While the clock steadily ticked on towards the midnight hour, the city was alive and buzzing in anticipation. There were people practically everywhere! You could have been forgiven to think it was merely an eclipse and that it was actually early afternoon, and not a quarter to 11pm. Everywhere that mattered was still open for business, encouraging you to spend a little more, to encourage you not to enter the new year with old money. Why should you be putting old wine in new wine-skins, eh?
I was in the midst of the hustle bustle. I was seated on a bench, watching the world go by. This time, however, I wasn't alone. I had the company of an exciting lady who was looking forward to being shown fireworks. I had promised that she'd see fireworks. I tend to make such promises. Anyway, while we lazily enjoyed ice-cream and talked about nothing I can recall at the moment, I had time to think about resolutions I might trick myself into making. My preferred resolution would, of course, be 1920x1080, but that's more of an inside joke for another audience. Like any other person, I had bright plans for the next year, but I was supposed to be living in the moment, and I wasn't doing that very well. It was in rare circumstances that I drift out of my comfort zone of solitude, but it seemed to be paying off. I thank the soul that recommended I do this. I managed to block out the activity around me and focus on the single glowing face right in front of me. At the time, it seemed like a good idea to take a walk in the supermarket, and get some supplies.
As we ambled casually through the aisles, we discussed the different shopping habits of men and woman. When I enter a supermarket, I tend to make a beeline to the specific item I came for. Women generally like to browse. As such, the walk was longer than I was accustomed to, but every moment spent with her was well worth it. It's amazing how even the most mundane activity with the right person can turn out to be a blissful experience. I think we learnt each other's preferred brand of biscuits, among other things. I believe this information will be helpful later on.
So, having armed us with plenty of crisps and soft drinks, and we made our way out of the kavuyo to the quieter environs of Kololo. It was quite the impressive view when we got there. It was like looking over Kampala in IMAX. Seeing most of it laid out before us like a grand banquet table, we settled ourselves and waited to feast our eyes on whatever fireworks displays the Central Business District had to offer. While we waited, I seem to have imbibed copious amounts of wine, and was probably uttering things to my companion. She seemed to smile that smile... You know, the smile of bemusement when you seem to be acting out of character, something that's rarely seen.
And then the sky was filled with a vibrant display of fire and colour. I snuggled closer to my companion. I must have read somewhere that it's a romantic gesture. I was in the mood to try it out. I think I pretended to know plenty about the landscape before us, and took it upon myself to explain a few things, amidst the lively 'ooh'ing and 'aah'ing of the people around us. She was knowledgeable enough, thankfully, and corrected me where I erred. Yeah, at night, you really can't properly recognise buildings at a distance, except those that stand out like a pulsating blistered thumb. At this point, my mind was filled with the awesome beats and crooning of Katy Perry's titular song. She didn't seem to mind, and snuggled in real close. So close, in fact, that I could almost feel the happiness. This was all pretty awkward for me, but I did my best to try to remain comfortable. I hope she didn't notice my struggles.
After the excitement had faded into the stillness of night, I didn't feel any newer, or any taller. But since my calender had changed, I figured I could change as well. I whisked the madam away to safety, after wishing her a happy new year and a good night. I retreated to the inner depths of my thoughts, and smiled. It was the most blissful New Years I'd had as far as I could remember.
