My siblings and I had an arrangement since Easter; to come from home to work throughout the month. Of course those married couldn’t conform to that so the few like me who aren’t were excited when this was suggested in the Family WhatsApp Group thats full of ‘Share to get a miracle by Jesus’ forwards. Where I was raised sheng is the order of the day so leo hii hekaya itakuwa kama ile chafua ya kibandaski, ntamix ngoso kiasi tu kwa umbali lakini bora message ifike home, sawa? Wasee wanataka translation kama wale wako Randan mkauke na m-understand! (Haha dunno if y’all remember that phrase from way back).
Hakuna kitu natreasure sana kwa maisha yangu kama kuspend time na familia. My siblings are my backbone!!! Tukipatana, as much as kuna disagreements hapa kule, most experiences with them are priceless. Sa venye tumekuwa pamoja we’ve had late nights tukipiga tu mastori #TBT. Zenye zilishika sana ni za ocha tukikumbuka venye wachawi wametutenda…sijui siku hizi wanaitwa night-runners?..lakini mchawi ni mchawi tu…
My dad’s first wife alihepa akawacha watoi wakiwa waless sana so venye alimarry mum, watoi waligrow wakijua masa yangu ndio wao. Sa venye sisi watano tulikuja kwa picture familia ilikuwa kubwa sana lakini haikufikia ya Akuku Danger. It’s only after getting to class 4 ndio tulijua kumbe walikuwa step siblings. Mum treats us all equal, no preferential treatment whatsoever, even with this revelation, nothing changed, the love and unity intensified.
Big bro hakuweza kukam home during Easter but called the other day to remind us of one fateful night tukitoka kwa soko tukaencounter wachawi head-on.
Sijui mbona Ocha wasee huenda sokoni late. So this day my sister and I, a cousin (lady) and my step bro tulikuwa tumetumwa tulete mkate na pia tulikuwa tumebeba mahindi ya kusiaga ndio hio unga tutumie kupika sapa that night. Also…supper hupikwa late sana…dunno why. Step bro alikuwa ameenda mbele yetu ndio apange line kwa kisiagi. Alienda na Black Mamba ya fadhe ndio afike mapema afanye shopping so by the time tunafika ni kuchukua tu stuff, kusiaga na kurudi home.
Hakukuwa na simu hizo madays sa hakuna venye tungecommunicate na bro kumuuliza kama kisiagi inafanya kazi na hizo days nduthi hazikuwa zimefika huko interior so ni kalesa tu hadi sokoni. Kufika tukapata bro hajabuy vitu hata halafu to make matters worse hio kisiagi ati mafuta ya kuoperate generator ilikuwa imeisha so we had no option but to go to the next Shopping Center which was like a kilometre away. It was kedo 7.30pm…na enzi zile street lights zilikuwa ndoto tu. Madem watatu tukarush kwa kisiagi tukapata line but we eventually finished our business and hurried back to meet bro. Njia ya kurudi kwa ile main soko ilikuwa imejaa wasee so hakuna kuogopa. Kufika tunapata boychild hajabuy shopping bado but he convinced us that it won’t take him long…tuendage atatupata mbele ju akona ile bike ya bazenga. Si tukasema ni sawa tutaanza mwendo.
I was a bit sceptical about us heading home alone coz I’d heard story za wachawi plus hio area ya home mahao ziukuwa scattered sana. It’s was now 9pm heading to 10 but siz akatuchocha ati tuko watatu hakuna kitu inaeza happen…halafu ati bro atatufuata nyuma in no time. Shingo upande nikasema ni sawa, had no option.
Sa ile unga kuna venye ilikuwa mob ikawekwa kwa gunia mbili since ingewekwa kwa moja mse mmoja hangebeba. So cuzo and I tukabeba …kila mtu kwa kichwa coz thats how it’s done. Siz alikuwa amebeba mafuta ya taa kwa kibuyu ya quencher imefunikwa na kanylon ju kifuniko ilipata miguu. Sa warembo tukaanza safari …hio place ni field…acacia trees ndio zmejaa…as we started the journey…stories mob nini nini…then kulikuwa na wamama wawili walianza na sisi but ikafika place wakabranch.
