How Pius came home but left before Christmas Day

Besides the dust, the windy and dry weather, colourful houses and smartly dressed people, the other aspect that is a sign of Christmas is the arrival of our sons and daughters from various towns across the country to come “eat” Christmas.

From around December 20, the Msamaria Mwema and Mbukinya stage at Mwisho wa Lami market becomes a place of great attraction – as our great sons and daughters arrived in style and pomp!

There are usually three kinds of people. The first are the hustlers. These are the strugglers who come for Christmas to show off. They spend the whole year making Christmas money. In November, they buy a new pair of SAVCO jeans and colourful shoes, and arrive mostly on 23rd. They ensure they arrive at a time of day when everyone can see them. Usually they will first report to Hitler’s before they get to their homes.

And their Christmas is spent at  three places: The day idling at the market centre, the evening at Hitler’s and then home late at night. These sequence can change every three days but the SAVCO jeans and colourful shoes will be worn every day. They will have great stories about Nairobi, and how they are the movers and shakers of the economy. But I was surprised to hear that one of them, like George (Alphayo’s son) has never been to the city centre – he lives and works in Kangemi, which I am informed is well before you reach the real Nairobi!

Usually, they plan to go back to Nairobi on January 3, but because of the status of their pockets, they do not leave until late January, after borrowing bus fare from their mothers — which they never return!

The second group are the family men, they come home during Christmas for their families. They arrive very late in the day or early in the morning – when there are few people on the road – carrying a big carton of shopping and literally stay in their homes hosting guests.

CHRISTIMAS OFFICIALLY OPEN

The easiest way to know they are around is when the aroma of chapati hits your nostrils, coming from a home that has been surviving on mahenjera throughout the year. You will also know they are around when you see their children in new clothes, or their son moving up and down the market with a new Raleigh bicycle, or when the Raleigh bicycle that broke down in March is repaired.

They usually leave on January 2, carrying enough food stuffs to last them a year! The real results of their visit are seen around September, when another member is added to their family!

Then there is the third group. The moment they land, it is safe do declare Christmas period officially open. Like Pius, my elder brother. In fact, one of the ways of knowing that Christmas is on is when Pius arrives. Especially when he arrives with his car, has some money and is in good Christmas cheer. Usually he arrives on the eve of Christmas. But this time he arrived early — on Monday.

It was on Tuesday morning when Brandon came to tell me that my brother had come. In his hand was a calendar and some shoes that Pius had sent Brandon to give me. Shoes Pius has used for years. The calendar is an annual ritual that I get when in good terms with Pius and miss out when I am in his bad books, which is more often than not.

“Uncle anauliza utatoka leo?” Brandon asked me. I did not need an encyclopedia to know that Pius was looking for company, and I cleared my calendar – not the same calendar he had brought – to be available for him. It was going to be a Christmas full of activities.

I dressed and left the house, and went to his home. He had travelled alone, which meant that he would have more freedom, and unlike me, whatever time we returned home, no one would ask him where he had been.

I returned with him to my house for breakfast. Fiolina likes Pius very much and served him happily. She always serves him food with more dedication and enthusiasm than she serves me. I can only hope that is the only thing that she serves Pius!

We left immediately after breakfast. I did not care about the coloured soil sales, I left Fiolina in charge as I stood to benefit more with Pius if I said the right things while with him, or more specifically, if I did not say the wrong things! This time round, Pius had come with a new car, not the state of the art Mercedes Platz he usually has. This was new, even the number plate was new KCB – brand new.

“Congratulations for the new car,” I said when we left.

“Thanks but it is not mine,” he said. “This is car hire.”

I didn’t know you could buy a car on hire purchase. “Congratulations because when you finish the hire purchase it will be yours.”

“It’s not hire purchase,” he clarified, “It’s car hire. I have hired the car from someone and I pay him per day.” I couldn’t believe, and wondered to myself, what if he did not return? I did not ask as I didn’t want to sound silly!

SIGNS OF TROUBLE

He said that his Mercedes Platz had broken down and he didn’t have money to repair it. “I took car hire since I couldn’t miss Christmas.”

He drove all the way to Maseno to see a friend, who was completing house construction. It was a massive house. The rooms were spacious, the floor was coloured while there were bulbs everywhere. What I liked about the house was that the bedroom was on top, and that meant he could see visitors even before they plan to visit him!

“Saturday ni kuchoma nyama tukiingiza,” the friend said after he took us around the house. Like Pius, the friend had travelled alone. He,  however, ordered food from a nearby hotel. “Mama na watoto watakuja Friday,” he said.

After lunch – he went to his car boot and brought a bottle of my all-time favourite drink, the Famous Grease. A few neighbours joined us and the bottle was down in a matter of minutes. It was around 4 pm when we left the place. A little tipsy, Pius was driving like a mad man. At Luanda market, he parked outside Big Ben bar where we stayed until 9 pm.

“Wachana na Cosmas, they don’t have my drink,” he shouted when I asked him that we go to Cosmos, which was nearer home. The drive back home was rough as clearly, Pius was not used to driving at night. We arrived safely though.

We were out very early the next day, we went to see another friend of his, this time in Busia. He too was planning to enter his house new house on Boxing Day, with Pius as the chief guest. As you could expect, we made a stop-over in Mumias town at a bar whose name I can’t remember. We then went to see the people of my mother, just around Ekero market. There, Pius went dishing money from one uncle’s house to another.

We returned home slightly early and found my parents in a foul mood. Apparently, Pius had not gone to their house to greet them. We drove to Luanda where he did some shopping for them, but clearly, Big Ben was the main reason we were in Luanda. We came back very late.

On Friday, we went to see yet another friend, same script. I knew there was trouble when, on our way back, Pius asked me to loan him Sh1,000 for fuel. He visibly looked disturbed. And instead of going to Big Ben’s, we went to the famous Cosmas Bar and Rest – where, all of a sudden, his favourite drink was available. We retired home early.

On Friday, he did not leave his house and in the evening, we went to Hitler’s. Yes – Hitler’s!

I woke up yesterday and went to his home. Pius was not there. When I called him, he said he was in Kisumu, on his way to Nairobi. “There is an emergency in the office and I was called last night,” he said.

When I reminded him of my Sh1,000, he told me to wait until end of January. “Niko mbaya sana bro, wacha nihepe,” he said. I did not need a calculator to know that Pius had left after he got broke.

Luckily for me, my younger brother Ford, a warden at Shimo La Tewa Prison, called me to say that he would arrive today morning. He specifically asked me to bargain for him a good goat and to reserve two crates at Cosmos. I can’t wait for him to arrive. I hope he has enough money to last us until schools open!