Magic carpet

Come ride with me on my magic carpet.
Let me take you to the land of fantasies,
Let’s dance with the fairies and play with the butterflies.
Let’s ride dragons and do a fire dance.
Let’s visit the gnomes and play in the garden.
Let’s make magic with the elves and cast magic spells.
Let’s let our imagination go wild.
Come lets fall in love, deep,
Let it shake the foundations of our hearts.
Let’s sigh in contentment,
Breathe in the fragrance of romance.
Let’s cry tears of sorrow when our hearts break,
When love wasn’t what it should be.
When dark poisonous thoughts like arrows spring in the heart.
Let me show you the texture,
The depth of love,
The width and breath of heartbreak and hate.

Let me take you on a journey,
Let me show you magic.
Hold my hand,
Climb on the magic carpet that is fuelled by imagination.
Let’s ride the magic carpet that is poetry.

God's vows - Wedding vows III

GOD’s Vows.

My children, I knew you before you were formed. I loved you even when you were a thought in my mind, when I hadn’t yet created you. I have watched you grow, big and strong. I have watched you fall in love with the partner I had chosen for you. I know you had been hurt before but when you cried I wiped your tears. I knew the best was yet to come.

Thank you for praying and consulting me about your partner. It’s a good thing you prayed for them before you met them and are still praying for them. My vow to you is if you keep me at the center of your love connection, the foundation of your home then I will get you through to the end.

Always remember 1 Corinthians 13. Drill those words into your mind, your heart; let it be the center of your love. Love is not perfect and neither is marriage but if you put the other above yourself then you will work things out. Love is not a feeling; it’s a decision so choose to love your partner, to love them with all their faults. After all you’re not perfect but I love you anyway. Learn to forgive for that is one of the roots of a long marriage.

Always remember I am here for you. Talk to me when you have problems in your marriage instead of telling the whole neighborhood and the whole clan. Remember you are one so you should agree and not let outside forces divide you. Listen and be slow to anger but be quick to understand and you will go far.

Remember I love you and am so excited that you’re in love, honouring your vows before me. Honour those vows always through sickness and health, through riches and poverty, through the good times and bad times.

I, your God will always be your protector, your rock if you build the foundation of your marriage on me.

Wedding vows - I thee wed

The Groom

You are like the dawn of the sun, beautiful and breathtaking. You bring out the best in me; you are the best of me. I promise to love you when the sun shines and when it rains, in the good and bad times.

I promise to protect, respect and honour you. You are a priceless ruby and I will always treasure you. Thank you for accepting to be my wife, to share my joys and sorrows. I pray that I will always make you smile and proud that am your man. I will cherish your heart, mind and body always.

Take my hand and walk with me by my side, into our sunset years, let me be your protector, your friend and your husband. With this ring I thee wed, with a promise that I will always be there for you, God being my guide and strength. May God be the foundation of our marriage, the third in our love triangle.


The Bride.

Your love has been sweet like honey to a bee. I will love you until the day that God decides to send one of us home. I have loved you with all my heart since the day my heart decided that you’re the one. I promise to love, respect, honour and take care of you.

My heart sings when am in your presence and your love is like the sun, warming my heart. I want to be your partner, your friend, mother to your kids and your wife. You are like gold, very precious. I put my life, my heart, and body into your hands. I ask that you treat them with care as I shall do with yours.

I pray that God will give us many loving years together and let us be together when our heads turn grey. May the Lord bless us and keep us as in love as we are now in the next 50 years. I promise to always value you and seek your advice.

I pledge my heart and life to you so help me God. May God be the foundation of our friendship and partnership. With this ring that I thee wed I vow to cherish, honour and give my best to you.

GOD’s Vows.

My children, I knew you before you were formed. I loved you even when you were a thought in my mind, when I hadn’t yet created you. I have watched you grow, big and strong. I have watched you fall in love with the partner I had chosen for you. I know you had been hurt before but when you cried I wiped your tears. I knew the best was yet to come.


