Chronicle's Of A Taxi Driver

Chronicle's Of A Taxi Driver Every trip has a story to tell....

15/06/2024

When I first took Maureen home it was not to see mummy. We had gone to bury a neighbour so she insisted we go together since she'd be bored in my house alone.

The second time was when mummy had a bad knee after the family cow pushed her as she milked it. We went together and she was excited until the following morning

Mo was inside the kitchen preparing fire to boil tea for all of us as mum rested the limb. I was seated in my mums house going through my phone.

I heard someone crying outside. It was not Tatu our last born. I just ignored

We have no children in the family so i thot maybe it was a neighbours child

Not long Tatu pushed the door and words escaped her mouth " Maureen analiyaa"

Me: "Analizwa na nini"

"Nyanyaa... " She said. She stood there as if waiting for me to take action

We left together towards the kitchen hut.

We all call our grandma nyanya or bibi. She was standing at the door of the small shanty we used as kitchen as Mo continued crying inside.

Mo raised her voice crying louder when she saw me coming.

Me: Nyaaa ni nini mbaya"

Bibi: Wewe unakaa na mtoto mtu miaka miwili na hamna mtoto? K**a huyu msichana ako na shida ya tumbo si uniambie mimi tumpeleke akatibiwe kwa Babu

Me: Lakini nyanya sisi bado hatujaoana"

Bibi: Nyinyi si mnalala pamoja iyo si ni ndowa au huyu analala wapi?

Me:Lakini wewe huelewi...Mo ni galfriend tu.

Bibi: Mimi nataka mtoto...galfriend ukwaju gani huo

She pointed her with the walking stick then said

"Umesikia wewe msichana? Mkirudi hapa mwaka ujao mniletee mtoto. Sawa"

Mo nodded in agreement

Mum arrived from the kitchen house holding a hen.

Mum just listened and said nothing as grandma repeated that she wanted to see us have children. She was smiling though

Mum gave me the chicken saying
"
Aya mchinjie mgeni apate kula na sima.."

We left that morning with the hen. Mo was in no mood to eat chicken she told me.

Back in town Mo asked me as we alighted the matatu

"So unataka mtoto just like your grandma ?"

I said "No. "
And i meant it . I was not ready

Mo: I have considered what grandma said and i think she is right "

I stopped walking and looked at her

"You know you don't need to be financially well off to start a family right? She added

Me: No but ..."

Her:But what..."

We walked in silence. Only the live chicken was doing korokoroh

We reached my house.
Her "Iam not getting inside you think about what i said. If it's ok with you if its not then this relationship is over."

Me: What?"

I was astonished how fast she changed

"Yes I need to be somewhere in life. To be with someone serious. I want to be a mum "

With that she left swinging her behind.

At that point i knew i will miss her.

22/12/2023

Do you know why some businesses are thriving while others in the same sector are closing down? They are simply capitalising on what others are failing to do by doing things differently.
Case study : Super metro: buying fleets every now and then while everyone in matatu sector is complaining of hard times. Why do people queue for those buses yet other saccos are shouting calling passagers?

Earlier today I boarded a bus plying one of the city routes in Nairobi and made my self comfortable pale kwa dirisha. Of course I love the breeze and the view that comes with sitting at that position. I couldn't help noticing those written stickers synonymous with matatus. They ranged from advisory ones like " maisha ni kutafuta sio kutafutana", the cautionary ones like " usitapike kwa gari", the naughty ones " Gari sio mb*ro ati ikikuona itasimama" but there is one that really caught my attention "kulipa ni lazima lakini change ni kungonjea! . It reminded me back in 2013 when I used to board Githurai bound buses. I would wait till late ndio nisimame na 30 bob instead of paying 70 bob. Life had shown me 'pepe' 🀣. On that particular day I had Kshs 100 between me and poverty. Hesabu ilikuwa nilipe 30bob fare asubuhi nitoke mapema masaa ya 50 bob. Nikaingia kwa zile 'nganya' za githurai zenye hukuwa na conductor sita kwa mlango 🀣. After paying 100 bob nikaambiwa nongonje change. Kufika Roysambu nikaitisha change tena but the conductor told me to be patient. There is no way I would have forgotten my balance, afterall it was the only money I had on earth at the moment. On reaching Githurai tukashuka and I demanded my balance but conductor akagonga gari " ndere twende!" . Mimi k**a Jo' singekubali kutembea mguu to town asubuhi 🀣, I hanged with his shirt like my life depended on that 70bob. " shika change yako niachilie !!! He handed me Kshs 930 .The christianity voice in me tried to shout "hii balance sio yangu" but the bus vanished faster than Rutos' promises t

