Daydreams and Campus Wishes

By the way, I must mention that campus is not at all anything I imagined. Call me naïve but I grew up thinking that campus would be, I don’t know, magical. Okay magical is a bit of a stretch but let's just say I thought it would be heaven on earth. I had this mentality that one day I’d just bump into someone around some corner, everything scatters, we bend down to pick it, our hands touch in that hullabaloo and boom, we fall in love. I find my soulmate. Just like that. That was the first scenario.

Scenario number two; I still bump into someone around some corner, everything scatters, we bend down to pick it, we get up and apologize awkwardly and leave. Later he realizes he carried something that belongs to me and struggles to find me to return it. So, one day I’m just sitting in class or on a bench or in the library or just somewhere pretty random. He finds me, returns whatever it is (most preferably a book) and asks me out or something, I don’t know. We just end up with a ‘happy ever after’.

Scenario number three………I’m kidding. Not that there is no scenario number three or four or five, I just know I could go on and on and on. So let me save you the agony and let’s just end at scenario number two.

Those scenarios sound familiar to you? Well yes, I thought they would. Because those are straight out of the movies. Yes, I don’t even think that happens in real life. The bumping into people does happen though. It happens a lot actually. Except that instead of falling in love, you’re being robbed. As a Kenyan, if you’re not familiar with that then sorry to say, but you’ve not lived life yet. I’ve heard stories of this, and I have been a victim once but no, that’s a story for another day. So if you’re Kenyan and still hoping to randomly bump into someone and fall in love, drop it because that’s not a soul mate. That’s a heist waiting to happen. A robbery rather.

Back to those scenarios, let me just say that something closely related did happen to me. Funny story actually, or so I’d like to think. I was sitting somewhere in the study area at school minding my business or as I like to say ‘working really hard to build the nation’, when a random dude just popped out of nowhere. He said hi, introduced himself, said I was pretty and he wanted to get to know me.

For a brief moment I thought to myself, “Hey! It’s finally happening. Your soulmate awaits.”.

Then again, I thought, “No, there must be a catch. There’s no way a random guy just walks up and says that. Guurl this isn’t a movie.”.

So as the fully fledged doubting Thomas that I am, I asked him why he did that. I thought it was a prank or something. I looked around to see if my friends were hiding in a corner somewhere waiting to laugh their heads off, but no, no one.

Somehow he convinced me that he was genuine, that he’s an extrovert. He constantly wants to make new friends. That he saw me and knew immediately he had to know me. And I swear I'm not making any of this up. He said that to me. Not that I was wearing anything cute or sexy. I don’t remember but it was probably not that great. I thought he had a motive still, yes, Thomas at work here. Turns out he didn’t. He was genuinely interested. If you’ve seen me you know I’m no Rihanna, but hey, the man saw something he liked and went for it. Taught me a lot by the way. If you want something, no matter how odd it is or seems, just go for it. Try your luck, you never know.

So he asked for my number and I obliged. He called it immediately just to make sure he wasn’t being played. Then just as he had appeared, he vanished. No not dramatically into thin air. He just left as fast as he came.

Later on the same day, he called me. He constantly texted me. Not in the subtle, friendly way. No. In the aggressive, stubborn, ‘I WANT YOU NOW’ kind of way. I won't lie, it was creepy. He turned every conversation sexual. He wanted to come over. He wanted me to go over. He wanted to see me. He wanted to take me out somewhere.

Now don’t get me wrong, that kind of attention is attractive. Only if it comes from the right person. I find a man who knows what he wants and pursues it relentlessly very attractive. That’s called purpose. Ambition rather. And that kind of ambition gets you places.

As you have probably gathered, Mr. I want you now, was not the one. Not even close. Somehow I brushed him off and he stopped calling and texting and being all up in my business. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a snob. If I was, I would have walked away the minute he said hi. I gave him a fair chance. He ruined it for himself. Made it awkward and uncomfortable for me. I had to walk cautiously around school to avoid him. He knew it. Yet he kept going. Anyway, eventually, he gave up and I got back to living my life in comfort.

So no, campus is not somewhere where you bump into someone and live happily ever after. Okay, well maybe it is for some people. I wouldn’t know that. All I know is that I don’t wish for any more movie scenarios. We all know how that went. Campus is hard, classes are harder. Longer. And the lecturers? Tougher. No one cares about you there. You ‘re on your own. Everything that comes your way is based on decisions you’ve made on your own. Some with a little influence from your peers. You face your consequences alone. Point is, no one cares what you do. If you die, you die.

It’s a lot more fun though. Struggling to get through the pressure every day. Submitting half done assignments to meet deadlines that you should have beaten, had you been a little wiser. Going to parties and getting yourself drunk silly till you can't walk home. But still staying sober enough to secure your phone and wallet because not everyone came to party. Making bad decisions and regretting them almost immediately. Such is campus life. Not what I thought it was but hey, I’m doing okay so far. No scenarios or soulmates yet, but I've had my fun. And I'm doing okay. Ultimately, that’s what counts.