Thank you for praying and consulting me about your partner. It’s a good thing you prayed for them before you met them and are still praying for them. My vow to you is if you keep me at the center of your love connection, the foundation of your home then I will get you through to the end.

Always remember 1 Corinthians 13. Drill those words into your mind, your heart; let it be the center of your love. Love is not perfect and neither is marriage but if you put the other above yourself then you will work things out. Love is not a feeling; it’s a decision so choose to love your partner, to love them with all their faults. After all you’re not perfect but I love you anyway. Learn to forgive for that is one of the roots of a long marriage.

Always remember I am here for you. Talk to me when you have problems in your marriage instead of telling the whole neighborhood and the whole clan. Remember you are one so you should agree and not let outside forces divide you. Listen and be slow to anger but be quick to understand and you will go far.

Remember I love you and am so excited that you’re in love, honouring your vows before me. Honour those vows always through sickness and health, through riches and poverty, through the good times and bad times.

I, your God will always be your protector, your rock if you build the foundation of your marriage on me.

Wedding vows II

Your love has been sweet like honey to a bee. I will love you until the day that God decides to send one of us home. I have loved you with all my heart since the day my heart decided that your the one. I promise to love, respect, honour and take care of you. My heart sings when am in your presence and your love is like the sun, warming my heart. I want to be your partner, your friend, mother to your kids and your wife. You are like gold, very precious. I put my life, my heart, and body into your hands. I ask that you treat them with care as I do so with yours. I pray that God will give us many loving years together and let us be together when our heads turn grey. May the Lord bless us and keep us as in love as we are now in the next 50 years. I promise to always value you and seek your advice. I pledge my heart and life to you so help me God. May God be the foundation of our friendship and partnership. With this ring I vow to cherish, honour and give my best.

Wedding vows I

You are like the dawn of the sun, beautiful and breathtaking. You bring out the best in me, you are the best of me. I promise to love you when the sun shines and when it rains, in the good and bad times. I promise to protect, respect and honour you. You are a priceless ruby and I will always treasure you. Thank you for accepting to be my wife, to share my joys and sorrows. I pray that I will always make you smile and proud that am your man. I will cherish your heart, mind and body always. Take my hand and walk with me by my side, into our sunset years, let me be your protector, your friend and your husband. With this ring I thee wed, with a promise that I will always be there for you, God being my guide and strength.

Salute to all the great Fathers!

Salute to all the great fathers.

I salute you, oh great father.
You who made sure I did not go hungry.
You who made sure my homework was done.
You who played with me and made me giggle.
You who loved me and showed me that you did.
You who disciplined me when I went wrong so that I would turn out right.
You who spent the night by my bedside when I was sick.
You who taught me that I am priceless.
You who spent time with me and mentored me.
You who treated my mother with respect and love,
Showing me how a loving relationship should be.
You who put a roof over my head.
You who made sure my school fees was paid.
You who taught me the value and role of family.

I salute you oh great father,
Who knew a father is not just a title but a doing word.
A salute for the men who’ve been my father.
To my real Dad, whose six foot under,
But whose fathering I remember to this day.
I am who I am because of you,
And your lessons I still heed to this day.
Thank you for the time I had with you,
For showing me how a great father leads.
To my Grandpa, my dad’s dad,
For being our rock when our foundation was shaken.
Thank you for the love that you gave us,
The unconditional love, the support,
And for treating my mum like your daughter,
For the advice over the years,
That helped us get on the right path.
To all the family uncles and grandfathers who took time to mentor,
To look after a fatherless family,
To help raise us the way my father would have wanted.
To my FATHER GOD,
Always present, always watching, always comforting,
Who gave me a hope and a future,
Who knew me even before I was formed,
And loved and had a plan for me.
To my father God who always provides,
Who always loves me and protects me.
To the greatest fathers in the world.


I salute you,
All the great fathers of the world.

What's love got to do with it? A story on domestic violence.

I met him and we fell deep in love. He was so caring, gentle and loving. He was handsome, a prince among men. I felt so loved n special, all my friends were envious. He was perfect.

