Monday, January 5, 2009

Three puppies,a Red shoe and a Granny


I always had a dog. In most of my pictures while I was young, I’d be holding a dog, most of them I called –chui- apart from one, Bosco, whom I really loved but he got poisoned by a mischievous neighbor when I went to boarding school. Mama{my uncle} had got him for me when he was just a little thing that fit into my cupped palms and when I held him he at once disappeared into my shirt and mama said-you are a very silly girl you know-as I squealed.
The chui’s also had a bad end, poisoning by the same hater. To this day I wonder why no one ever did anything about it. But I guess he got repaid when his dog ate some poisoned food set for the nieghbours' dogs and chicken. After hanging out with some vets, I have come to learn that poisoning a pet is as bad as feeding broken glass to your neighbour’s child. Next time your pet gets poisoned, don’t just fume inside. Take action.
One time, we had three puffy puppies. I loved them.
My grandmother loves color red. If you want to give a gift to her, please let it be red. She will be peeping at it all the way home. Her shoes are mostly red, her favourite dresses too. Her red shoes get a special place under her bed, and she rinses them out one more time separately. SO you can imagine the chaos that broke out when one morning as she prepared to go for her women’s group, she went to pick her red pair of shoes behind the tank, and one of them was missing!

Gathoni! Iratu ciakwa ciiku?{ Gathoni! Where are my shoes?}

I had laid out the shoes the day before behind the water tank where the sun set last. I had forgotten to lay them out, when I remembered, I realized I’d have to either iron them, stuff papers into them or look for the sun. The last option was most suitable, until, I saw the three puppies fighting over the shoe that was missing that morning.

We niwathira,{you are finished} Mama had said.

I got a nice reprove. I swore I’d buy cucu some red shoes when I got my first job. I haven’t, the way I see it, she has enough shoes for now. Her shoes, compared to my collection, she’d lend me 10 pairs and still wear a decent pair every day for about two weeks, last time I checked. But women love their shoes, so, I might just keep the oath now that I have some money to spare.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Ordinary Extra-ordinary Things

I guess,being away from home will always have its advantages,its disadvantages,, and the things that make you want to pack up and make a detour. But again I think, what makes one not pack up and leave it’s the small strange things that happen and make you think-Nowhere in the world but right here-. Like today, I was at the bus stop, the hot Eastern scorching every decent bit of skin on me. There was a woman smiling at me and I was trying hard to ignore it, but I got curious, because,hear it from me, it’s very rare to encounter a smiling woman where I am currently. And as I supposed, she is from a neighbouring country.
Hello-Africa?,She asked,running a hand over my back.
I said -yeah- and sat beside her.
-Do you have boyfriend?- She asked grinning
-No I don’t-.
-Good, I have boyfriend, Africa man. His friend, all single-.
Then she said I must visit her, so that me and her boyfriend’s friend can meet and talk- African-
The conversation got weirder and weirder .I was nodding and saying no thank you but she would say the same thing again.
-Have boyfriend-?
-No-
-Why not ? I show you African boys, you choose-.
She went on to tell me details about her boyfriend, how much money he has, how much he weighs, how long they have been together but recently he has been chatting a lot on the internet and she feels threatened..
Did I mention this woman is in her 40’s? Yeah.
I was saved by some friends on their way home too and we started to talk,when the bus came the woman gave me her contacts and repeated I must go to her house.
Up to that point, I was amused but I am sure if it had continued,I may have had to walk away.
Small ordinary things out of the ordinary.

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