by Ben Ayoo
less the same as the once I left. I hope for a change of scenery. For at least my effort bring a familiar place. Then I see a man standing at a large flower pot. What caught my sight to him is that he unlike everyone else is not in a hurry. He seem to be observing the crowd of people while constantly wiping his mouth. Our eyes meet. I quickly look away and move on. Crossing several roads, I come back to the exact spot. What made me come to this conclusion? If it were not for the man whose mouth was dripping with saliva staring at me from the flowerpot, I could have thought I was in different location. If mother thought Kamau was menacing, this man was 10 times worse.
''Hey you!'' the man calls out. As he came closer he lowers his voice, ''Little girl.''
''Come over here,'' he whispers. He jumps towards me and catches my hair. I ran leaving him with my ribbon. Running, I cross the road several times. I come full circle back. Back to him. What were the chances? As he started to chase me someone screamed. A woman points at my back but I didn't stop and continue on running. I spot an alley and take it. I hope it would break this loop I am in. I catch my breath and temporarily fix my hair. There are no person in sight here. Sigh. Looks like I am safe.
Now I realize how dirty this alley is. Rubbish is strewn all over the place. Stagnant black water all around. The smell also makes it presence known. It smells horrible like rotten eggs. I try hurrying to the other end. A black cat lay motionless on pile of plastic bottle. Seeing a large rat chewing on the cat's bushy black tail freezes me. Pungent smell is coming the dead cat. The rat stares at me. It's body the size of a kitten. That large. Another similarly large rat joined the other. Smaller ones poked their head up from the discarded newspaper, polythene bags, kale leaves...
They seemed to having being there all the time but hid when I entered the alleyway. Sweat is dripping all over my face. I couldn't even scream. Never had I being so scared. The large rats approach cautiously and the small ones took the lead, coming towards me. Their slow advance prolonging my agony. A jingle sound makes me look down. I momentarily see my hands shaking beating the pocket of my dress causing the coins to rattle before I return my sight back to the rats. God. Please help. I dive my hands into my pocket, grab handful of the coin and throw with all might to the large rats. With that I ran like never before. Upon reaching the mouth of alley, I look back. It is dark. I can't see anything.
''I hate this place,'' I whisper as I walk away from it.
''Looks like it's mother abandoned them. The suckers deserved.''
I raise my head from my knees. After walking for sometime thinking about my state of penniless situation (It was unthinkable going to the alley retrieve it), I had sat on pavement. Head rested on my knees. I turn to look at the person who spoken. Two city council workers with brooms. One is very tall. He pokes the broom on the two black, shriveled, motionless kittens on their pan. On second look, one kitten is not completely black as it's bush tail is black and orange patches.
''I doubt that. Cats aren't such callous. My guess is their mother probably got run over. They lay in wait for her,'' said the other short council worker. He bends while opening the plastic bag.
''If only they got up, walked at the right, then stood at butcher's entrance. I am sure they they could be alive,'' the tall one said.
Did the black kitten just twitch it's ear? I try raising my hands to them. The kitten were thrown in the plastic bag and it's closed.
''The suckers probably deserved it. Waiting for mommy's milk all the time. Got fed yourself in this world,'' the tall one said. My hand didn't raise. The short one hoisted the plastic bag on his back. They got hold of the brooms, dust pan and started walking away.
''Is that why you abandoned your wife and children? You think their standing at the church entrance everyday...''
''Common that again. Young people think raising a family is easy. Wait until you get married ...''
Their voices fades. I got up and started running to them. Trying to call them out. No sound came out of my mouth. The city council workers disappeared into the crowd.
The last time I checked the clock tower it was 1.30. A plate with a full chicken, rice on the side and coca cola bottle are on the table. The man loosen his tie, turns his head left then right, flexing the neck muscle and with that he dig in. My stomach grumbles. From the restaurant glass window I see him dig the fork on the chicken leg and apply the knife. The cut piece of meat is lifted to the mouth and disappears. My stomach rumbles. He looks at me straight in the eye. With the fogging of the glass, I become aware of my heavy breathing. I also become of the saliva I which is dripping from my mouth to chin. The staring continues, then he continued eating. I wiped out the saliva and continued walking.