The first time it happened I couldn’t believe it. He asked me something I can’t remember what but I remember I thought that it was something that was none of his business. I answered rudely saying it was none of his business. That's when he slapped me. I was in so much shock I didn’t even cry or scream.

I walked out of that house vowing never to come back. I went to my gal's house to plot my way forward .he found out where I was. He sent me flowers, tried to call. Then he sent me a card saying "am sorry baby I didn’t mean to hurt you. I love you. Come let me make it up to you. I will never ever hit you again. Come home baby."

I thought about it, prayed. I remembered the good times and I couldn’t believe that he would hurt me again. I knew him; he was one of the good guys. I went back and he was my old love, my best love. And that’s how it all began.

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I know you think am naive, going back to him after he slapped me. I guess you would have told me to run as fast as my legs would take me. But if you did I wouldn’t have listened. My friend tried to tell me that it was just the beginning but I didn’t listen.

Things were pretty calm again. He never hit me again. At least not until after we were married. He had gone out one night and came home drunk. I was 6 months pregnant, and didn’t want to go out so I went to bed early. He came home at 2. I guess he was expecting me to be up waiting for him to come so I open the door. He knocked furiously on the door but I was deep in sleep so I didn’t hear him.

He called me on the cellphone. When I came to open the door he was spitting mad. He slapped me, asked me what kind of a wife I was, sleeping when her husband is knocking on the door. I tried to tell him I was resting. That made him see red.

He punched me in the breasts and then kicked me. I fell to the ground and started screaming. I felt pain in my abdomen. God was I losing my baby. I started screaming at him that I was losing the baby.

As if in a trance he switched back to my love. He told me he was so sorry. He couldn’t believe that he had done such a thing. “Baby it was the alcohol,” he told me. He wept as he drove me to the hospital.

“Baby am so sorry. The devil entered me. Forgive me baby I never meant to hurt you.” He chanted over and over.

When I reached the hospital I was taken to emergency. The doctor looked me over and asked me what had happened. I looked at my husband. He looked so helpless and sorry. He could not have meant to hurt me or our baby.

I lied, never knowing that that would be the first lie in a series of lies to come. That this would be my first visit to the hospital and not the last.



"your lucky you almost had a miscarriage. Be very careful that you don't trip again" The doctor told me that I needed to be on bedrest in hospital for a week so I was admitted for observation.

My husband came to see me everyday asking for forgiveness. He promised that he would never hurt me again. I didn't know whether I believed him. I was pregnant and had no job. Where was I going to go?

I didn't know what to do and I knew I couldn't go back home to my parents who were poor and could not afford to feed two extra mouths. They were so excited when I married a man they considered very well off.

So I went back home after one week to my husband. I thought he had learnt his lesson when I almost lost the baby. He was so loving and so excited when we got a son Kevin. Kevin was the light of my life. Spoiled but sweet. We had another child after that, a girl called Mercy.

Most of the time things were good but sometimes my husband would get into a rage, hitting and punching me. Once he broke three of my ribs and another knocked out two of my front teeth. He always took me to hospital and paid the bills. I used to tell the doctor that I was a klutz so clumsy and accident prone tried to leave sometimes but he always came begging me or my family to give him another chance.

Things came to a head when Kevin was in primary at around six years of age. We were called to Kevin's school and told he had beaten up a girl who had taken his book. In the headmasters office my husband brushed it off as a minor incidence. “that's just how boys are. Sometimes they like to fight. It doesn't mean he is bad.”

I told Kevin off for beating a girl. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “then if it's bad to hit a girl why does dad beat you? I was too embarrassed to reply. But as I looked from father from son I had an insight. I saw what my son would become one day to another woman if I didn't do something.

My husband dropped us home after verbally abusing Kevin for discussing home issues in public. He also told Kevin to expect a beating when he got home. He wasn't angry because Kevin had beaten up the girl but because of saying infront of the headmaster and teacher that his father beat me.

