How We Met-Part Two

He seemed like a person of few words. As he sat silently next to me while I typed, I felt butterflies in my stomach. If I was unsure before, I now knew. From how I felt inside, there was no denying that I had deep feelings for this guy.

Click for Part One in case you missed it.

Later that afternoon when I finished with the quiz, Leo asked me to save the document in pdf. I told him I did not know how to. He came over and showed me. That easy? Unbelievable! Now each time I save anything in pdf, Leo comes to mind.

Looking back, there was so much littered evidence that Leo liked me. But I did not notice. Maybe it was because of the background picture on his computer homescreen; a girl smiling in a red dress. Automatically, I had assumed that she was his girlfriend.

All his actions stated a keen interest in me.
For starters, the fact that I was among the few that knew his tablet password. Or even the one time a boy broke into a fight with a girl next to me and Leo was there in a split second. He came up from behind the boy, lifted him up in the air and carried him outside. How he saw the fight and came to the rescue is of concern, but what amazed me most was his energy. Leo was small bodied. I guess I had underestimated his strength. Looks can be deceptive indeed.

This other time, on the second last day of camp, I was scrolling through the team pictures on Leo’s tab.
“This one is cute,” I said to no one in particular.
“Am I there?” Inquired Leo from the stage where he stood, folding some cables. I hesitated. Honestly, I had not checked. So I tried looking for him. But as I looked back down at the picture, Leo was already next to me. Did I mention that he was swift like lightening? He now stood over my shoulder, looking at the picture himself. Yes, he was in the picture, somewhere at the back. Satisfied that he was in the picture, he returned to setting up.

Alternatively, the hint could have been with how he came celebrating with my team when we won in sports. Wasn’t he supposed to be neutral? Watching him, clearly he had picked sides. He had unashamedly picked mine. As I gazed at him jumping and shouting excitedly with the kids on my team, my heart melted. Leo was a sweetheart.

Perhaps the moment of truth would have been when I met him on the last evening of camp. I was listening to music through my headsets. Leo was moving towards my direction. I stretched out my arms for a hug. “Want a hug?” I asked him casually. He hugged me back.

“You’re listening to some ‘ki song’ that some ‘ki guy’ sent you?” he uttered after the hug.
Did I sense jealousy in his tone? The vehemence and distaste with which be spat out ‘ki song’ and ‘ki guy’.
I smiled in disbelief, then got one earpiece and placed it in his ear. Playing was a song by Hillsong. All these were signs, yet none of them compared to the story of the fish.

It being the last night of camp, there was some sort of a party. The food, sodas, cakes, programs and performances that evening were proof that the leaders had gone ‘all out’.

As fascilitators, we always ate last after the kids. By the time I went to get my supper, food was nearly done. Several minutes later, Leo walked in with his plate. Was that beans? Instinctively, I thought it was because he found the fish and meat done. When he sat down, I asked if I could give him my piece of fish. He hesitated, but I insisted. Shannon, one of the facilitators next to me remarked, “Leo is a vegetarian”.

Was he though? Which Ugandan is a vegetarian? I was still looking at Leo, waiting for his response. He just shrugged and brought his plate. I generously placed the fish at the side of his plate. He had a working supper so his food was covered most of the time, grabbing a mouthful each opportunity he got. By 10:30pm, his plate was still half full and the fish was still there. I thought he saving the best for last.

Later when I got to know that Leo was irrefutably a certified vegetarian, I gave up on life. What on earth had possessed him that night to accept fish from me when I offered it? After naming everything you fear, add love.

And by the way, the girl in the red dress turned out to be his sister. Weeks after the camp, I asked what had made him fall for me. Leo replied, “You were selfless, handy and teachable. Your mind is not ordinary. You think out of the box”.

The End.
Disclaimer: The names that feature in this story are fictitious. They were made up to protect the identity and privacy of those involved.

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