The saga continues... (Show offs)

It was a drizzling Monday afternoon in Corner-Soweto, Magongo, Changamwe, our sub-urban Mombasa west slum estate. Anne's left arm was grabbing my waist. And we were taking a stroll in our neighborhood. As we passed by Zuhura's home, we saw her sitting outside and I greeted her. Then I introduced Anne to her as my girlfriend. She appeared to have gotten a little shock, then she composed herself. I told her we are still taking rounds and I left with a smile. What a good start for me.

Zuhura was a polite girl. She was a girl of few words. You could see it in her brown sweet face. She was slim athletic and just about the same height as me. Attractive she was, and she doesn't give a hard time the first time one strikes a conversation with her.

The next day, just as I was coming out from the shop to buy bread and milk, I saw her. Zuhura, with the guy she recently started seeing. A smartly dressed guy. She stopped at where I was standing and she introduced his guy to me. “This is Juma Morowa, he is a very romantic guy. And he works at a clearing and forwarding farm in town.” I tried very hard to fake a smile but I think the lower part of my body went numb. It's good that I did not drop down my breakfast shopping because it would have put in the open my loosing emotions. What upset me was that just before they excused themselves, Zuhura kissed Juma on the mouth. Tongue to tongue, then smiled at me while they left to Zuhura's home.

I could not believe my eyes. We had known each other, Zuhura and me, for about five years since they moved to this neighborhood. After being friends for long, I asked her out one day. We had a good time but she refused a kiss when I saw her off her door. I battled for a second date because she didn't seem to  want it, and while on it, she told me about her intention of keeping it in the friend zone. We sat to discuss about this thereafter for a couple of times but she didn't agree to me even after revealing to her the warm colors of my heart.

I called Anne for damage control scheme. I was hurt but still acting strong. What was Zuhura thinking about? The kiss meant she didn't want me, and it was a lie that she didn't want exclusiveness and committing herself to somebody. And Telling me about Clearing and forwarding bullshit! Just because I was jobless now? That was childish, and she knows I have worked before and handled big money while I was in South Africa. She was jobless too, fresh from college. Couldn't she think about that?

Anne arrived a few minutes before sunset in a sparkling style. She was staying at Tudor, just fifteen minutes drive from there. She was in a White new Toyota Corolla. I invited her in to say hi to my mum and younger brothers and sisters, then decided to continue chatting outside. We didn't want Zuhura to miss seeing the class, beauty and the car which his Clearing and forwarding guy couldn't afford.
When they finally passed as Juma was seeing off Zuhura, they stopped and we introduced our partners while wearing fake smiles. Juma invited us to lunch at Al-Noor hotel, he said tomorrow and we agreed.

I guess Zuhura scorned him for doing that later, but the guy was in darkness. He thought we were good friends and we would form a fun group. They did come the next day for the lunch, and we had fine cooked chicken biriani at the restaurant. We told stories about ourselves, just like friends do. But Zuhura kept singing praises about her man so much to target me. I pitied her a little. The clothes her guy bought for her could not match Anne's. Anne had class. It was obvious her hair was done at an expensive salon. Her shoes, Prada. Her boyfriend in Dubai, which our friends knew nothing about, sends her expensive gifts and cash every month.

At last Anne dropped the bomb. She told that we wereonce married, and this unsettled Zuhura on her seat. It was as if a piece of cloth had been put in her mouth. After Mr. Morowa paid the bill, Anne also invited then to her birthday party in Tudor which would be on Saturday. She insisted they come just as we accepted their invitation. Zuhura's thoughts still seemed far, but when we got up she put her arm around Juma's and leaned on him romantically. This was a bad sign, but I dismissed it.
I wondered why she had not broken it off with Juma since its nearly a week now. I took theirs as a fling but it seems its lasting. I went to town and asked my friends working in adjacent offices and others nearby about Juma Morowa. I wanted to know more about this guy who Zuhura had set up to be a threat to me. And before lunch time, I had gotten the information I wanted, though not all.

On the party day, I went to Tudor early in the morning to help Anne with decorations and other preparations. Anne and Juma arrived at five thirty in the afternoon and there was music and drinks and many friends on the party. Fun was flying all over the house. I decided to stay away from Zuhura. I thought they should have their fun while we have our own. There were many people to talk to in the party, it cant be just us. Anne went to check on them from time to time to crack a joke or ask if they were comfortable then went to talk to others.

At eight, she blew the candle and cut the cake as we sung the traditional “Happy birth day to you.”  everyone got a piece of the big delicious black forest birthday cake. We drank more juices and started dancing. This was the time to show off. When it was a blues number playing, I wade sure I held Anne tight and romantic. She was the hottest of them all at the party. And when my dexterous hands occasionally were on her behind, we heard jeers and other noises from our friends. It made me feel that I was the man!