I waited for my husband to leave and then I went and packed my clothes and those of my children. I went into the wardrobe and removed a stash of cash I had hidden and a bank account card.

I told Kevin we were going visiting and we needed to get his sister from school. Without looking back at the big house with beautiful furniture and everything a gal could dream of, I closed the door to my nightmares and opened a gate to a new life.

I wasn't going back to my parents because my husband would find me there. But i had made a friend who my husband didn't know about. She had seen what my husband had done to me on numerous occasions and she had told me if i ever needed a place to stay I could go stay with her.

I know this will be hard. But in the end to save my children who I love more then myself its time to get out. Am praying to God for strength to help me do what I have to do for my children.

What goes around comes around - a tale of love, betrayal and revenge.

Kimani sat in the dock waiting to hear his fate. When the judge said, "Will the accused please stand up to hear the verdict of the court," Kimani stood up in his ill fitting suit and faced the judge. The judge continued, "After listening to the evidence from the witnesses, I am convinced you are guilty of the crimes of smuggling and selling blood diamonds from Sierra Leone. I sentence you to life in prison so it may be a deterrent to others like you how think they can use their positions in employment to conduct illegal activities.”

Kimani looked at his lawyer in shock, then at his family who were sitting in the viewing section of the courtroom. His mother and sister were weeping and wailing and his father and brother were doing their best to comfort them.

Njoroge, his former best friend, workmate and betrayer, was comforting Kimani's fiancée. His arms were around her as he herded her towards the door. He paused as he reached the door, turned around and smiled at Kimani who watched Njoroge walk out of the courtroom as he; the innocent dupe in a grand international smuggling ring, stood, bewilderment on his face, in chains.

Kimani grew up in a small village in Nyeri. His family did not have much money but they lived a modest life. Kimani was bright and he did well in school. In high school he joined the aviation club and learnt how to fly planes. After school he got a scholarship to study aeronautical engineering. He passed with flying colors and worked with different organizations before he landed a position as a flight engineer with an international firm that specialized in transporting goods all over the continent.

Kimani was excited because the money was very good. The plane would have just him and the pilot dropping and picking goods. Kimani had worked on the required flight hours to qualify as a registered pilot. In case of an emergency, he could also land a plane.

Kimani met Njoroge at his new job where Njoroge was the pilot and Kimani the engineer/co-pilot. Njoroge was from a prominent family. He had studied at high cost schools and was earning a huge salary. "I like the small planes because they offer more flexibility in terms of work hours, I have more free time for my family business most of the time," he explained to Kimani.

Njoroge taught Kimani everything he needed to know about flying the small planes that and he would sometimes let Kimani pilot the plane.

As time went by, Kimani was able to fulfill all requirements and got his pilot’s license. Njoroge would let him to fly while he relaxed. They became firm friends and before long, Njoroge was inviting Kimani to exclusive events where the high and mighty were present. Kimani and Njoroge started hanging out together regularly. They would hit the town and party over weekends when they were not working. Njoroge seemed to be known by everyone who was anyone.
From time to time, Njoroge would ask Kimani to help him carry his bags or through customs and give it to a specific customs officer. He explained that he was carrying gifts for his family and he did not want to be hassled by the customs officer. He said that he wanted Njoroge to help him because it would raise suspicion if it was noted that was he always went to the same customs officer. Sometimes though, he would send Kimani with his bags and tell him he could go to any customs official.

After Kimani had worked for about six months Njoroge asked him what his plans were. Kimani told him that he hoped to get married to his girlfriend from the village who had just completed her degree in commerce. He told Njoroge that he was helping her look for a job in Nairobi. Kimani also told him that he was trying to save some money so that he could set up a business for his brother and sister so that they could be stop depending on him.

Njoroge told Kimani that maybe he could help. “I know many people, just send me her to CV” he said. Njoroge was impressed by Njeri's qualifications - she had graduated with a first class degree. He told Kimani to tell Njeri to come to Nairobi for an interview in his company.


