Dowry negotiation almost went awry

Caro’s husband at last paid us a visit last Saturday after a series of broken promises.

That being his first daylight visit to our home, it was a big occasion in Mwisho wa Lami and its environs.

I know Caro will dispute this, but I am sure while Augustus was “tuning” her, he visited our home many times – at night.

You see, there were many days Caro would eat supper at home and go to sleep but, come morning, she would be nowhere to be found. Augustus is from the neighbouring village.

I almost taught Augustus at Mwisho wa Lami Primary but he left the school just a year before I was posted there.

After completing his primary education, Augustus tried his hand at several things before settling on baking mandazi and kaimati and hawking them in the villages on his bicycle.

That is how his friendship with Caro started. Caro’s love for kaimati is well known. She would buy a few every morning. Needless to say, I used to pay.

Augustus soon started giving Caro free kaimatis, an arrangement I welcomed as it saved me money.

But, sometime last year, he stopped passing by. We would later learn that he got a job in Nairobi.

A few months later Caro disappeared in Nairobi as we returned from Murang’a for Pius’s dowry negotiations. Caro eloped with Augustus.

Caro had borrowed my Blackberry Dual-Sim 4G phone to use for a few days. I never got it back.

My parents were quite saddened, but when Caro visited them with an envelope from Augustus, they sent her to tell her husband to visit us.

“Tell the boy we have no problem with him,” said Father. “But he should come here in broad daylight.”

So when Caro visited us a few weeks ago, everyone knew she had great news.

Even before she reached home, she had told everyone she met that her husband would be visiting us.

I do not need to remind you that Caro served Mwisho wa Lami’s minister for Information for years.

By Saturday morning, our home was a beehive of activity. All the neighbourhood women had come to assist in cooking for Caro’s big day.

Caro kept moving from home to home, showing off her new dresses and asking the women for their advice on which one to wear.