CHAP 5: Farewell

Everyone knows you don’t open when it’s past 10pm. No one can visit after a certain time at Vincent’s house. It’s his rule and friends and family are aware of them. However, someone has been knocking for a while now. Someone unaware of the golden memo. Vincent grabbed a thick stick from the corner of his living room and unlocked his front door. Anna was in a long robe tending to the crying baby awaken by the relentless knocks. “Stay in the house” He commanded. Patrick and Betty were awake but stayed in their bed ears perked up like dogs startled from an unusual sound. Everybody else in the house was asleep except Mamaso. She was standing next to Anna keeping an eye at Vincent.

“Who is it?” Vincent asked. “I have the uniform for the girls” A soft voice said. A voice of a woman. Who in the world let a woman walk around at this hour? “Drop them at the door and leave.” Vincent said. He was careful not to raise his voice. He didn’t want the neighbors to wake up. Neighbors that are at a hundred meters away. He unlocked the gate, picked up the bag and locked it back. As he hurried back inside the house, he stopped and looked back. Something about the voice of the woman reminded him of something. Something he couldn’t put a finger on. “Who was it?” “I don’t know. They wanted to drop off Ro and Chris uniform” “That person must be crazy to deliver clothes at this time” Anna said. “Is there anything I can help you with madam?” Mamaso asked. Anna shook her head and told her to go back to sleep. She was annoyed by the person who woke her and her baby in their sleep. How dare are they. If she finds the delivery person, she will have a word with her. In fact, she is thinking about visiting the school and ask the principal who it was since it’s the school that makes the uniform and delivers them.

The following day was the last day with Patrick and Bet in town. They knew they didn’t want to leave yet, but responsibilities waited for them on the other side. Bet wanted to extend for another week, but Patrick refused. He blamed work for his departure and knew tons of it waited for him as soon as he gets back. He knew better since he had been answering ‘important emails’ during his vacation. He broke one rule he and Bet set when they promised each other to not check on work while on vacation. But was this vacation though? They didn’t go anywhere special. No kilimandjaro, no Zanzibar, no museum. They did nothing interesting as far as Patrick is concerned.  Still, he shouldn’t have checked on work. Ro and Chris couldn’t help but cling on Bet. “You promised” Ro kept on repeating. Bet promised to visit them on each’s birthday. Luckily one was born in February, another in October. But she explained to Ro that she will miss hers since it was happening in a couple of months from now. She promised to send her a gift and to be there on her next one. Bet had proposed to Patrick about moving to Arusha. But the latter was not ‘ready’. He kept mentioning about a potential promotion in his company. “it’s not guaranteed”. Bet said. She was ready to leave everything behind and move across country. For whom? Ro and Chris. Somehow, deep down she felt it was the right thing to do. When Patrick asked her the reason. She couldn’t give any other than referring to her womanly intuition feeling. Something Patrick knew nothing of.

For this Saturday, Bet asked Anna if she can borrow one of her children to guide them at the mall. She has heard from the first born that there was a new mall that’s worth visiting. A mall where you can find anything you want. “Actually, I can’t go today. But Mamaso can take you to Kariako.” The first-born girl said to Bet and walked in the back to tell Mamaso what her next duty is. “Your mother told me you will take them instead” Mamaso replied and “So..” The first-born rolled her eyes and walked back in the house. A few moments later, a group of girls and boys splurged in the house, and the first-born walked out with them. Bet watching their promised guide walking away from her, wonders how she’d approach Mamaso who is currently busy with her house chores. She sat, with her cheeks dropped thinking of how she might not be able to buy any souvenir for Ro and Chris. Something she wanted the two to remember her by.

Now, since Mamaso was already busy in the kitchen, Bet told her to let her know when she was done so they can leave. In the meantime, she sat in the living room with Ro and Chris talking about how they must focus on education and to be good kids. She asked them to let her know if there is anything wrong. I heard your new school has technology. Ask the principal if you can use their internet and send me a message.”

A couple of hours later, Mamaso stood in the doorway with two plastic bags in her right arm and shouted “ready”. Bet nodded and squeezed Ro and Chris’ shoulder. “Let’s go”. As everybody was leaving the gate, Anna shouted at Mamaso “don’t forget to bring me a kilo of sugar” Bet looked at her and asked Mamaso if she has given her money for it. The latter shook her head. “Well, I guess no sugar for her” The houseboy had brought a taxi Bet ordered for them. She didn’t want to go through the husstle of buses. So anywhere she wanted to go. She took a taxi. The lifestyle of exploring the city in a bus of 20plus people, some seating on you. She wasn’t having it. She has had enough experience with the TTC back in Toronto. Smelling drunk people or mixed funks of people you don’t know. No thank you. Not happening here.

