Good news! I will soon be owning a car

A lucrative tree deal and Bensouda’s cash woes hand me a car when I wasn’t even thinking of it. ILLUSTRATION| JOHN NYAGA

What you need to know:

  • Those of you who have interacted with Caro know that once you tell her something, you have told the world.
  • So when I alighted from Msamaria Mwema that evening, all eyes were on me. I could see people speaking in low tones, pointing at me.
  • While some pitied me for the detention without trial I had undergone, many admired me for having stayed at a 9-star hotel!

I may have come back from Mombasa broke, but I had enjoyed the coastal town and its beaches and rested so much that when I arrived in Mwisho wa Lami, I was feeling replenished. As expected, word that I had stayed at a top Mombasa hotel had spread like bush fire.

You see, on the day Ford rescued me, he also informed his wife Rumona, who is now staying in the village. Then Rumona made a mistake of telling my sister Caro.

Those of you who have interacted with Caro know that once you tell her something, you have told the world. So when I alighted from Msamaria Mwema that evening, all eyes were on me. I could see people speaking in low tones, pointing at me. While some pitied me for the detention without trial I had undergone, many admired me for having stayed at a 9-star hotel!

 And my reputation for being the most exposed person in Mwisho wa Lami was cemented! “I want to see this Kaunda suit of yours that was washed at Sh1,800 yet you bought it at Sh1,200,” Fiolina asked me.

“And how can they have washed the IEBC T-shirt for Sh300 yet you were given for free and it’s torn?” she asked. I had not worn the machine-washed clothes, saving them for a special day!

“They smell very nice,” Fiolina said when I gave them to her. “Ni marashi tu wananishindia, nitanunua marashi.”

SAME STORY

It was the same story when I arrived at Hitler’s.

“Surely Dre,” started Sapphire. “I am sure you are still drunk from taking a Sh500 beer?”

I told him I wasn’t, even regretted that I hadn’t finished the beer. “Kwani ni beer ya England ama America?” asked Alphayo. They were shocked to learn that it was a Tusker. “Kwani imeongezwa sukari?” wondered Rasto.

Meanwhile at home, people were visiting to be shown my clothes that were washed at a cost more than their actual price. I had also picked some white shoes and a white robe from the hotel room that I gave to Fiolina. Cloth hangers too. She was very happy. That evening, I told my coastal escapades to Fiolina, and she was happy, and said I should not leave her behind next time.

More good news awaited me two days later at school. Being the first week, there was nothing much happening. On that day, Maina came to see me at school. Maina is the owner of the hardware to whom I had sold trees; trees that had caused a rift between Ford and me. At the time, he had taken just five trees.

From the trees, he had made timber of different sizes, off-cuts, firewood from what remained, and finally charcoal from the stumps. It must have been a lucrative business for him, for he came back for more.

“I want 50 more trees, but to be cut over a period of time,” he said once he was seated.

“That’s is ok,” I answered. “But you must first complete the payments for the last trees you took, then we negotiate for additional ones.”

He took his phone and sent me some money to clear the balance. It was some good money I must admit.  Very good money.

“Let’s now agree,” he said. Aware that he must be making good money, I quoted a very high price, Sh20,000 per tree. He laughed loudly. “I will come tomorrow when you are serious,” he said then left.

He came back the next day. After a protracted argument, we settled on Sh10,000 per tree. For 50 trees!  I could not believe it, and would only believe it when I see the money.

“I will send you something for 10 trees, but you will allow me to cut 20 trees,” he said. “And I will only pay you the rest after I sell everything, then we can work on the next batch, sawa?” I agreed with him.

He had sent nothing by the end of that day, but sent Nyayo and two other young men to cut the trees last Saturday. I turned then away. Last Monday morning, he sent me Sh70,000 on Mpesa. My phone literally become hot. He then came to see me at school and gave me an additional Sh20,000 in cash. He went to see Bensouda after this and they talked for long.

I had never handled so much money. The other time I had handled half such an amount, it was always a loan! I stayed in school until very late that evening. I could no go to Hitler’s nor leave early, what if I lost the money?

Even in the office, I clutched my phone strongly, lest someone takes it away from me. Truth be told, I did not know what to do with the money, I basically had no plan.

Bensouda asked to see me the next morning. “I have some urgent problem and I want to sell my car to fix it,” she said when I got to the office. “Can you get me a buyer?” she asked. “I will give you a good commission.” I told her to stop joking, wondering who in my circles would afford a car.

“What do you mean? Even you can afford a car,” she said. “People think a car is very expensive but it is not.” In my mind her car cost about Sh1 million, money that I could only dream of. So I was shocked when she quoted her price for the car. “If someone can give me Sh350,000, I will listen, but if you have cash 300k, I will take it.” I did not say anything. But I kept thinking about it.

That evening I texted her asking if she was serious about the car, and asked her if she could accept Sh230,000 but paid within a period of three months. “Yes if you can give me 150k immediately,” she said after some haggling. We haggled more and agreed on Sh265, with a deposit of Sh90,000. I could have paid Sh100,000, but I paid 90k, and used the rest that I had to say thank you to the body that toils, and to entertain my family and friends!

 “You will only take the car once you have paid at least 50 per cent,” she said. We had not agreed on that but I accepted. I didn’t even know how to drive.

Fiolina was quite happy to hear that I would soon own a car. “So we will soon be driving to the clinic and not struggle carrying the baby on the back?” she asked. Everyone else was happy to hear that I would soon own a car — and they couldn’t wait.

I called Maina and asked him to pay me the next tranche of my money, as I planned to have the car by the end of this month. In the meantime, I need a diploma in driving, anyone knows a good college offering that?