Today wamuthee found me sleeping in my shop n decided to engage me in some conversation to pass time…
Wamuthee is a kamba man in early fifties with lots of stories to share n lighten the day … He is a smoker and after daily hustles you can always find him cooling down pale cool base pub sipping his keg using a straw…
Wamuthee starts by telling me leo hayuko job , he just showered and wants to head to a certain supu joint in weteithie claiming it’s good for the bones . Am like NI sawa tu … He is then lost in thought n flashes back a story that happened back in the year 2016…
Back then he was still a fundi …of which he is upto date… He is an expert in floor tiles na pia kazi ingine yote ya mawe…
On the said date , he had missed to get work for one week . He tells me life had really fucked him good plus his wife was nagging him to send some money back home in matuu since there was no harvest to sustain the family …
Wamuthee woke up as usual very hungry of coz , took his fundi bag…Kuna kangunia mafundi was mjengo hubeba huwezi kosa kijiko ya fundi, kabiro (plumb Bob) , tape measure , among others …
On the way he met two other fundis onyii and waweru. The trio decided to take a walk from weteithie to juja , from juja to kalimoni then to juja farm in search of a construction site labda wanaweza pata kazi kibahati…
All the sites they passed there was no room for extra fundi just promises wakam time ingine… by 3 p.m they were heading back wakitoka sides za murera kimbo… …
Onyii who looked tired n with suicidal thoughts decided enough is enough …
“Wamuthee kutoka asubuhi tumetafuta job na hatupati, njaa ndio hio ya kitu siku tatu , hata bag yangu naskia nikama nimebeba thambi zote za ulimwengu Kama yesu , omeraaaa yawaaaaaaa” he sat on the dusty road holding his chin …
"I have an idea , "waweru said …
Past toll weigh bridge karibu na mto flani there were some traffic officers of coz doing the usual stuff they do wakiweka road blocks…
The traffic officers were 5 in total 2 ladies and 4 males …
“We shall go drop our bags n sit next to the officer maning the grand tiger” … Waweru said …
And that’s wat they did , wakaangusha bidhaa zao wakaketi hapo kando all stressed…
"Wazee shinda NI Nini " … The bellied cop with kikuyu ascent asked them …
Wamuthee explained to him their ordeals … In deep thought he instructed them to go back Hadi pale karibu na weigh bridge Kuna kibadaski flani iko hapo waitishe Kila mtu chakula not exceeding 100 bob alafu warudi… He called mama wa kibandaski n asked her to give them food then come back …
Wamuthee na team yake si wakawacha mabags zao hapo wakakwea mlima Tena Hadi kwa kibanda… The lady in the temporary hotel served them madodo Chapo , mwingine madodo Ugali na wamuthee akaitisha githeri ya hamsa balance ya 50 since mathee alikuwa anauza fegii akaitisha sports za 40bob na kiberiti , at least something to smoke his head off for few days …
Si majamaa after that lunch wakarudi pale kwa roadblock … Yule karao akaita makarao wengine wote wakachanga wakawachota 1800/= .
We’re this the Kenyan they used to know au Hawa wametoka China ? That was the question bothering them …
The bellied kikuyu cop, told them to see him next day at juja police post he has a job for them …hehehe …yah a job for them …
I cut wamuthee short in his story and ask him if he is making up this story ndio nimuchote kitu …he laughs n tells me "Mwalimu ngoja nimalize story maswali baadae "
He caughs as he smokes his sportsman then continues with the story .
The lady stopped a Kenya mpya bus heading towards Thika , told the conductor to drop wamuthee n his team in weteithie. He claims hao walikuwa mahabusu wake wasilipishwe … Kea shingo upande wamuthee , onyii n Mastermind of the operation get a free ride but on condition hawataketi kwa vitii hawalipii… In no time wako weteithie …
They split the cash Kila mtu Mia sita , sita … They agree they shouldn’t go to juja police station the next day who can trust a cop in this era …
The next day , wamuthee na ulafi na ukamba yake decides to visit the police post man solo…who knows maybe Kuna mjengo inaendelea atasukuma for a week or so …
"Naulienda " I ask wamuthee
“Eeeeeh, Aki usaliti NI mbaya” he tells me …
Kufika juja police post kwa bahati pale kwa OB desk one of the cops ndiye ako hapo…
“Ooooh wamusee umekuja ? Wengine wako wapi ?” The cop asked him
"Wamekataa kuja " he replied …
The cop directed him to leave his bag in the OB desk , wao Hadi kwa store… Wamuthee si akapewa duster na bucket na pia slasher … Woiiii wamuthee fyeka kufyeka , oshaa choo na verandah …bloody cops… Wamuthee was paying for the cash they collected …
“Wamuthee serikali sio jinga iwape pesa ovyo ovyo , hebu tupee namba za hao wajinga wengine , tell them tutawatafuta” the kikuyu cop told him as he released him at 5 p.m
To date wamuthee has never disclosed to onyii n waweru he betrayed them by going back …
Hehehehe…
Anyway for other stories follow my fbk group "hadithi za Mwalimu macharia wa kamau ".