Watching him while I am so hungry could make go crazy. Panic mood 10/10. I really need to get home. The pleasant smell of fried fish, meat, rice that filled the air made it even worse. I ran. During the ran my mind become blank. Blank as the classroom black board during the evening.
I stop. Now I am tired and more in need of food. I survey this new place. Home. Sweet home with all the food. My heart yearns for you.
My eyes caught sight of a soft drink cart which stop me of thinking of home. I approach the cart and wait for a lady to be served.
She takes a sip then pours all it's content on the ground. To the last drop and then the plastic cup is flung far away. ''Horrible! Horrible'' she shrieks. ''And you expect me to buy this,'' she said as she storms off.
''You here for the free sample too.''
I turn attention to the man and nod meekly. He goes to work. In two minutes my hands hold a plastic cup of soft drink. I sip it, relishing the liquid on my parched mouth.
It is quickly finished. ''Can I have another,'' I asked. He duly complies. Some minutes later. ''Can I have another?''
''Hey kid! Have you read the sign properly? It says only one. And only one free sample. The next you have to buy. I have already given you one extra.''
''Thank you then.''
''Oh wait! Come back.'' He looked at me intently before asking ''You can write can't you?''
As I sip the sixth cup, my other hand did the writing. I finish and hand him the six customer survey form. I put the empty cup down. My stomach was beyond satisfied. ''You are honest,'' he said as he skim at the answers I had put. ''It is tasty, sugary, energizes and rids stomachaches'' he reads what I had put down.
''Maybe too honest,'' he said with eyes staring on the comment section of the customer survey.
''So soft drinks have zero nutritional value, cause teeth decay, makes you obese, increases chances of diabetes and heart disease,'' he said as he put the forms on the bottom of the counter. ''It is what my mother tell's me and what I have read.'' Months later was when I realized my mistake: being too honest isn't good.
I asked if it was okay if I observed. He agrees. I watch as he works. A person would come and he would fill the cup with the soft drink from the big tank that was behind the counter. The person would drink and if he or she finished was given a form to fill. The customer survey form would then be shelved in a compartment below the counter. Out of the twelve who came only one actual filled the form, the rest after one sip threw the the cup away in disgust and hurled insults.
''This business doesn't make a lot of money,'' I said.
''Seems that way. Maybe because I am too nervous in front of customer. Or maybe the people are too health conscious nowdays. It is hard to tell since this is my second day on this promotional job. Yesterday when the company orientor was with me, I thought I did much better. Why do ask?''
''I am planning my future.''
It had being about two hours since I left soft drink cart. Since then I observed other businesses. Observed the man who roasted and sold maize cobs, sambusa lady, ice cream man, the hawker and the beggar.
I
remember long ago when I visited the city with father they were a lot of children selling groundnuts, sweets and other merchandize on the streets. Looks I will be the only child worker here. My hand clung to the key around my neck. When I am 25, I would met a young man whom I would vaguely remember. Then he would introduce himself as Paul or Juma. I would show them the key. That day would mark the reunion with my family. Just like the T.V drama. By then I would be rich so I got select the jobs with the most money.
‘’Is this today’s joke,’’ the hawker said.
‘’I am serious about this,’’ I said.
‘’If it wasn’t April first today, I would have believed you. I know the joke must made conceivable to work.’’
I didn’t understand him and no matter how hard I argued to employed he never took it seriously. He kept saying he is waiting for the punchline.
The ice cream man was annoyed with me. The rudest was the sambusa woman. She wanted to beat me with a stick.
''I hate this place.''
Finally the man who roasted the maize is the last I visit. He kept telling me to go home.
I can't live here. Yes I need to go home. Was it always in those T.V's dramas the protagonist suffered hell in the beginning before reuniting with the long lost family as a successful person. Well I was not prepared to suffer that hell if it meant meeting the likes of the sambusa woman, seeing dead animals, the heavy air ...
This new street I am strolling
