Kenty stood by the small window of her bedroom watching the dusty road outside the compound.
Her fingers tapped nervously against the wooden frame.
Twenty minutes, Sonko had said.
She checked her phone again.
Nineteen minutes had already passed.
Her heart began to beat faster.
Then she saw him.
Sonko appeared at the far end of the road, walking with his usual relaxed confidence. His dark jacket hung loosely over his shoulders, and his eyes scanned the compound walls carefully.
Kenty smiled.
He approached the small side gate and gave a soft whistle.
She hurried outside.
"You took long," she whispered when she reached him.
Sonko laughed quietly.
"You sound like my wife already."
"Don't joke," she replied, glancing nervously toward the house. "Dad is outside with Precious and David."
At the mention of David, Sonko's expression shifted slightly.
"That guy again?" he muttered.
Kenty crossed her arms.
"Yes. Dad likes him."
Sonko leaned closer.
"And what about you?" She hesitated.
Her mind felt tangled.
"I don't know," she said honestly.
But the truth was more complicated.
David represented stability.
Sonko represented excitement.
And right now, excitement felt stronger.
"Come," she whispered. "Let's sit under the neem tree behind the kraal."
They slipped quietly through the compound.
But neither of them realized that someone had already noticed Sonko entering the gate.