The compound was quiet again that night.
After dinner the family had slowly disappeared into their rooms, leaving the veranda empty and the courtyard bathed in the gentle glow of moonlight.
I stepped outside softly.
The air felt cool against my skin, carrying the faint scent of earth after the evening breeze had stirred the ground.
My feet carried me automatically toward the neem tree.
It had become a place of reflection for me.
A place where thoughts seemed clearer.
A place where life felt slower.
And lately… a place where everything had begun to change.
I sat down on the wooden bench beneath its branches.
Above me the leaves moved softly, whispering secrets to the night sky.
My hand lifted slowly.
The ring on my finger caught the moonlight.
For a moment I simply stared at it.
It felt strange.
Beautiful.
Powerful.
A small circle of gold, yet it carried the weight of an entire future.
"Are you admiring it again?"
I turned quickly.
Kenty was leaning against the veranda pillar, arms crossed and smiling mischievously.
"I'm not admiring it," I replied.
"I'm thinking."
Kenty walked toward me and sat beside me on the bench.
"About the wedding?" she asked eagerly.
"About life."
"That sounds less exciting."
I laughed softly.
Kenty was always direct.
Always playful.
Always chasing excitement.
But tonight she seemed unusually thoughtful.
She leaned closer to examine the ring.
"David chose well," she admitted.
"He has good taste."
I shook my head.
"It's not about the ring."
"I know," she said quietly.
"It's about the promise."
Her words surprised me.
For a moment we both sat in silence.
Then she sighed.
"You're lucky, you know."
"Why do you say that?"
"You found someone who truly sees you."
I studied her face.
Something in her voice carried a hint of sadness.
"Are you thinking about Sonko again?" I asked gently.
She shrugged.
"Sometimes."
"But not in the way you think."
The breeze rustled through the neem leaves again.
Kenty looked up at the sky.
"I used to believe love was supposed to be exciting," she continued.
"Fast."
"Dangerous."
"Like those dramatic love stories in movies."
She paused.
"But now I realize something."
"What?"
"The real kind of love looks more like what you and David have."
Her words warmed my heart.
David.
Just hearing his name filled me with a quiet sense of peace.
"I was scared when he proposed," I admitted softly.
Kenty looked at me in surprise.
"You didn't look scared."
"That's because I was hiding it."
"Why?"
"Because love means trusting someone with your future."
"And that's frightening."
Kenty nodded slowly.
"Yes… it is."
For a moment we both watched the moon through the branches of the neem tree.
Then Kenty suddenly smiled again.
"But don't worry," she said.
"Your wedding will still be exciting."
I groaned.
"Oh no."
"Oh yes."
She stood up dramatically.
"I have already decided something very important."
"What?"
"You need a grand entrance."
"A what?"
"A grand entrance!"
Kenty began pacing across the courtyard as if planning a theatrical performance.
"You will walk slowly across the compound while everyone watches."
"This is not a movie," I protested.
"Everything is a movie if you plan it correctly," she replied confidently.
I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.
Kenty finally stopped pacing and looked at me again.
But this time her expression was softer.
More sincere.
"You deserve happiness, Precious," she said quietly.
"So do you," I replied.
She smiled.
"Maybe one day."
The night grew calmer.
Inside the house the lights slowly began turning off one by one.
Soon the entire compound was wrapped in peaceful silence again.
I looked at the ring once more.
And for the first time since the proposal…
The fear inside my heart had faded.
In its place stood something stronger.
Hope.
Not just hope for a wedding.
Not just hope for a future.
But hope for the kind of life my father had always believed in.
A life where love mattered more than wealth.
Where family mattered more than success.
Where dreams were not measured by money…
But by the people who stood beside you while you chased them.
And as the moonlight filtered gently through the neem tree…
I realized something quietly beautiful.
The dream was no longer just David's.
It had become mine too.
The dream of a Fortune Dreamer.