The late afternoon sun hung low above the crowded streets of the city.
Traffic moved slowly along the dusty road as boda bodas weaved dangerously between cars, their engines buzzing like restless insects.
At a small roadside café near the market, Sonko sat alone at a wooden table.
A half-finished bottle of soda stood in front of him.
He hadn't touched it in several minutes.
His mind was somewhere else.
Somewhere far from the noise of the market and the laughter of people sitting at nearby tables.
His thoughts kept drifting back to the same place.
The compound.
The neem tree.
Kenty.
He leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly.
Life had always moved quickly for him.
Fast money.
Fast decisions.
Fast relationships.
He had never been the kind of man who stopped to think too deeply about the consequences of his choices.
But recently something had changed.
Maybe it was the humiliation of being chased out of Kenty's family compound by her father.
Or maybe it was the way Kenty had looked at him the last time they spoke.
Not with anger.
Not with hatred.
But with disappointment.
That expression had stayed with him.
And strangely, it hurt more than anger would have.
He rubbed his face with his hands.
"Why am I even thinking about this?" he muttered.
A group of young men at the next table laughed loudly, discussing football results from the previous night.
The normal rhythm of the city continued around him.
But Sonko felt disconnected from it.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and stared at the screen.
For a moment he considered calling Kenty.
Just to hear her voice.
Just to know if she still cared.
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
What would he even say?
Sorry for nearly dragging your family into danger?
Sorry for being the kind of man your father warned you about?
He shook his head. No.
That conversation would lead nowhere.
He slipped the phone back into his pocket and stood up.
The sun was beginning to set now, painting the sky with shades of orange and gold.
People were starting to leave the market.
But Sonko remained standing beside the table, watching the street.
His mind began wandering again.
For years he had believed that wealth was the only path to respect.
Money meant power.
Money meant freedom.
Money meant never having to answer to anyone.
That belief had shaped every decision he had made.
Every shortcut he had taken.
Every risky deal he had accepted.
But now he wondered something he had never allowed himself to question before.
What if that path had been wrong?
The thought made him uncomfortable.
He didn't like uncertainty.
He preferred clear goals.
Clear opportunities.
Clear rewards.
But lately life had stopped being so simple.
He glanced toward the road where boda bodas lined up waiting for passengers.
One rider shouted something jokingly to another.
They laughed.
The sound reminded him of younger days.
Back when life had been less complicated.
Back when ambition had not yet turned into desperation.
Sonko sighed and finally picked up the bottle of soda, finishing the last sip.
As he placed it back on the table, another thought crossed his mind.
David.
The man who had proposed to Precious.
The man Kenty's father respected.
Sonko had observed him closely during the few times they had been in the same compound.
David wasn't flashy.
He wasn't arrogant.
But there was something steady about him.
Something reliable.
The kind of man families trusted.
Sonko frowned slightly.
"Maybe that's what I lack," he admitted quietly.
Stability.
Responsibility.
Purpose.
He shook his head again as if trying to push the thought away.
Those qualities belonged to men who played life safe.
Sonko had never been that kind of man.
Still…
A small voice inside him whispered something he couldn't ignore.
Maybe it was time to become one.
He placed a few coins on the table and walked toward the road.
The evening breeze carried the scent of roasted maize from a nearby vendor.
For a brief moment, he looked in the direction of the neighborhood where Kenty's family lived.
The compound felt far away now.
But somehow, its memory remained close.
Sonko slid his hands into his pockets and began walking down the street.
He didn't know exactly where he was going.
But for the first time in a long while…
He felt like he was standing at the edge of a crossroads.
And whichever path he chose next…
Would change the rest of his life.