Njoroge was struck by Njeri’s beauty. She was soft also spoken but aggressive. He offered her a job as his personal assistant which she accepted after consulting Kimani



with that problem out of the way, Kimani focused on making money to build a business for his siblings. One day, Njoroge returned from a flight and called Kimani who was on leave to his house. When he got to Njoroge’s house, Njoroge had a bottle of champagne on ice and he looked very happy.

“Kimani today is your lucky day. I just concluded some family business in Sierra Leone and made good money. I want to give you a loan so that you can start your siblings’ business. You can pay me in a year’s time. There’s no hurry. I have money to burn and I don’t need it in a hurry.” He threw a bag at Kimani.

When Kimani opened the counted dollars that were the equivalent of 800,000 Kenya shillings. He protested that that was too much money but Njoroge told him it was okay as long as he paid it back.

Please don’t tell anyone I lent you money. You know how guys are at the office. They will think I am the World Bank. This is between the two of us, don’t even tell Njeri.” Kimani agreed too stunned to think.

The next morning, he deposited the money in the bank. Then he called his siblings and asked them to come to Nairobi. Within two months he had set up a business that imported and sold clothes and jewelry which he brought in from all over Africa in the course of his duties.



Kimani was a happy man. All that was wedding was his wedding. It was three months away. As these thoughts ran through his mind, Kimani was getting ready to land. They had just flown in from Sierra Leone with Njoroge and he was looking forward to spending some quality time with Njeri. In fact he was carrying her engagement ring which he had just bought. Everything was going like a dream.

Kimani and Njoroge disembarked and were picking their bags when Njoroge’s phone rang. He asked Kimani to wait for him as he moved away to talk on the phone. When he came back, he looked upset. He gave Kimani one of his bags and told him to go ahead with it, he was coming. He had left something on the plane that he was supposed to give to Mutiso the customs officer.

Kimani took the bag together with his and headed for the customs desk. When he got there, there was a new man at the desk, Kimani asked for Mutiso . The Immigration officer said, “Mutiso is not here, I am on duty today. Open the bags and let me see what's inside."


Kimani gave him the bags and looked around the small airport terminal. There was an eerie silence. It seemed the airport was filled with silent strangers. He wondered where everyone else was.

The immigration officers finished with his bags and then opened the one belonging to Njoroge. He went through it thoroughly and pulled out a small bag from the bottom of the bag. He opened it and poured out the contents.

He picked up a phone and made a call. “I have found them. I have found the stones; they were in the flight engineer's bag. Come quickly," he said.

Kimani was stunned. What was going on he wondered? Before he could recollect his thoughts, there were two airport police at his side.

Alarmed, he protested, "it’s not my bag. I am carrying it for my friend Njoroge the pilot. It’s all a misunderstanding. Please call him, he will explain". The policemen shrugged their shoulders, handcuffed him and led him to an interrogation room.

Kimani was forcefully seated on a cracked plastic seat and told to wait. About ten minutes later, a white guy in an expensive Italian suit walked in. He had a name tag written Inspector Matthews, international crimes, Interpol.

Inspector Matthews sat opposite Kimani and said, "Mr. Kimani, you have been found trying to smuggle blood diamonds from Sierra Leone. We have been under observation for a while and finally we have caught you. Do you have anything to say?

Kimani told him, "I am innocent. That bag belongs to the pilot. He gave it to me to carry. Ask him. It’s not mine." The inspector nodded to one of the policemen. He left the room and returned with Njoroge and the bag Kimani had been carrying. Matthews gestured to Njoroge, "is this him?” Kimani nodded.

Matthews turned to Njoroge and said, "Mr. Kimani is alleging that the bag is yours. What do you have to say about that?” Njoroge with an easy smile said, "He’s lying that’s not my bag. If it is mine then it should have my things in it. Let's open the bag and see what’s in it."

Matthews gestured for the bag to be opened. A suit of flight clothes in a laundry bag was removed, cologne, and some magazines. Kimani's heart sank when he saw the magazines had a subscription label with his name. How he wondered had landed in Njoroges bag.

