A post from Field Marshall yesterday on his encounter with a swearing young girl wearing one shoe reminded me of an incident years ago.
It was late one night in Nairobi, when I decided to go outside to look for something to eat having been working late on a presentation for the next morning. I was staying in a hotel on Kimathi street/ Kenyatta Avenue. The main hotel restaurant was closed so I went to a Kuku/Chips joint on the same street. Unfortunately, they were also closed for the night !
I ended up buying soda and snacks at a Naukmatt near the hotel. This was before the store burnt down years later and the building demolished. On my way out of the store, I noticed a young lady talking on her mobile phone. I nodded to her as I walked by her to go wait for the traffic lights to turn green. Not sure why I waited for the green light because the street was deserted with very few cars on the road at that time of the night.
My mind was on my presentation so I paid very little attention to my surroundings as I walked to the hotel. Once inside, I headed straight for the lifts in the lobby. As I was getting into the lift, the young lady I saw earlier quickly got in behind me. On the way up, I turned around and now took a good look at her.
She was barely past her teens (18/19), very pretty, petite, wearing a black tee-shirt and expensive new sports sweat pants & sneakers. Not the type you buy in a mitumba stall.
She was right behind me when I got off on my floor. Outside the lift, she asks me politely, Sir are you staying here? Yeees … I reply slowly with my guard up ! Her quick story is that her boyfriend has left her stranded with no money and fare in town and asks if I can help her. She quickly adds “please don’t take advantage of me”.
With my guard now way up, I decided to continue this small chat right in front of the elevator. In plain sight of the hotel security guards (2) standing only a few feet away.
In the span of less than a minute, I was trying to quickly collect my thoughts. So many questions came to mind. First of all, how did this young woman go past the main entrance security and lobby security to access guest room floors so effortlessly? Is she really stranded or just playing me? She doesn’t look like she is in distress, but is sure of herself, and very very articulate. She is also definitely not drunk or high on something. For Christ’s sake, I am old enough to be her father and here we are in the open looking like we are negotiating a price.
Without hesitation, I asked her to accompany me to the lobby and I gave her 2k and watched as she left the hotel. I immediately went to the head of security (hotel employee) not the ones on each floor or outside who work for a contracted security guard company. How do you let a girl follow a guest to his room? I asked. His answer was simple. “Boss that young woman told us she was with you when you were waiting for the lift” .
I would like to believe I assisted some sponsor’s little girl in her hour of need. I never saw that young lady again or spoke to her, since she did not give me her mobile number and neither did I ask for hers. If she played me, I was a willing victim of a very smooth player – youth withstanding.
Guka’s story inspired me to share this one teed-bit of my many hekayas while on business in different places. I am a true believer in the Swahili saying “tembea dunia uone”. K-Talkers, keep those hekayas coming our way.
