How police stopped our Christmas party

When Ford and Pius arrived in Mwisho wa Lami Village about two weeks ago, they were loaded. And they announced their arrival when they picked me and we drove straight to Cosmas Bar and Rest. Pius did not even enter his home.

We did not stay at Cosmas for long. Apparently Ford had upgraded his tastes and all the drinks he wanted were not there. There was neither Famous Grease nor Jame’s Son, nor another one called Jeyden. “Now that you sell only beers, do you have Tusker Lite?” he asked. They did not have.

TWO BOTTLES

“Kwani hakuna pompe hapa?” he wondered, and asked that we leave. I had ordered for two bottles of Summit and they had to wait for me to finish before we left. “Twende Luanda,” he told Pius. This was the first time Ford was issuing instructions to Pius.

Ford wanted us to go to Big Ben in Lunda. When we got to Luanda, Pius wondered if Big Ben would be having the drinks Ford was looking for, “Hizi bar za ushagoo are just the same. Let’s go to Kisumu. It’s just here.”

Between Mwisho wa Lami and Kisumu, Ford had been contemplating buying so many things. At one time, he asked me if I knew anyone who wanted to sell land, then he talked about buying several motorcycles, and leasing them out to boda boda riders.

He then asked that I find him a good fundi, for he wanted to construct a majestic permanent house. By the time we go to Kisumu, he had now settled on buying a new car, and Pius was advising him on the best car to buy.

TAKE LUNCH

We were hungry when we reached Kisumu and we decided to take lunch first. Pius wanted us to go to a place called Dunga Beach, where he said they served the freshest fish. It was, unfortunately, closed.

Ford asked Pius to take him to the best hotel in Kisumu, and we drove to Acacia Premier Kisumu. It was an experience I will never forget.

Only Pius understood the table of contents, and helped us order. Although the food was delicious, it came in very small portions, I still left there hungry.

Next we went to Club Signature, where Pius and Ford ordered a bottle of a drink I think was called Glen Washington.

Pius specifically asked for an 18-year bottle. They paid a lot of money for that. I was surprised they were paying so much yet clearly, Club Signature hasn’t been in existence for even ten years, how could they be having an eighteen year old drink? I stuck with my Summit, aka Simiti.

We left Kisumu at around 5pm. We were loud and Pius, our driver, kept on getting off the road and returning. It was enjoyable. A few kilometers to getting home, Ford regretted having not bought stock in Kisumu and asked that we go back to Kisumu.

BUY STOCK

“No, I will show you a place to buy stock,” said Pius. He drove into a big hotel called Roddy Green Lounge. “This is where you should have brought us,” remarked Ford as we entered. As they packed our stock, we ordered for drinks: they took small amounts of their Glen Washington while I stuck to Summit, aka Simiti. It was 10pm when we arrived home.

The next morning, Pius picked Rumona and drove her to her parents. Once he returned, together with Ford, we left. Ford had asked me to introduce him to a few prospective land sellers. He dismissed every piece I showed him.

“I want something next to the road, Tarmac road,” he said. “The house I want to build cannot be hidden. It will be a proper house.” We were still looking for land by noon and Ford asked that we break for lunch.

“Let’s go to Roddy’s.” he directed Pius. We were at Roddy’s in less than 20 minutes; and ordered for proper lunch. Drinks started flowing. At some point, Ford ran out of money and Pius quickly drove him home to get more money. It was 9pm when we wanted to leave. But Pius was too drunk to drive.

PROPER HOTEL

“Do you have rooms?” Ford asked the waiter. She showed us rooms. Since we were now not going home, we drank more. And just like that, for the first time in my life, I slept in a proper hotel.

We spent the next few days shuttling between Roddy’s, Kisumu and Mumias. I had expected that, as always, Ford’s money would start reducing and that we would downgrade to Cosmas, then Hitler’s then stop drinking completely. That did not happen.

The only thing that was changing were his grand plans. From constructing a majestic house, he now just wanted to plaster the floor of his house; from buying land next to the tarmac, he now wanted just land, cheap land; and, from buying a brand new car, he was asking the price of a second hand car.

Last Sunday, Ford decided to do a major Christmas Party in Mwisho wa Lami. Rumona came back to help in planning.

We invited many friends and relatives; and on 23rd we hired and erected tents in his compound. We had also hired music system that started playing loud music, attracting children to his home. Life was good.

As we retired to bed on 23rd, Ford told Pius and I that, together with Rumona and Fiolina, we would go to Kisumu very early on 24th to do shopping for the party.

DANCING

We were woken up early on 24th by a GK vehicle that arrived in Mwisho wa Lami at 7am. The car drove straight to Ford’s home, where already children were dancing. Two police officers alighted and asked for Ford. Ford had gone to my parent’s place. The two officers knew the directions to my parent’s place and started walking there. On the way, one of them shouted: “Ndio huyu,”. Ford, who was returning home, took off like an antelope.

The two officers gave a chase but Ford knew Mwisho wa Lami well, and before they could catch up with him, he reached the nearby River Yala, (which we call Lake Lukose) and swam across. Guns shots rent the air but Ford crossed the river and disappeared in the thickets across.

CRIME

The police came back and ransacked Ford’s house. They retrieved a green bag that had quite some money. As they chased Ford, Pius had driven off, apparently, with a similar bag of money that Ford had hidden in his house. The officers searched my house, Pius’s house and my parents’ house. Finding nothing, they drove away.

I don’t know what crime Ford committed, for he has been unreachable since that day. So has been Pius. But for us in Mwisho wa Lami, we are just sad that the biggest Christmas Party did not happen.

That said, I must say that the one week that Ford and Pius were around was my best time this year. I can’t wait for the two return!