AS I DROVE out of the parking lot, I rolled down the driver's window and bid Dwayne goodbye. I smiled as his boisterous voice carried into the night when he replied me. Kelvin was standing by the sidewalk, his briefcase strapped on his shoulder while possibly waiting for a bus. I honked for his attention and saw him remove the earbuds from his ears.

He leaned forward as the window rolled down. "Hey, Fatimah. It's nice seeing you again," he said, making out my face with the help of the streetlights.

I laughed at his silliness and motioned for him to get in with a wave of my hand. I unlocked the passenger door and he said, "Nice car."

"Thanks. Where are you headed?"

"Surulere, I was waiting for the bus."

"Fortunately for you, I stay in the same area."

"No kidding."

I shook my head. "There's cookies in the glove compartment if you're interested," I said.

"Thanks, but no. Can I?" Kelvin motioned towards the radio.

"Of course, help yourself."

I pulled out and headed home. The traffic ahead had eased a bit, and I maneuvered for a while before getting a clearing. Kelvin was fiddling with the radio as songs he didn't approve of played. I tried not to be distracted by his presence but I occasionally spared him a glance or two as I drove. He didn't try to bring up anything after he turned off the radio, and I enjoyed the silence. It gave me time to lose myself into any idea I could come up with to perfect what I was currently working on.

Kelvin's voice cut through my thoughts as he told me the direction to his apartment. I followed his instructions and ended up in a street with several identical buildings. The street was filled with rows of five to six storey buildings. Well-manicured shrubs were planted a little closer to the curb to form different shapes.

"This is a nice neighborhood."

"I guess, I recently moved in. You can park there." He pointed at a tiny space that looked nothing like a car park. I turned off the engine and finally faced him.

"Thanks for the ride, I really appreciate it."

"It's nothing, and now I can tell the girls in the office where you live. I'm sure they will be interested in that tidbit of information," I said jokingly.

He laughed before replying. "They wouldn't care."

"I'm sure you know they would, a guy like you has to know the effect he has on women."

"It doesn't seem to be working on you though."

"I guess not," I said. My pants didn't catch fire for the lie and I almost applauded myself for sounding believable.

"Ouch, that hurts." He was holding onto his chest in a theatrical manner and I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"It can't hurt that badly." I played along.

"You have no idea," Kelvin said as he opened the door and got out. "I'll see you tomorrow, drive safely." He waved and shut the door.

I watched him walk towards his apartment and called him before he got too far after having a battle with myself. He turned his back and waited for me to speak.

I leaned over and asked, "So, do you want me to get you tomorrow morning?"

"I thought you'd never ask. Yes, please, it would mean the world to me." Kelvin was leaning on the car as he bent, so I sat straight.

"What time will you be ready?"

"Five-thirty."

"I'll see you then. Bye, Kelvin."

I got the car started and sped off before I did something utterly stupid, like invite myself in just to smell his pillows. I laughed at that thought, I bet his pillows smelled like sweet dreams. I got home safely after few minutes and crashed into bed.

BY THE FOLLOWING morning, I was at Kelvin's apartment at exactly 6 a.m. Since I was an early riser, I hoped Kelvin was the same also. He'd said five-thirty and I was there by six a.m. I got out of the car and entered the building I saw him go through the other night. I asked the gate keeper snoozing at the corner for his apartment and he pointed me to Kelvin's flat. I knocked as I got to the door and heard shuffling from inside. Kelvin opened the door and some of the cool, condensed air trapped inside his apartment bathed me.

Kelvin was in a dark suit and he looked ready but without the smile I knew coexisted with his face. He had his briefcase with him as he locked the door without saying a word to me. I took several steps back to give him the space I assumed he needed.

"Good morning," he said finally and walked past me out of the gate. He got into the car and sat in the passenger' seat.

"What's the problem?" I asked when I got into the driver's seat.

I had been taken off guard by his melancholy, probably because I'd never seen him in such light. I'd gotten to his door wearing a bright smile expecting him to be as chirpy as I was, but his mood had been the opposite of mine. I buckled the seat belt and turned on the ignition.

"I'm not a morning person."

That explained the attitude.

"You should have warned me. All set?" My voice was full of reproach, but I managed to give him a small smile as if to say, all was still good between us.

"Yea," he replied. His head rested on the headrest, eyes closed and hands in lap.