After kutembea almost half the journey, unga kwa vichwa …kuna venye nikaskia kitu imeanguka kama mawe mbele yetu…I Didn’t think much about it…thought thia was just my mind playing tricks on me. The other ladies wako busy chatting…nikaskia ya pili…na hio sound ilikuwa tu side yangu.
“Gai…nyi hamskii ni kama kuna mawe inatupwa mahali?..”
“Wapi wewe? Wacha kuwa mwoga.”
“Smameni tu mskie…walai nimeskia kitu…Mungu moja…Na si chocha!!!.”
Tukasmama wote…it’s extremely dark but we knew our way. Hakuna kitu waliskia …wakaanza kuniingilia ati niwache za ovyo. Mi nikasema ni sawa…ni ndoto…ama maybe bro ndio anatry za ovyo. Katrip kakaendelea na matory hadi time kimawe kikibwa kilitupwa mbele ya cuzo akiwa na unga kwa gunia juu ya kichwa halafu sauti nyuma yetu ni kama mse anakimbia…wuueeeh
Wadau…mnasemanga kipchoge keino mnakosea. Mguu niponye ndio kusema nini…
Tulianza kukimbia kila mtu different direction lakini making sure hio njia itatufikisha home. Unajaribu kupiga nduru…haitoki poa inatoka ni kama unaimba…sa ata mse akikuskia atadhani kuna matanga ya mtu …
"Waaaaai…waaaaaai…alululu…alululu…mayoooo…mayooo…Jajuok! Jajuok!! Jajuok!!..(Jajuok is Luopean for Mchawi)…unga ya cuzo ilifunguka hio kamba akijaribu kushika poa akimbie nayo ikamwagika …sasa ni trail ya white inamfuata…halafu kichwa na mgongo ni unga tu…waaah sema kujaribu kulia lakini hakuna machozi.
Siz mafuta ya taa aliwacha mahali mbio ilianza halafu yeye ni pum pum.(ndio maana alibeba mafuta tu)…anakimbia slow motion…halafu nduru zake ni kama zinakatwa before zitoke in full…sisi tuko zile za…“Uuuuùiii…”…Yeye…“Uuuu”…
Sisi…“Mayoooo…”…Yeye…“Maaaa” …I think breath yake ilikuwa inaishia katikati…hahahaha…this shit gets me laughing Every Damn time!!!
Hio frakas yote venye tulianza kukimbia kumbe iliisha ni sisi tulikuwa tu waoga …we Didn’t wait and face those Jojuogi head on. Sijui ka kila mtu alikuwa amejificha mahali ju mi niliskia tu bro akiitana majina…aliona unga kwa njia plus I guess he heard people shouting aka assume ni sisi. Kufuatilia sauti…kumake sure ni yeye mi nikatoka mahali nilikuwa (nlikuwa nishaamua kama leo ndio naenda kwa baba…ni sawa…baba akuje tu anichukue!! I was reaaady!)…nikaona cuzo na maunga kwa kichwa tukaenda bro.
“Haya…Maria* ako wapi ???” Ndio tukarealize pum pum hayuko inadi area.
“Si alikimbia sides za home venye tuliskia sauti…” tukijaribu kumuita haitiki…so bro akasema tujog akiendesha bike …ile unga nilikuwa nayo sai nilikuwa nimebeba kama mse wa mizigo marikiti…tukijog…scared AF!! (My cuzo looked so FUNNY but at the time hakuna mtu angecheka. Kusonga songa tukapata Maria mbele kiasi Karibu na bush kando ya baro…tunaona kitu imelala mbele flat…inamove move…inakaa mse…wuueh.first thought? You guessed right! JA-freaking-JUOK! Yes?
NO.
“Uuuuuii…Jajuok!!!” Cuzo akaanza…mimi nduru…“Wooooooi…Mama Yanguuuuu!!..”.
“Ni mimi”
Tukaskia sauti ya Maria. Ati alilala hivo ndio huyo mchawi akikam aone ni kama ye pia ako kwa hio biz ampite.
Hio siku tulikula mkate na sturungi btw. Mum wasn’t having any of it na the following day tulienda kumwonesha mahali unga ilimwagika.
Usiwai taka kushutuliwa na mchawi/nightrunner…esp kama umebeba unga!!
Bado nashuku ni bro ama wale wamama…to date!! But hio sauti ya mse kukimbia hakuna venye ingekuwa mse mmoja…