He cheered up momentarily when he realized they were going to open the laundry bag zip. He knew he did not have any missing suit. This will prove my innocence, he thought. When they brought out the suit his smile faded. On the breast pocket in embroidered gold thread was the name Kimani, Flight Engineer. Kimani finally realized Njoroge had set him up to take the fall. Kimani figured that the immigration officer had tipped Njoroge about the crackdown at the airport and gone into hiding.

When Njoroge saw the dawning realization on kimani's face he smiled. Looking at the inspector, Njoroge said "as you can see there is nothing of mine in that bag. Am sorry my friend has been caught up in this smuggling business but it has been proven that nothing of mine is in the bag. You have checked my bags and found nothing unusual. Can I be permitted to go? You know where to find me!” the inspector looked at him then told him that he could go.

Kimani was left in the room with the inspector. "Mr. Kimani do you have anything to say about the diamonds. It would be easier and better for you if you told us the truth," Matthews said. Kimani looked at Matthews straight in the eye and said, “Inspector, I know what the evidence suggests but I am innocent. I have been set up. Except for the magazines and suit, nothing else is mine. I don’t even know how they got there. You have captured the wrong guy.” Matthews looked at Kimani thoughtfully and said, “We will see,” then he left the room.

Kimani was manhandled by the two policemen and taken into a waiting Land Rover where he was stashed in the boot. He was taken to Nyayo House for interrogation. Word was out about the prestigious flight engineer who had been caught with blood diamonds and reporters and cameramen jostled to take picture of Kimani before he was whisked into the building.

Kimani was transferred to Kamiti Maximum Prison after being interrogated by Interpol and the local police. His family visited him and engaged one of the prominent lawyers to defend him. Life was not too bad in the prison because two of his cousins who were in remand for armed robbery ensured he was not harassed.

Njeri came to see him a week later. "Sorry I couldn’t come earlier. It was very busy in the office with reporters calling to ask Njoroge for a statement. Njoroge told me everything. How could you accuse him of being involved? He is rich. Why would he need to smuggle diamonds. Please tell the truth and they will go easy on you." Kimani could not believe what she was saying. He just looked at her and did not utter a word. She looked disgusted. After looking him up and down as if trying to see what she had seen in him, she walked out.

She never visited again. Instead, she sent his siblings with food and brief notes in which she explained that she still loved him but was busy.

After two months Kimani was arraigned in court. Evidence against him included a deposit for 800,000 Kenya shillings in his account. In court he pleaded not guilty and the trial dated was to be in three months time. The judge denied him bail based on the fact that he was a pilot and flight engineer and he had money. "there is reason to believe that the accused is a flight risk so I deny bail" said the judge in his summary.

Kimani realized that things were really bad and he might be convicted for a crime he did not commit. He was taken back to Kamiti.

The next day, the Interpol agent visited him. Inspector Matthews looked at Kimani across a scarred wooden table. He said "I have a feeling that you are innocent or are a very small pawn in this game. I want to help you so help me help you. Is there anything you can tell me that can help me tie Njoroge to this thing. You do know Njoroge’s family have lobbied their ‘important’ friends including the politicians and the police and they are planning to bribe the judge. So if you don’t want to spend the rest of your life in prison you need to give me information. I am trying to investigate but the police are stonewalling me.”

Kimani told him that the only thing he knew that could link Njoroge to the diamonds was the missing immigration officer. Matthews told Kimani that he would leave his number with his brother so that he could get in touch if he remembered anything. “I am leaving the country but will be back for the trial. Let me know if you remember anything significant before then."


Three months later, Kimani was taken to court. He had not had anything about the whereabouts of the immigration officer and had given up any hope of convincing the court that he was innocent. He heard rumors that the policemen who had arrested him had been bribed by Njoroge to say that he had even been found with drugs in his possession.

