look onto the activities happening nearby – a cobbler at work, a sausage vender, a tout calling up travelers and people just strolling. I think to myself, every parent’s fear is to bear a child with deformities or challenges, not that they love them any less, but there is too much effort that the parent ploughs in, in raising such a child. This idea is a nightmare to any parent. Steve’s parents gave none less in raising him. They must be greatly impressed with what Steve has turned himself to. He did not seek to fit in to what the society was and is, rather became his own person – self made.
He leans forward and shoves his cell phone across the table. “You still remember my favorite drink?” “Yep. I was stuck with you for 12 years. I had no option but to know your favorite drink”. We catch up on so many things that both of us never noticed time flying by.“Felix, I have to rush out”. Steve never called me Ger; he could but he didn’t want to. I tried to get him to for years. So to hear this name after a while felt like a total recall. “No problem,” I reply. So when do we meet again? I ask. Saturday, Aug 4 is great. “Which one? The coming?” “Yes. Let’s meet here then head out to RFU”. This is the Rugby Federation Union field. Both of us were quarter backs. “This is a meeting am really looking up to” – I think to myself. We hug, I pay for the drinks. Walk him to his car. He drives off as I lazily walk towards my house.
On my way, I see my house help heading to the green grocer as she carries my First born child; Li-Roy. I gesture her my way. I pick him up from her as she heads on. “How have you been since morning?” Of course he is nine months old, so he cannot reply. But to me, the answer is a definite affirmative.
