Insight of a Kenyan Girl

The morning after our conversation was quiet, almost too quiet. The apartment, which I had come to think of as a temporary home, felt too big. The walls were too close, and the silence too loud. My bank account had been on my mind the whole night, ticking away like a countdown.

I couldn’t ignore it anymore. My funds were running low, and the little cushion I had left wasn’t enough to justify staying here any longer. I had to go back home.

It wasn’t that I wanted to leave. It was that I didn’t have a choice.

I stood by the window for a long time, looking out over the busy streets, the world going on without me. The thought of leaving Patty behind made my chest tighten. His presence was still too fresh, too real. And I didn’t know what would happen if I stayed. But I couldn’t let myself get lost in him, not with everything else hanging over me.

I booked a flight. The airport wasn’t far from the apartment, so I decided to head out early. There was a finality to this decision that I couldn’t shake off, a feeling I wasn’t ready for.

I arrived at the airport, bags in hand, my flight in just a few hours. But before I could even settle into the hum of the terminal, I saw him.

Patty.

He was leaning against a pillar near the check-in counter, his arms crossed, looking out of place yet perfectly at ease. I froze when I saw him. How did he know I’d be here? How had he found me?

He turned when he heard me, and the moment our eyes met, something in me tightened. I didn’t know what he wanted, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being pulled into something bigger than I understood.

“Minnie,” he said, his voice calm, but there was an undercurrent there, something unspoken. “You really going through with this?”

I nodded, the lump in my throat making it hard to answer. “I have to. My money’s running out. I don’t have much choice.”

Patty didn’t speak immediately. He just looked at me, as if weighing my words. Then he pushed off the pillar and walked over, slow and deliberate, like he always did. There was something in the way he moved—so sure of himself, so confident.

“You’re leaving because of money?” He didn’t sound angry or frustrated, just… disappointed?

“I didn’t want to leave. But I don’t have a choice.” My voice faltered a little as I spoke. “It’s not like I have anything left to hold on to here.”

His eyes darkened slightly, but he didn’t say anything for a moment. Instead, he took a deep breath and ran a hand through his messy hair.

“You’re not really running away, are you?” he asked, his voice soft but there was a quiet intensity behind it. “Minnie, if this is about money, we can figure something out. You don’t have to leave.”

I shook my head, my hands trembling as I gripped my bag tighter. “I can’t stay. I don’t belong here. I don’t even know who you really are.”

He stopped then, his gaze lingering on me, almost as if he was trying to read something in my eyes. Something I couldn’t even put into words. “You don’t need to know everything right now. But I know you, Minnie. I know more than you think.”

That struck me harder than I expected, and my heart skipped a beat. I looked away, not wanting to show how much his words affected me.

“I don’t want to complicate things,” I said, finally managing to get the words out. “I need to go. It’s the only way.”

There was silence for a beat, and then he sighed. “Alright. If you need to leave, I won’t stop you. But don’t walk away thinking you have nothing here, Minnie. Don’t think I’m just some stranger you met in a music club.”

He stepped back then, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, his posture casual, but the look in his eyes was anything but. “If you ever change your mind… you know where to find me.”

I looked up at him one last time. His expression was unreadable, and that only made the decision harder. But I nodded, forcing a smile.

“Goodbye, Patty.”

I turned then, walking toward the security line, my heart feeling heavier with each step. As I glanced back, I saw him standing there, watching me leave. And for a moment, I wondered if I was making the right choice.