When Hearts Whispers – Episodes
The morning in Nyamugari began with grey clouds. The sky looked heavy, like it wanted to speak. Kevin woke up early, again. He touched the small letters he kept in his book, then smiled. Today, he and Aline planned to meet after school, at the same tree near the lake. He whispered, “Please, don’t rain,” but the clouds did not listen.
On his way to school, Kevin passed the small tea shop near the road. Steam rose from hot cups. Moto taxis moved fast, and children walked with bags on their backs. He greeted the shop owner, bought a mandazi, and hurried on. In his mind, he saw Aline’s smile. He felt brave today. He wanted to say something true.
Aline also woke early. She checked her sketchbook and touched the drawing she made for Kevin. It was a small picture of the lake, the big tree, and a butterfly on a leaf. She planned to give it to him. But as she packed her things, her mother called. Their little nephew had a fever. Aline helped to bring warm water and make porridge. “I will still go,” she told herself. “I will not be late.”
By noon, the sky turned darker. Wind pushed dust along the road. In class, Kevin watched the window more than the blackboard. When the bell rang, learners ran to the corridor. “It will rain,” someone said. “A big one.” Kevin held his bag close and walked quickly. He did not want to miss Aline. He wanted to be there first, waiting.
Rain came like drums on the tin roofs. It fell strong and sudden. The road became small rivers. Kevin stood under a shop shade with other people. A radio played love songs. He waited, watching the lake through the curtain of rain. The world looked soft and far away. He thought of Episode 2, the sketchbook; Episode 3, the letter; Episode 4, the butterfly in the wind. Today would be a new step.
Aline left home later than she planned. She ran with her umbrella, shoes splashing water. She held the sketchbook inside her sweater to keep it dry. At the main road, cars moved slowly, and motos stopped to wear raincoats. She waited, then crossed carefully. “Please, don’t let him go,” she prayed inside her heart. She knew Kevin would wait, but she feared the storm would change everything.
At the lake, the tree looked darker and taller in the rain. Kevin stood under it, water dropping from the leaves. His hair and shirt were wet, but he did not care. He thought of the words he had practiced: “Aline, I don’t know the future, but I want to be part of yours.” He felt shy saying them in his mind, but the rain gave him courage. Rain sometimes hides a shaking voice.
Minutes passed. Then, footsteps. Aline appeared like a quiet shadow between the trees, hair damp, cheeks red from the rush. When Kevin saw her, his heart jumped. He almost laughed from relief. “You came,” he said, simple and honest. “I came,” she answered, smiling with tired eyes. They stood close under the tree, the lake breathing, the rain speaking around them like a soft drum.
“I brought you something,” Aline said, pulling the sketchbook from her sweater. It was wrapped in a small plastic bag. She opened it carefully. Inside was the drawing of the lake and the tree, and a bright butterfly on a leaf. But there was more. Below the picture, she had written one line: “Some butterflies don’t run from wind. They learn to dance.” Kevin read it twice. His chest felt warm.
Kevin took a breath. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small envelope. “I also wrote,” he said, voice low. She looked at him, eyes round and kind. He opened the letter and read, because the rain made it hard to hear: “Dear Aline, I like the quiet way you speak. I like the way you look at the world, slowly, like a teacher who loves every learner. If love is a whisper, I want to listen with you.”
The rain softened. The lake grew small ripples. Aline’s eyes shone. “Kevin,” she said, “I don’t know many things. But I know this: when I draw, I feel calm. When I am with you, I feel the same calm. It is like breathing after a long run.” She closed the sketchbook and held it to her heart. “I want to keep walking with you. Slowly. Kindly. Day by day.”
They laughed, not loud, but free. Thunder spoke far away. A fisherman, covered with a blue plastic coat, pushed his boat near the reeds. A soccer ball floated near the shore, lost from some game. Life in Nyamugari did not stop for rain; it just changed shape. Kevin took Aline’s hand, then let go quickly, shy again. She did not move away. She just smiled and looked at the sky.
“Can we make a promise?” Kevin asked. “Not a big one. A small one.” Aline tilted her head. “What promise?” He pointed at the tree. “Every week, no matter the weather, we meet here. If it rains, we bring tea in a flask. If it is sunny, we bring shade with our smiles. If we are sad, we talk. If we are happy, we share. We keep walking, together.”
Aline thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. A small promise is stronger than big speech.” She held out her pinky finger like a child making a secret vow. Kevin laughed, then matched her finger with his. “A small promise,” they both said. The lake listened. The tree listened. The rain, now light like silver threads, also listened.
Just then, a voice called from the road. “Aline!” It was her cousin, Sandrine, holding an umbrella. “Your mother is asking for you. The fever is going down, but she wants you home.” Aline looked at Kevin, then at Sandrine. She felt a pull in two directions. Kevin understood at once. “Go,” he said gently. “Family first. I will walk you to the road.”
They walked together, careful on the wet ground. At the road, motos restarted their engines. Sandrine smiled at Kevin, curious but friendly. “So, this is Kevin,” she teased softly. Aline blushed. Kevin greeted her politely. Before Aline left, she pressed the drawing into Kevin’s hands. “Keep this,” she said. “When the rain stops, the butterfly will still be there.”
Kevin watched them go, standing under the light rain. He opened the drawing again. He touched the words Aline had written. He felt strong in a quiet way. He did not need to rush. Love in Nyamugari could take its time. Like maize growing after the rains, like the lake clearing after a storm, good things needed patience.
As he began to walk home, a moto splashed through a puddle, and a small folded paper fell from its back seat into the water near his foot. Kevin picked it up. It was wet, but the ink was dark and clear. He opened it carefully. His eyes moved fast across the lines. It was not a shopping list. It was a message. It had Aline’s name at the top and a sentence that made his heart tighten.
He read the line again. The paper said: “Aline, meet me tomorrow at the city bus park. We need to finish what we started.” There was no signature. Only a phone number he did not know.
Kevin stood still. The rain stopped. The world went quiet, like the pause between two heartbeats. He looked toward the road where Aline had gone. He looked at the paper again. Who wrote this? What did “finish what we started” mean? He wanted to trust. He also wanted to be wise. The small promise they made still felt warm on his finger. But now, a question stood in front of him.
He folded the paper and put it with the drawing. The butterfly on the page seemed to look at him, wings open, ready to dance or to fly away. Kevin took a slow breath. “Tomorrow,” he said softly, “I will ask.” The lake, now quiet after the storm, gave no answer. But the path home was clear, and his steps were steady.
To be continued…
Next Episode
Kevin found a wet paper with Aline’s name and a secret message: “Meet me tomorrow at the city bus park. We need to finish what we started.” Who wrote it? What did they start? Will Kevin trust the note, or will he show it to Aline first? Their small promise is strong but a secret can break even strong things.
In Episode 6, a new truth will walk into Nyamugari like a surprise bus in the rain. A phone call will ring. A choice will be made. A heart will shake. Will the butterfly still dance, or will it fly away?
Keep reading to find out in Episode 6: The Number That Changed Everything.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment: What should Kevin do, call the number, go to the bus park, or tell Aline right away? Share this story with a friend and click Follow/Subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode.
← Previous: Episode 4 – A Butterfly in the Wind | Next: Episode 6 – The Number That Changed Everything →
){kind=link}
0 Comments