My Niece, Nicey-nice

She broke down in laughter. "Konko, where do you get these ideas?"

"You taught me. May I open it now?"

"Up to you. If it bites you on the nose, don't say I didn't tell you!"

So I did. It was a beautiful handkerchief set in blues and browns. "Come here, let me kiss you."

"We are draw now, so you can't!"

"Huh?"

"You have taught me what it feels to be truly loved. My agemates could never have taken me that high. I think it would only the humdrum that I hear my girlfriends talking about!"

"Aaaw, thats so sweet! OK come let me kiss you for those sweet words, if not for the chief of the nose!"

She did, and I did.

A week or so later she told me, "I was at my gynaecologist's today." Just like that. No preamble.

"Oh, what for?" My heart was beating loudly in my chest.

"To confirm." I knew what would come next. Nevertheless, I asked.

"What did you confirm?" Sheepishly.

"I am six weeks pregnant."

I stared. "Wonderful!" I ejaculated.

"Come for a hug." She did. I kissed her tenderly.

My cousin and his wife did not seem overly concerned over who was the father of the unborn child, instead being very kind and helpful towards Nicey. They took her to a clinic to start her ante-natal visits, paid any medical expenses if anything was needed. They even bought some baby clothes, utensils, and bath things in preparation. I helped her buy other items as the birth of the baby drew nearer.

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My first cousin twice removed was born on a cold, rainy December evening. Because it was the festive season, we named her Emmanuela. On her first day she cried so much we thought she might be in some pain. But the doctors had her checked thoroughly and assured us she may just be a high-spirited individual. She calmed down in the night but towards morning set up such a wail that you could be forgiven for thinking she was being torn asunder. This pattern of calm interspersed with noisy ones persisted through her first six months.

On a visit to her parents' Niceys mother was holding the baby when she started crying. Fearing a lengthy bout, she called out to her daughter, "Your cousin needs you, Nicey!"

My wife paused in shock at those words. For, being the offspring of her father's cousin, Emmanuela was indeed her own second cousin! When she got to her mother, she noticed her father simply pushing his spectacles up his nose with his customary squint. No more was said on the matter.

But even after she was a year old, she would erupt into such periods of loud protests that any visitor became alarmed. Then she learned to speak and did not seem to want to keep quiet. Any word she picked up would be repeated over and over again. That must be the first we realised what a voluble person she was going to be.

When Emmanuela went to school she amazed her teachers with her constant talkativeness. She would talk to anyone who answered her. One evening, on going to pick her up, I found her in the company of the headmistress. They were deeply engrossed in each other almost unaware of anyone around them. I stopped at a distance to observe them for a few minutes.

"Good evening Manu!" she had created that name for herself just that week.

"Oh, good evening Baba Emmanuela!" responded the headmistress, Mrs Mwaria. "She has been keeping me busy with so many questions as well as answering mine! She is amazing."

The little girl got up and skipped to me. "Evening Daddy! Mrs Mwaria is so kind."

"You have made a friend. Well done Emmanuela!"

"She had really picked up her numbers fast. Her letters are already very good."

"You do very good work with our children here, Mrs Mwaria!"

"Thank you, Mr Karua! See you!" as she returned to her office.

"Good night!" holding out my hand for the girl to hold.