Chapter 3: Facebook

Fili had a week of respite before he had to go back to work. He went to stay with a family friend in Nairobi, deciding he couldn't be bothered to go all the way up to Naivasha. He cursed when he realised he'd lost his phone charger and the battery on his cell was long dead.

By the time he managed to buy another one, almost half of his leave was over. He saw he had one new message and prayed it wasn't work: to his relief, it wasn't but he didn't recognise the number. He opened the text.

I know I said it before but thanks so much for such an awesome time! You were absolutely amazing and I'll remember it for the rest of my life. Hope to see you soon! Kili xx

Fili smiled. The text was dated three days ago, the day Kili's flight had left and the day Fili's phone had breathed its last breath. He saved Kili's number and quickly tapped a reply.

You're welcome, it was a pleasure J see you around X

He was startled when less than a minute later his phone made the strange clicking noise that sounded like beetles that Fili had set as his text tone, heralding a reply, then clicked again. He looked down at the screen to see two new messages.

The first read: GOOD GOD, HE'S ALIVE!

The second read: Get a smartphone so we can WhatsApp

Fili snorted at Kili's audacity.

No. Stop texting me it'll be costing you a fortune. I don't recall ever giving you my number anyway

Click click. It's on the Tampani website, dumbass.

And again: Can I facebook you then? Do you even have facebook?

Tap tap. Yes and yes. STOP TEXTING ME

Click click. I promise I'll stop texting you if you tell me your facebook name.

Fili resigned. Philip Baggins he sent.

Click click. I lied. Xx

Fili opened his facebook twenty minutes later and was wholly unsurprised to see he had one friend request pending: one Kirian Durin. He clicked Accept and, feeling almost as if Kili was racing him to it from the other side of the world, sent him a message.

Hey. Sorry I didn't reply to your text earlier btw, I only just saw it.

That's ok, I assumed you'd be out somewhere exciting that didn't have signal. Where were you?

Actually, I was nowhere. My phone ran out of battery and I needed to buy a new charger.

A charger for the pre-2000 Nokias? No wonder it took you so long, you must have had to track down the only shop in the entire world that still sells chargers for those things.

…. something like that, yes. How's life?

Good, good… looking through my photos, makes me want to come back now J thinking I'll edit them and then send them to a few people I know.

Great!

I'm thinking, I really want to come back out sometime.

Oh? Tell me more.

Well, actually, I was wondering if you could – when's the best time to come back?

That's a tough question. What are you thinking of?

I'd like to do some more safari for sure, but I'd also like to see other stuff, like maybe the coast or something. Do you have any ideas? (sorry, I'm pretty hopeless – truth be told, my mum practically planned my entire trip last time :p).

January's really nice. That's the summer here, so it's gorgeous and sunny and hot, that's the best time to see the coast.

And I didn't see Lake Naivasha last time, I want to go there

Lol. Are you hinting at an invite to my house?

… maybe …

Consider yourself invited then.

YAYY!

I want to stay for longer than I stayed in the summer.

How long?

… is four weeks too much to encroach on your time and generosity?

Just don't make me sleep in your hotel room after we've been drinking again.

Hey that was an act of compassion. You should be grateful!

I'll be grateful when I know I won't lose my job for that! J

But four weeks sounds fine.

I've actually got time off then.

(Or if I don't, I can arrange it)

You don't have to do that!

Stop being so British and accept that you'd love it.

I won't charge…

(maybe) but I'll be fine!

Please. You'd be lost in this country without me.

… perhaps. Thank you for rearranging your life around my second holiday.

You're welcome

Kili beamed. He stared at his computer screen for a few seconds, grinning back at his reflection. He had just come off Skype with Fili, finalising their itinerary and arranging the last minute details. As soon as he had hung up he had gone online and booked his flight. It was official – he was going back!

He opened facebook and somehow wound up on Fili's profile page. His profile picture was of him and a few other lads, all in formal wear. Kili wanted to ask Fili where it was, but he didn't exactly want Fili to know he was stalking him.

Kili felt a pang of jealousy and irritation as he noticed the most recent post on Fili's wall. It was from someone called Isabella Batcheter: 'Thank you SO MUCH Phil for the AWESOME safari – you made it so special J will definitely be back, hoping to see you then! J Xxxx :x ". He snorted, making a mental note that some girls used way too many emoticons than were really necessary. I bet she won't be back, he thought with satisfaction. "But I will beeee," he sang under his breath.

He started casually flicking through Fili's photos – there were a few of him with clients, Kili recognised the dark green Tampani Travels vehicle. Some were posed shots, families arranged in a line with Fili standing with them. He saw a picture of Fili and Isabella Batcheter: a loathsome-looking girl he thought, with lots of mascara and a pink, glossy smile, wearing hotpants that Kili judged thoroughly inappropriate for safari. Her arm was wound around his waist while his rested politely around her shoulders; Haha, he's gay! Kili thought vindictively, then felt bad for hating this girl he'd never even met.

He came across some more photos of Fili in a suit, and Kili decided it must be a wedding, his thoughts confirmed when he came across a group photo featuring a woman in a big white dress and a man in a tux next to her in the centre.

Kili almost guffawed aloud when he came across a photo of a young boy with a shock of floppy hair on his head so blonde it was almost white, naked except for the fact he was caked in red mud, grinning gleefully next to a large dog. Kili glanced down and saw it was from an album called 'Old Times' by someone called Tanya Lewis. The caption read: 'My little nipper, aged five'.

The next photo showed Fili and a girl, both around seven years old. The girl must have been his sister, but her ginger hair came as a surprise to Kili; he had always pictured Fili's twin to be a female replica of him. Her fiery hair, cut into a very straight bob, clashed with her bright red face as she screamed at the boy pulling her hair, trying to push him over. They appeared to be fighting over a football. Kili read the caption: 'Some things never change…' The next photo followed in a similar vein, a blond and a redhead apparently arguing over a huge box under a Christmas tree ('Aren't the holidays peaceful…').

More photos of Fili, ranging from a sleeping baby to a fourteen-year-old sitting in the driver's seat of a large four-by-four. In all the photos of he and his sister, they appeared to be either fighting or deliberately ignoring eachother. Kili wanted to be subtle, not liking even the most hilarious and embarrassing photos, but when he came across one of Fili with dreadlocks, he couldn't stop himself.

You had dreds?! he sent, alongside a link for the photo.

He wasn't expecting such a rapid reply, but Fili wrote back almost right away.

How did you find those? Having a stalk were we?

Like you didn't stalk me

….right?

Lol I can't deny it… And yes I did, I was fifteen and remind me to talk to my mother about taking that whole album down!

Why did you get rid of them?

I only got them to piss off my dad at first. Then they grew on me, but I got rid of them when I was twenty and got a job.

That's a shame.

That's growing up.

Can't wait for you to come over in January J

Kili said his goodbyes and went downstairs to spill his excitement to his mother.