Ife saw him waiting for the elevator. She tried not to make it obvious that she was watching him as she pushed the cart down the hallway. She knew he was in no. 406, the Royal suite. He was very handsome and a sharp dresser. He must be rich, she thought. This was a 5-star hotel he was staying in.
He was looking straight ahead and appeared to be in deep thought. He didn’t notice her and when the elevator doors opened, he went inside. After they closed behind him, she continued down the hallway to the different suites she still had to clean. When she got to his, she looked around. It was in impeccable order. The bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in. Out of all the suites on this floor, his was the one she didn’t mind cleaning.
As she got to work, she wondered how long he was staying in Kampala this time. The last time it was for two weeks and the time before that, three. He wasn’t the first Japanese businessman she had seen in the hotel or in Kampala. More and more Japanese were flocking to the city to live, holiday or set up businesses. Was he planning to live here or to set up a business? What about his family? Did he have a wife and children? He looked young–in his mid to late thirties.
Well, it was none of her business. A man like him would not be interested in her–a single mother working as a maid in a fancy hotel and living in a run-down neighborhood. And they were from different cultures. No, she would be better off finding and marrying a decent Ugandan man who wouldn’t mind being a step-father to her daughter.
Toshiro leaned against the tree, looking up at the hotel. She was probably in his suite now. He knew that she was watching him as he waited for the elevator. He could feel her eyes on him. He appeared not to have noticed or acknowledged her but he had. The temptation to look at her was very strong but he resisted. She could be married for all he knew and he was in a relationship.
To be honest, he was staying at this hotel because of her. The first time he saw her was last year when they passed each other in the hallway. Their eyes met and held for a long time before she lowered hers. Since then, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her or wanting to see her again. Perhaps, one of these days, he would say hello to her. There was no harm in that, was there?
Just then a taxi pulled up in front of the hotel’s entrance. He glanced at his watch. It was time to go to the meeting. Moving away from the tree, he hurried over to the taxi and climbed in. As it drove off, he glanced up at the fourth floor. Hopefully, he would see her again tomorrow.
This is a prequel to Ife’s Toilet Crisis.
Notes to Women 