At ten thirty, many had excused themselves to go. Anne insisted that Zuhura and Juma spend the night there and she would drive them home in the morning. The bedrooms shared a wall. Perfect, because we would transmit our romance through the wall for them to hear. Anne knew how to moan like a pornster. And tonight, as I pleasure the birthday girl, she made them louder. We heard nothing from the other side of the wall, probably because we were busy with ourselves.

Before midnight, the door was knocked. After three trials, we heard a key opening it. We all went to the living room to see if it was a burglar. A tall guy clad in designer clothes and sports shoes entered and took time to say any word. He seemed perplexed. “Welcome home honey,” Anne went to him but he pushed her hand. Anne and I were half naked. Zuhura and Juma seemed to have read the picture and I could see a smile on Zuhura's face. It seems the Dubai boyfriend had decided to surprise Anne on her special day.

What are you doing in my house? The guy finally got something out of his mouth. While trembling I replied, we came for Anne's birthday party. He slowly headed to the kitchen, and after a minute we saw him carrying a large kitchen knife. I was already suspicious and went to stand at the door when he went to the kitchen. Seeing this scene, I opened the door and started running fast. I prayed my feet and breath not to fail me this day and after running as far as Kaa-chonjo, I could still hear people behind me. When I reached Makupa roundabout, I could not do even a meter more. So I stopped and looked back. It was Zuhura and Juma behind me. I was relieved. It seemed the guy gave up after a distance.

We sat at Makupa stage waiting for a matatu but only saw few private vehicles passing. After returning to our breath, Zuhura started laughing at me and I was annoyed by it. She thought she had won. But then I dropped it on her face. Don't laugh so much Missy, you are dating a married guy with two kids. I told her. She looked at Juma's face to see if it was true. Juma was startled about the revelation. “I know about you Casanova.” I told Juma. “You live in Mzizima with your wife Amina and two kids Gayoye and Dhadho. You have kept Zuhura in the dark. You don't want her to know about your family.” He turned to Zuhura and started apologizing. “I'm sorry my sweet, I was planning to tell you later. I swear. I'm not happy with my wife and I will get a divorce so that I can be with you.” Zuhura's face showed disgust. We remained silent and after three minutes a taxi stopped to ask us where we are heading. We got in, and as Juma was getting in, Zuhura told him no! “Go back to your wife in Mzizima.”

“I'm sorry” I told Zuhura while the taxi was taking us to Magongo. She didn't reply, and we remained silent throughout the journey back.

The saga begins

The waiting was making me impatient at Pizza-inn, Lights (its actually a place at the intersection of Malindi road and Nyali road, Mombasa. Traffic lights were responsible for giving this place the name). I looked  at my watch and it was half past one in the afternoon, Anne was forty five minutes late. I had already ordered without her twenty minutes ago. Maybe she was doing this on purpose. I couldn't leave because I was the one in need of a favor from her. So my thoughts wandered the universe as I unwillingly wait for her.

I thought of the first marriage which no one knew even from my family. Just a year after finishing high school. I knew people would think I'm stupid if I told them my intentions back then, so we made it a secret affair at the District commissioner's office.

There are many reasons people get married. It couldn't be just love. Many do it because they see time running against them, especially women. They settle, instead of a love marriage. Some crave to have companionship and intimacy, that's why to them, there is no “The one.” anyone who offers them the hand, they will gladly take it. Many do it for economic reasons. And others to propagate their seed.

 To me, this was some kind of an economic one. I had met Anne less than two months ago at the port. She was clerking for SGS while I was clerking for TRANSAMI. We became friends, and I never asked her out for a date. The supervisors and Clearing agents were the ones on her league. They could take her to expensive restaurants and Discos during the weekends. My money was for buying myself clothes, shoes and visit friends and go out to cheap places like beaches. I enjoyed the stories she told when we were working on the same berth and shift about the weekend treats. High maintenance she was, and she was a Luhya girl with noticeable broad hips.

One Wednesday during the second shift, she told me about a deal that could make us rich. She told me about a person named Cheyeza, a rich guy from South Africa who dealt with ships. He was interested in taking a few faithful Kenyans to supervise his shipments at a private berth in Durban, South Africa. Anne regarding me as a friend, she gave him my name and came to see if I was interested. It was a lot for me to decide, so I said I'll give her an answer the following day. She told me to meet her at Blue-room for dinner. The tycoon would be there.

The next day, I was early at Blue-room. I wanted to know more about the deal. At a quarter past eight, Anne entered the town restaurant followed by two men. He introduced the fat middle aged man as Mr. Cheyeza Akani. His black suit and white t-shirt made him look modest. The other guy wore a white suit and he was thin. Mr. Akani told me that I would get five times what I was getting currently. There was a small hitch though. He didn't want to give us a work-visa, he said its better to save the money and long processes of his government. So I had to get married to Anne and travel as tourists on honeymoon. The South African embassy would easily give us that visa.

