December 30th 2012

***Fiolina's day out in Nairobi***

In the wake of the fire lit by Xtash and which I rushed home to extinguish, I planned to travel back immediately. Since I was broke, I wanted to travel back alone, but Fiolina, my Running Mate, insisted that I fulfil my promise of taking her to Nairobi.


“I have no money,” I pleaded, “so you will be hungry in Nairobi.”
“Heri kukaaNairobi njaa kuliko kukaa hapa kama nimeshiba,” she said. “Only your father wants me here, the rest have defected to Xtash.”
I told her that was a lie, and that my family would accept the woman I chose. “Right now that woman is you.”
Whenever my First Lady is angry, she usually resorts to using SMS even when we are in the same room. “Sweethut I mast go to Nairobi, I can’t remain hear,” she SMSed me while having supper.
I did not reply, but this did not stop her from texting me again. “You can lend the money from your freind.”
I still did not reply.
Those of you who have been to Mwisho wa Lami know that the people who board or alight from Msamaria Mwema are usually known. That is why news that Xtash had boarded a Nairobi-bound Msamaria Mwema spread in the village like bush fire.
“Are you the one the one who gave Xtash ‘transport’ to go to Nairobi so that you can meet there?” Fiolina asked me when the news reached her. I told her that I was not even aware that Xtash had gone to Nairobi.
“Know I now why you don’t want to go with me,” she SMSed me.
I borrowed some money from my mother – I never borrow from my father – and I travelled with Fiolina to Nairobi the next morning.
She asked me many questions on the way. I can’t remember that number of times she asked “Kwani hatufiki?”
As soon as we reached Naivasha, she collected her bags in readiness to alight.
As soon as she saw the “Welcome to Nairobi” sign, she stood up and started walking towards the door, clutching her bag. After much cajoling, she agreed to sit near the door, but every time the bus stopped to drop off passengers, she would attempt to alight.
We finally alighted at around 4 pm and immediately boarded a KU-bound matatu. I was lucky she was tired, otherwise she would have asked many more questions. The walk from KU’s gate to Nyayo hostels really excited her, and she could not believe that all the buildings and streets belonged to Kenyatta University.
But the most exciting was walking all the way to third floor, Nyayo 3. Fiolina had never been to a storey building.
In her bag, she had tea in a flask and boiled maize which she served us as soon as we got into the room. Wesonga drank the tea quite happily.
Fiolina then prepared supper – there was no going to KM if I could get fresh food cooked by my wife. We borrowed sufurias from our neighbours and Fiolina prepared ugali and omena, which she had carried from home.
Although Wesonga had not liked the idea of Fiolina’s visit, he was quite happy to have supper without spending a cent. It was clear Fiolina was tired after supper and wanted to sleep. I had to “exile” Wesonga. With a full stomach, he was only too happy to leave so he picked up his books and went to a friend’s room.
Fiolina insisted on sleeping on the first floor of the bed instead on ground floor.
“Sijawahi lala kwa kitanda ya ghorofa!” she said, climbing up to sleep. I took time to write the notes from the classes I had missed but soon started dozing off. I joined her in bed.
We woke up very late on Sunday morning and, after breakfast – strong tea and kaa ngumu– we left for town. It was Fiolina’s day out. First stop was KU’s flyover, from where we watched vehicles sped past.
Fiolina was so excited that we stayed there for long and had to cancel the Uhuru Park tour. From the flyover, we went to town. Since I do not know the town well, I only took her to KICC.
“Watu hutembea mpaka huko juu?” she asked, pointing at the topmost floors.
“They use lifts,” I replied.
“Can we go in? I have never climbed a lift,” she asked excitedly. I told her that we couldn’t go in at that time but I could look for another building in town where we could use a lift.
I thought of taking her to moving stairs at KU’s Ultra-Post-Modern Library but I remembered she wouldn’t be allowed in as she did not have a student ID. We then took photos while “touching” the peak of the skyscraper. Fiolina could not believe it when the photos were presented a few minutes later.
Quite happy
“Kwaninegative zimeoshwa saa ngapi?” she asked, quite happy. She then asked for several copies.
“Wacha nionyeshe wale husema sijafikaNairobi,” she told me.
I then took her to lunch. Fiolina had never eaten chips and was really eager to taste them. I walked her to a chips place near the KU stage. She enjoyed herself although she embarrassed me by pouring tomato sauce into a glass, thinking it was juice.
From there we went straight to KU where Fiolina, too tired, went straight to bed. Later that evening I took her to KM for supper. We went to bed early on the bed’s first floor.
Last Monday, I took her to KU’s fly-over where she spent the whole morning watching cars as I attend classes. We went to Ruiru town in the afternoon.
On Christmas day, we went to Uhuru Park, and then passed by KICC where we took more photos. From there I took her to Machakos Airport where she boarded Msamaria Mwema to Mwisho wa Lami.
I went back to KU, very broke and quite behind in class work. Unless I do something drastic, I may fail exams this session. But I don’t regret it as I made a lasting impression on Fiolina. I hope she will remember this for the rest of her life.
Mwalimu Andrew- Sunday Nation on Facebook