In the taxi, the driver started chatting in Swahili with Mamaso seated at the front who only replied by humming. Neither Ro, Chris nor Bet knew a word in swahili. At least not enough of it to carry a conversation. And from what they have heard from the first-born. Better shut up than stuttering words you have no idea of what they mean. She warned them about it. She also mentioned that if the locals notice their inability to speak fluent swahili, they will charge them extra. “You can bargain in store? That’s interesting” Bet said. Half an hour passed still on the road. Driving in the city, you could see more houses, buildings, different type of transports such us tuk-tuk and bicycles driving on the right-side road of the vehicles and people walking, most carrying something on their head. “Musijali. We are almost there” The driver said. Mamaso turned her eyes in the back to check if boredroom hasn’t worn them down yet, but rather smiled when she saw how Bet was holding Ro and Chris. I mean who wouldn’t? It didn’t matter if the light was red or green. In fact, why was there streetlight if no one paid attention to them? Driver sped and for a couple of time he almost collided with the tuk-tuk coming from other directions. Apologies were made in forms of shouts or curses. Depending on who thought deserved it. The driver stopped at ‘Big Bon’ station and gestured at the market in front. “No. She said it’s a mall” Bet said. “Umesema Kariako Market si ndiyo?” The driver said and Mamaso nodded. She waved at the girls in the back to get out. And once in the sunlight and in the middle of loudspeakers and noises of cars honking, she shouted “Anna told me to bring you here. She said this market has more choices” Bet, Ro and Chris looked around, coughed while pinching their noses blocking the grey dust from their nostrils.

This is not a mall. Everything is out in the open. Name anything you want, and you can see it. A bunch of people seating between the merchandise, you couldn’t tell who the seller is unless you asked. Ro and Chris held Bet’s hands so tight, she started to sweat.

Umbrellas gave shade to the goods while the sellers called out loud and waved clothes and their price tags. “Mama” an old man shouted at Mamaso who smiled at him. Obviously, they know each other. “I see you brought guests” The old man in a plaid shirt said. Mamaso smiled looking over at the girls. The man was pointing and shouting at his neighbor. They probably were in a heated argument. But there was no way of knowing since none of the girls understood the language. “I want that one” Chris pointed at sandals with beads on top. “You want Masai sandals ehh?” The old man laughed and grabbed them. “Too big for you” he reached underneath the table and got out a box full of shoes. One by one, he tossed them on the ground and finally found a size 4 of the shoes Chris liked. “And you?” He said to Ro. The latter looked around and shook her head. She pointed across the street where there was a woman seated in front of a seven feet background piled up with different types of blankets. Yellow, blue, orange, red. From afar you could see all the colors behind her. “I might get those. It’s cold where I leave” Bet said to Mamaso. “Let’s get one for her. Is that you want Ro?” She nodded. The guy pulled out other shoes with different patterns trying to change Ro’s mind. But she kept jerking her head. She didn’t want sandals. “It’s okay.. maybe another…” Betty didn’t finish her sentence. She was startled by something that caught her arm “My bag…help” she shouted. The small bag she had on her shoulder disappeared in a flash. Mamaso touched her shoulder and assured her that she is going to find it. “Wait, I’ll be right back.” She paused and looked at Ro and Chris “I bought this as a gift? Would you mind wearing them. I want to see how they look.” It was two set of beads. She pulled them from her bag and gave them each one. One bracelet had yellow and black beads another had white and blue beads. “Now, I will be right back.” As she walked out the shop, she told the man to keep an eye on his guests.

Ro and Chris looked at Betty worried. The latter kept glancing left and right as if she might see the thief somewhere. The man of the shop invited them inside once he saw thunder beating the skies, and tears dropping bit by bit. “It might rain soon.” He said and the next thunder stroke the heavens, causing everyone in the market to disperse in all directions. Every seller gathered their things, shoved them inside their shops as the clouds darkened even more. It was as if someone just pushed the wrong button in heaven. A steam of shower poured “Mamaso! She is going to catch a cold” Bet told the man. He smiled and told her to not worry. “Ah I guess we are not the only ones rain caught by surprise”. The old man said when he heard a choir of birds chanting above. “Something doesn’t feel good” Ro whispered. What did she mean? Rain – Mamaso – birds. Something didn’t add up and she look concerned. “Does she like birds?” She asked “They are her protector” the man winked at her. Bet didn’t understand anything. Not rats crumbling on the floor, but a chain of birds flying through the rain. At this point, the market was dry as desert. Everyone had taken refuge inside of their shops. And those who were shopping asked to be sheltered.