What a quick start up to life changing event it was. Anne entered the cafe this time that my thoughts were traveling back to our unfortunate adventure. The pizza eaters forgot about their classy food for some minutes when Anne made the entrance. She was the kind of a girl that must draw attention. her body, clothing style, and make up emitted a romantic spell to all men who are in a hundred meters radius. That's why I chose her for this project, she  was far off Zuhura's league, the girl I wanted to give an injection of upside down love till jealousy hurts.

Anne excused herself to go to the ladies and I wandered again to our past. A day before traveling, I told my family that I was going to South Africa on tour. They were happy for me and did not ask too many questions. The flight took approximately five hours and Kenya airways landed us in Durban at six thirty in the evening. Our host took us to a villa in a posh neighborhood known as  Glen Ashley, and we spent the night sleeping on very comfortable beds. Although the house seemed expensive, there were things that went on that seemed cheap. First, the bedroom doors could not lock from inside and there were two beds in each room. There were four rooms in total and one had a lock, it Belonged to Phetoho who I later knew to be our supervisor. The servants quarter had two beds too.

The next day, at six in the morning, we were all woken up. Three girls and five men were lined up in Phetoho's room. He gave each one of us a blue leather bag. He said the bag has a hundred sachets, if we finish that we come home to get another. I was confused and asked about our jobs at the South African port. The other guys laughed at me. Even Anne laughed. It seems she knew what was going on.

Phetoho told those of us who were new that our commission is a hundred dollars for each bag sold. Everyone had his station to sell, and mine was Victoria street market, Phetoho said. I peeked inside the bag and saw the white substance in a hundred gram sachets. I returned the bag and told him I don't sell drugs and I wanted to return home. He told me to find my way home and leave that residence instantly. After about ten minuets of deep thinking, I took the bag and we were driven out. Everyone to his station. Small dealers came and we exchanged money with goods discreetly. One sachet had enough dose to  give to about twenty or thirty people. I had no choice. Where would I eat and sleep?

After Three weeks one girl dropped her shopping just a few yards in front of me. I went to help her and she was grateful. It showed in her sincere smile. After three days, she passed by just to say hello. And the next time she invited me for dinner after finishing my activities. She told me her name was Amahle. And when we were on the dinner table on Friday night, she asked me why I was doing that illegal dangerous job? I explained to her and she understood. She said she could help me. And she took my number before we said good-bye that night.

After three days, she called and told me good news. She had talked to her father and he agreed to employ me and Anne at 3rd Rock which was next to City brokers. On telling Anne, she refused. So I had to go alone. My employer was good, though I was not making a quarter of what I used to make with the heroine and cocaine. I stayed in a servant's quarter at his place in Umgeni park. During weekends, he would take us to North beach or long drives to Johannesburg. Amahle was so nice to me. She had even started teaching me some Zulu language like “Sawubona”, “Unjani”, which were greetings and how to reply “igama lami ngu Ahmedinho.” I was comfortable here, and peaceful.

Three days before payday, Police came to our place of work and arrested me. Later I found out that Mr. Cheyeza Akani's businesses were raided by police and only a few were caught. Anne and another Nigerian guy fled through forest routes to Mozambique heading to Tanzania which was a neighboring state to home. I was told one of the drug dealers was my wife and I had overstayed my tourist visa.

I was arraigned at a court in Somteu road the next day and was sentenced to Three years in Westville prison. Mr. Rethabile, Amahle's father was present in court and after sentencing, he told me not to worry. He spoke to lawyers and made deals with his high ranking friends and one Monday Morning he came to tell me I will serve six months. But will be deported back to Kenya when I finish doing time. Prison life was bad, but there were seven Kenyans who I could talk to while counting time in there. They were true drug dealers and thieves.

Anne returned back from the ladies and I couldn't help smile when I combined that pretty face with the past. She apologized for being late. I said no problem, then she asked me what it is that I wanted to see her about? I told her about Zuhura. I explained to her that I like her, but it seems she doesn't feel the same. She has started going out with another strange guy. The problem is, these outs, its just going as friends. I have told her about my feelings but she cant commit back, so she says. So I want you and me to act. To make our own movie in the estate where she would be our targeted audience.

Anne refused the idea at first. She said she was busy with her new perfume selling business and she has a boyfriend who is in Dubai. I told her it was important to me, and its not like we are going to hurt anyone physically. When she remained undecided for long, I reminded her of what she put me through. “I did time in South Africa because of you Anne. And had I wanted, I could have told the authorities and you would be caught before crossing the border. I know the secret route too, we were coached together on emergencies.” she released a heavy breath, then said O.K while flirting with her eyes. “But I have only one week Ahmedinho, Just tell me where to be and what to do and we will teach that bitch a lesson. She cant diss good boys like you."