I'm more of an extrovert and he's more of an introvert I knew that meant that I’d have to adjust to a pace and create an environment in which we were both comfortable. I made my way back down to campus and I had spent so much time indoors lately that I'd forgotten we'd swept into the swing of autumn and it was just entering winter. I was always a lover of autumn, of the colours that were courageous and warm, strong, and yet a call to remember our earth and all she gave in the harvest months.
River was waiting for me by his suede black Porsche but I had another idea.
"Let's walk," I suggested remembering how Keomi had told me that it was better to walk sometimes,
"Okay." He agreed and he walked beside me down the street, the ice cream parlour was only a few more blocks away.
"I heard Monsieur Ettienne has you working on something special?" I asked and River shrugged,
"Yeah a painting for the critic Allard, she took a liking to my other painting so much she offered to commission me to paint one for her home." He told me and I was almost as excited as I'd have been if she'd asked me to do it.
This vicarious happiness felt so passionately ours.
"I'm so fucking proud of you Kennedy," I assured him and his eyes lit up at my statement,
"You're kind," River told me and his pinkie interlocked with my own, a shy sort of intimacy.
"Consider me your number one cheerleader." I beamed and he placed a kiss on my forehead.
River and I were seated in the corner of Aunty Sakala's ice cream parlour, I ordered a cookie dough ice cream sundae and River ordered pistachio vegan ice cream that I'd tried and it was even better than mine. I wanted to try more but he'd promised to declare world war 3 on me if I dared to. Just then Aunty Sakala made her way over to our table with a younger-looking man who was about my age, he had darker skin like me and wise eyes just like her.
"I do not mean to interrupt but I promised to introduce you to my son last time you were here." She beamed and he reached his hand out to shake mine,
"I'm Muleya. It's nice to meet a beautiful woman in Paris like yourself." He bantered and I smiled, River most definitely didnot.
"I'm Armani, it's nice to meet you too, do you travel home often?" I asked trying to make small talk,
"No, not often anymore, I haven't been in years now." He admitted to me, "I'd hate to forget my home."
"I haven't been to Kenya in years too, and it's almost like I can't even remember what it looks and feels like to be amongst my own," I replied, it was nice to be able to relate to someone else on things like this.
"I must ask, what's your favourite home-cooked meal?" He asked and I didn't have to think twice to know the answer,
"Definitely ugali." I defined and he smiled,
"In Zambia, we call it Nshima while in Nigeria it is called Fufu, it's my favourite too." He told me and I actually didn't know that. "Did you not know?"
"No, I- I actually didn't, I know I should it's just that I-" I begin but he cut me off,
"It's okay, you haven't been home in a long time, it's only normal to not know much about it. If you want to I can teach you all the things you want to know. I'm a culture and African history major." He suggested and it was a tempting offer but judging by the way River was awfully silent I know I shouldn't and that there were hidden intentions behind his offer.
"Um sorry I didn't mention earlier but this is River," I said introducing the two,
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," River said monotonously, taking no interest in Muleya.
"You too." Muleya added, "Well if you're ever interested in taking me up on my offer, I'm usually here helping mama out at the shop." He reminded me and then just like that, he was gone.
"He was just being nice," I assured River, but he avoided eye contact with me.
"I know." River mumbled.
After we'd finished our ice cream I told River that we needed to talk and we found a spot beneath a tree, the late-night moonlight shone through the maple leaves giving this dreamlike glow. I could hear the crickets and nocturnal nightlife as a background to the scene. River was on the other side of the tree facing east, and I was seated on the grass on the other end facing west. We were trying this thing where when we had something to say that was hard we look in opposite directions so we didn’t have the pressure of looking the other in the eye.
I'd avoided this particular conversation for long enough.
"What's on your mind?" I asked and he sighs,
“Nothing.” He lied,