I zoomed off towards the express and the car engine gave a lazy purr as I drove. Kelvin wasn't engaging in a conversation, so I turned on the radio and sang along to the song playing. I sang with so much gusto and energy matching Beyoncé's voice with everything I had.

"You sing well," Kelvin said suddenly when I stopped to take some air.

"I love to sing, but I usually don't have an audience."

"I love to sing also, but you don't want to hear me sing."

"Why?"

"My voice is so off key. It could affect the engine, and I don't want to hurt your car."

"That's an exaggeration. I know you want to, so just sing along, I promise not to laugh." I tried to reassure him with my words while trying my best not to burst into laughter.

"It's not like I don't want to, but I'm sparing you the headache. You could end up in the hospital, and I don't want to be arrested for killing someone with my voice."

"Excuses, excuses," I mimicked.

"You asked for it."

He sang along with the radio in the hoarsest voice I'd ever heard and I tried my best not to laugh. The car was literally rumbling as his voice rose with every beat.

"Pray to God but I'm feeling like he's going deaf.
Now when I lean on you I got nothing left
Hey, I've been wanting to call you, tell you that I'm sorry
Same old fucking story everybody sing.
And I say I'm okay, I guess I'm a liar.
You say you're okay, but I saw that you liked it.
2a.m. and faded, I know that's when you like it."

"Oh, sing! Sing, Brother Kelvin!" I hailed, pretending to like his voice.

I gave him a thumbs-up when he looked at me, and he dissolved into fits of laughter. It was so contagious that I found myself joining in. The melancholy around him lifted.

"That's not bad," I said after gathering myself.

"You don't have to sugar coat it. Say it how it is, I won't bite your head off."

"Okay. Your voice is horrible, geez! My ears are ringing from the assault."

"I know already, and I warned you."

"You seem better; you were so gloomy earlier on. It was like facing Godzilla, I had to kind of thread carefully."

"I just hate waking up so early, I sleep walk in and out of the bathroom most morning. Is this what life really is all about?" he asked, his voice taking a serious approach. "Waking up so early and going to work? I was so looking forward to adulthood, and I kind of regret not enjoying my childhood. I'm sorely disappointed to be honest, to think we wanted to grow up so fast, look at us now."

I shoved at him playfully. "I'm sure half the adult in the world feel this way, me inclusive but that's the life we signed up for. Right?" I asked for affirmation.

"True. I need to buy donuts by the roadside after the roundabout, it helps me get out of this mood...the sugar rush, you know what I mean?"

"Yea, I know."

I rounded the roundabout and saw the donut stand. A large umbrella shaded the trolley that was emblazoned with large drawings of donuts on its side, some glazed with sprinkles and others with chocolate filled center. The image created the effect they were ultimately going for, because my mouth started to water. I parked near the donut stand and Kelvin hopped out to buy some. He turned back to ask if I wanted some but I declined.

Kelvin went ahead to shake hands with the owner who was garbed in shorts and singlet, with an apron over his clothing.

His fat arms jiggled as he reached over for Nutella to spread on some of the donuts, and he arranged several flavors of donuts carefully into a box. He passed Kelvin the box after counting the folded currency given to him then waved us off.

"I bought more than enough, in case you want some later," Kelvin said when he got into the car.

"I'm good, really," I insisted, knowing fully well that all I wanted to do was stuff my face in the box.

"That's what my sister says whenever I buy some, but she ends up having some."

"Okay, I'll have some then," I said slowly, trying not to sound too excited.

"I knew you would," he said triumphantly, laughing then picking a donut to stuff in his mouth.

I laughed too. We ate the donuts silently, Kelvin moaning occasionally while fitting bites into his mouth. I reached into the glove box and got Kelvin a can of soda but he refused it. The office building got within my line of vision and I licked my fingers clean, forgetting for a moment that Kelvin was sitting right beside me. I drove into the parking lot and cleaned my face with a piece of paper towel.

"Thanks for the ride," Kelvin said as he tidied himself also, dusting off any evidence of donuts on his body.

"Thanks for the donuts."

"You're welcome. See you later."

Kelvin opened the door and ran towards the building, while I sat back in the car to add gloss to my lips. I convinced myself that I wasn't trying to impress anyone. I reached for some of the folders scattered at the backseat to arrange into my briefcase, then I opened the glove box again and took out two mini bars of snikers to eat before walking hastily into the building. My thighs rubbed together as I speed walked.