Toni kamau’s Blog

It’s Valentines Day and there is love and excitement in the air. And we must not forget the presents and flowers circulating around St. John’s school.

Supuu is one of the prettiest girls in her high school. At least that’s what everyone says. She hangs out with the powerpuff girls, the hottest clique in the school. The gang leader is called Mary, and she’s far from being holy. Everyone hates her but everyone wants to be her.

It’s lunchtime and they are all seated at the centre of the cafeteria. Mary has the biggest stack of flowers piled next to her. Everyone else has a couple of roses but that’s it. Everyone except Supuu, who is sulking because she’s the only one in the group who currently has a steady boyfriend John, and she got nothing, zero, nothing at all from her boyfriend on Valentines Day.

The group gangs up on John. “ Why are you still with him? It’s lunchtime and he still hasn’t given you anything for valentines?” asks Mary.

“ I know, but he gave me a painting of me and him two days ago,” replies Supuu in defense of her man. “Look! “ she says pointing at the folded up painting in her satchel bag.

“You carry it around with you?” asks Mary.

“ He told me to,” replies Supuu.

“ You listen too much to him. And anyway it doesn’t count” counters Liz, Mary’s second in command. “He does art. It’s expected for him to give you such things. But valentines is different.”

A guy called Franco, who is carrying a big box, interrupts them. “I have a gift for Supuu”

The girls all crowd around the box, oohing and aahing. A card is attached and it reads ‘ from a secret admirer.’ David, the richest, hottest guy walks past and smiles at Supuu. Mary winks at Supuu knowingly. “ I told you David likes you.”

Supuu opens the box; it has a bunch of beautiful, long stemmed, deep red roses. She lifts them and smells them. Under the roses is a beautiful gold chain. She proudly wears it around her neck and the other girls are green with envy.

“ Are you sure it’s real” Mary says in a syrupy voice.

Supuu looks worried.

Mary quickly says, “ I’m sure it is gold plated at the least. You have a secret admirer.”

David laughs loudly behind them, where he is seated with his friends, including Franco. His gold chain glints in the sun as he throws back his head in laughter. He catches Supuu’s eye and blows a kiss in her direction.

All the girls giggle happily and turn to Supuu. She fingers the chain with a sad smile on her face.

Mary interrupts her reverie. “ Now this is the kid of guy you should go out with. Not john who just gives you paintings. Has he even called you yet?”

“He is so yesterday’s news!”

“ Cheap guy!”

 “Dump John”

“ David is the one!”

“And give him back his painting. Cheap guy! Does he think that’s enough for a girl like you?”

Supuu caves in. She marches to the art room and finds John crouched over a painting in the middle of the room.

She interrupts his trance by saying his name. He looks up dreamily. He was painting Supuu, his muse, his love. “ I was expecting you” John says.

“Well I have something to say to you. It’s over” the words tumble out of Supuu’s pretty lips.

John looks crushed.

She throws the painting down on the floor. John is still on his knees. He looks at it wordlessly and looks up at her. She is fingering the gold necklace. He stares up at it.” That’s a nice chain”

“ It’s from my secret admirer. See he knows what I want and we are not even going out. Even kina Mary agree that he. They agree”

John looks down at the painting and back up at Supuu. She is no longer as beautiful as he thought she was. The spell is broken.

He stands up holding the painting. “ You listen too much to what other people see. Maybe you should start using your own eyes more. Keep the painting. I don’t want it.”

Supuu looks at him walk off. It didn’t quite go the way she expected it to. She looks at the painting again and really sees it for the first time.

 The Supuu in the painting is wearing a gold chain exactly like the one she has on.

And gold earrings, and a gold bracelet.

At the bottom are inscribed the words. ‘ This painting is everything I want to give to you and more”

Franco walks in carrying another huge present. “ Sorry, I couldn’t find Supuu…”

“ It’s okay, I changed my mind about the other presents” John says. He turns to Supuu “ Happy valentines”

Supuu finally gets it.

THE END.