This photo reminded me of the first day I was arrested by the police ( long story ) Those of us who were born and br...
19/12/2023

This photo reminded me of the first day I was arrested by the police ( long story )
Those of us who were born and brought up in shags had a ritual that we observed religiously every evening between 5 and 8pm, it was a must we gather at our trading centre, only two reasons would make u miss being there, either you're sick or you've gone somewhere and your trip back delayed (which was rare) here we would listen to stories and experiences from those who had them, it is here that those of us who had never been to Nairobi would hear how good or bad city life is...
One day which I vividly remember was Friday 19th December 2002,hell broke..
I was coming from saba saba town which is like 10 mins from our shopping centre (karugia), nikashuka Kwa matatu and headed straight to a pool table joint where I knew I would find most of my friends either playing or storytelling, There was no one outside so I went inside, sema kuingia box, tena na miguu zote! !, I found every one seated, and I and I stood at the table and asked in French* (kari kii mutarathaka, kai muharire tene atia) no one answered me, as if the hall was empty, only my echo could be heard, I looked around and saw some of my friends seated on the floor, and an armed policeman at the back door, I turned to the front door and saw another one, I almost peed, (am not sure if didn't ), I started walking towards the door and the policeman pointed me with the gun and shouted "unaenda wapi, kaa chini ghasia!!!" That's when I realised that I had walked myself into a trap and there was no way out,....
In like 5 mins the police land-rover came, kumbe ndio walikuwa wanangonjea when I walked in,18 of us were bundle in to the land rover, till today I can't explain how we all fit in there,what I remember is those of us who were the first to board had no space even to breathe only God knows how we survived the hollowing drive from Karugia to Kabati police station, ....."Shukeni na mshikane wawili wawili mkiingia ndani" we alighted got booked and taken to the cells,....."haraka haraka toa mshipi na kiatu moja na uingie ndani ukalale" shouted a cop,
We got into an extremely crowded cell, where for the first 5 mins we were being tossed from one corner to the other by the inmates we found inside as they ransack your pockets, I felt a man's hand even in my most private parts! "usifikirie hapa ni Kwa mama yako, umekunja na nini?" he asked, it was like a horror movie!!
Only 15 mins ago I was free running up and down, and now here iam in a cell and under the mercies of mean looking fellows,and to make it worse, I don't know why!!......that was the beginning of our 3 days and nights(which till today I believe they had 150 hours each) in a stinking police cell!!!...
Friday night, Saturday all day and night,Gosh!!....by Sunday we had gotten used to the situation, little food,no water, no bed neither a blanket and most of all no toilet!!,...only a bucket at the corner for short calls (u can imagine the stench in that room which had no ventilation ) we couldn't wait for Monday for them to take us to court even if we didn't know what they were going to charge us for,...
Very early on Monday morning we were taken to Thika law courts and charged with being drunk and disorderly ( yes!!,....and I had never tasted beer leave alone being disorderly ) we all pleaded guilty (yes!!...guilty!!...ndio tulipe fine tutoke huko!!)we were fined ksh 500!!...we couldn't believe that we had spent over 80 hours, for such a petty offence which none of us had committed....
I can't find a word that can well explain how I felt when I stepped out of Thika law court cells, I was not only hungry and tired but I would feel myself smelling, ...( 3days in a cell without a bath in the same clothes, sleeping on the floor and a bucket of urine at the corner )
By the time I got home I needed food, water and a bed what I couldn't agree with myself was what to start with!!Joseph Kinyanjui and Ngugi John were my cell mates!

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