This happened two months ago on Feb..
As one of the only two or three people with a working TV in Mwisho wa Lami and its environs, last week was very lucrative for me. I must admit that I made some good money; although I could have made more had everyone paid. The problem is that this money put me into problems and I had to use it to get out of the problems.
It started on Sunday. For those of you who have just arrived from Mars, that was the day of the Africa Cup of Nations finals. Very few people in Mwisho wa Lami watch football matches, but whenever there is a big final, like the World Cup or African Cup finals, everyone becomes a football fan.
A few years ago, I would have started showing games at a fee when the tournament began, but with the owner of Kanungo, the newest club in Mwisho wa Lami also showing the matches, I decided that it was below my social standing to show such games. The other owner of a TV is Mr Lutta, my colleague at school. But you know his wife, she never allows anyone in their house just to watch TV.
But last Saturday, Kanungo’s TV burned and as a result, the only people in Mwisho wa lami who watched the semi-final did it from my house. I did not need a calculator to know that come Sunday, all roads would lead to my house. I decided to make a killing by charging Sh10 per match.
With no one knowing for sure what time the game was going to play, they started arriving early. First to arrive were the old men, who had not even known that the tournament was ongoing. Rasto, Rashid, and Alfayo arrived in our home at about 4 p.m., and after talking to my father for about half an hour, they came to my house.
“Mpira umeanza?” asked Rasto as he sat down. I told him that it would begin later on, although I did not know what time the match would begin.
“Final niCameroon na nani?” asked Alfayo.
“It’s Nigeria and Burkina Faso,” I said.
“I have heard of Nigeria but this Burkina Safo, is it a new country?” asked Rasto
“Nani alitoaCameroon, Brazil?” Alfayo asked. It was difficult explaining to both of them but I tried.
“Kama hakunaGhana naBrazil hapa basi hakuna mpira mnaona,” added Alfayo.
It was around 6p.m. and Nyayo, Saphire, Kizito and some other young men had arrived. I charged everyone except my colleagues at school and the old men.
“Burkina Faso watashinda hii kikombe,” said Nyayo. Kizito and Antony agreed with him but the old men, led by Alphayo disputed that.
“Mnaongea tu ama mnajuaNigeria?” asked Rasto.
“Are Okocha and Taribo West playing?” asked Rashid. “If this two are playing then there is no team that can beat us.”
He laughed out loud on hearing that these two were not playing. “Nigeria kwisha kabisa!”
He dismissed us when we told him that the two were too old and that Nigeria had a new young team. Everyone kept quiet when the 7 o’clock news started.
“Hiidebate ya kesho tunaweza onea hapa?” asked Rashid on seeing an advert of the Presidential Debate. I accepted, although I did not tell him that I would charge. My wife Fiolina had cooked supper but on seeing that there were so many people, she secretly called me to the bedroom from where we quietly ate.
Soon the game began. By this time, all chairs in my house were occupied and children seated on the floor.
“Mbona hawa wachezaji wako na nywele kama ya wenda wa zimu?” asked Alfayo, pointing at the players.
“Hiyo ndio fashion,” said Kizito.
Nyayo left just a few minutes before half time. He returned as the game was almost ending. By then, Rasto and Alfayo were dozing.
All the people disbursed after the match except for Nyayo, who told me that he wanted to see me.
“Niko na kitu nataka ununue,” he said. He then showed me a small but powerful solar lamb that I could use in the house. We agreed on Sh500 and I gave him Sh250 as deposit, with the remainder to be paid the next day after the debate.
I left school early that Monday, and walked home to prepare to listen to the presidential debate. People started streaming into my house soon. With many of them either friends or close relatives, it was difficult to force all to pay.
The debate soon began, although it was difficult to follow since Saphire and Anthony had to translate what was being said.
At around 9.30 p.m., we heard distress calls from one of our neighbours. “Mwizi, mwizi! She was shouting.
“Let’s go check!” said Rashid. “Yesterday after the football match I went back home to find that my house had been broken into and a few valuable items stolen.”
“Nyayo uko wapi twende?” asked Rasto. It was then that we realised that Nyayo, who had been around when the debate began, was not around.
“Mwizi, Mwizi!” the shouting continued.
“Dre uko natorch?” asked Rasto. I took the solar lamp Nyayo had sold me and we left. We arrived at our neighbour’s who said that someone had tried to break into her house but the thief ran away when she had cried for help.
We assured her that all was well. As we left, everyone was impressed at how powerful the lamp was, although Rashid was more curious. “Hii taa inafanana na ile yangu ambayo iliibiwa jana usiku,” he said and asked me to let him see it.
“Dre, this is my lamb that was stolen yesterday,” Rashid said. He then showed me where he had written his initials R.A., standing for Rashid Abdalla.
“Ulitoa wapi hii?” Rasto asked me.
“Nyayoaliniuzia jana usiku,” I said.
“Kumbe niNyayo mwizi?” said Rashid. “Twende kwake.” We went to Nyayo’s home where we only found his wife.
“Where is Nyayo?” asked Rasto.
“Ako kwaDre anaonadebate club yacampaign.” We informed her that Nyayo had left my place earlier.
“Naa hiiradio inakaaje kama ile yangu ilipotea jana?” asked Rasto, pointing at a radio that was on the table. Anindo however said that her husband had bought it from me the previous night.
“I did not sell anything to Nyayo,” I said. It was Rashid’s radio.
Early next morning, as I was preparing to go to school, Rasto arrived at my home accompanied by two policemen.
“Ni huyu,” Rasto told them, pointing at me.
“Mwalimu mzuri kama wewe ndio unadanganya watu waoneTV hapa kumbe umetuma Nyayo kuiba?” he asked. “Utakaa ndani mpaka uleteNyayo.”
I was handcuffed and we started walking to the police post at the Chief’s office.
Luckily I had with me the money that I had collected the previous evening. I gave this amount to the police and was released. Rashid was quite unhappy to see me free but the police told him to report when Nyayo appears. Nyayo has not been seen ever since.
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