Kimani was praying for a miracle, that Interpol would present new evidence that would clear him. Yet at the back of his mind he was aware that like most prisoners from humble backgrounds, from the village and no connections, or money to corrupt the officers concerned, he had no hope of getting out. As he listened to all the evidence against him, he realized that if he had read those facts in the newspaper about someone else, he would have presumed they were guilty. Kimani wanted to scream 'am innocent' but he knew at this point all was lost.


The trial took four months to conclude. Kimani knew that there were only two people who could prove that he was telling the truth. One had disappeared and the other was his friend who was framing him. "How could I have trusted him so completely? I should have asked questions. Now it’s too late!" he thought.

When the judge asked Kimani to stand to hear the judgment of the court, Kimani braced himself for the worst as he stood. The judge found him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment at Naivasha Maximum Prison. Kimani was shocked. He watched without expression as his family and friends cried. Njoroge walked out with Njeri hand in hand. At the door he turned and smiled at Kimani.

Kimani was allowed to see his family before being transported to Kamiti where he would spend a week before being taken to Naivasha with other prisoners. He hugged his family and as he left, his brother handed him his bible. He was grateful though he wondered how I can read God's word when he has abandoned me.

Back in his cell Kimani opened the bible and flipped the pages. He saw yellow post-it's on which he had written verses and things to do. Discouraged he asked God, “how can one fall down so far so fast?” When he was about to close the bible he saw a note with a name and location. He tried remembering why he had written that name, and then it clicked.

“Lord thank you, thank you for answered prayers. I finally have something that can help me.” Excited he asked another prisoner for a pencil and started jotting notes. His hope restored, he went to his cousins who managed to get him a cell phone. He called his brother and told him to call inspector Matthew and ask him to come see Kimani. Kimani slept well for the first time since he was arrested.

The next morning Matthews came to see him. After greetings Kimani excitedly told him, "Mutiso the immigration guy, I know where to find him or rather how you can find him. Njoroge covered his tracks very well. There is nowhere I can incriminate him. Mutiso, on the other hand did not expect to ever be caught. He used to ask me for a lift sometimes when we were really late getting to the airport. There were certain houses in Eastleigh where he used to go.

“there was a time the airport was swarmed with VIPs so he couldn’t leave with the bag Njoroge had sent me with. He gave me a number, an address and a name where I would deliver the bag and a number of the person I was to give the package. I guess he thought Njoroge had told me what was going on so I was safe. I have written everything I can remember on the last page of the bible.” Kimani had been speaking so rapidly he ran out of breath. Kimani paused and asked Mathew, "can you help me? This is the only chance I have to prove my innocence."

Matthew looked at Kimani. “I will see what I can do. This information would have been critical before you were convicted. It won’t be easy but don’t worry I will follow it up myself. I can’t trust the police not to leak this information. If I find out anything I will be in touch with your brother and lawyer.”

As he shook KImani’s hand before he left, Mathew said, "I have bad news though. You probably don’t know this but Njoroge and Njeri announced their engagement this morning. They are getting married in a month's time. I thought you might like to know."

Kimani was numb. For a while he could not think or understand. Of all the things Njoroge had done this hurt the most. He could not believe that Njeri, the woman he loved could betray him with his worst enemy to boot. Kimani was crushed. He walked back to his cell a broken man. His girlfriend’s betrayal managed what prison had failed to do to him.

Kimani was transferred to Naivasha maximum prison. Although his family had come every day to visit him and encourage him there was no word from Matthews. He had confided to his brother on what Mathews was working on but told him not to tell anyone else in the family. When Kimani arrived at Naivasha he quickly located his cousins’ contacts and once again, he was not harassed.

Matthews still had not contacted Kimani’s brother. Kimani was mentally counting the days to the wedding of Njoroge and Njeri. He fantasized about being set free just before the wedding and bursting in just as the priest asked "is there anyone who objects to this wedding?" then he would walk in and everyone would stare in shock and horror as he said, "I object. This woman is pledged to marry me. I am the innocent one. Lock him up." Kimani realized that it was a fantasy. Things would never be the same again between him and Njeri. It was over.

Kimani was beginning to lose hope when two days before the wedding, Matthews came to see him. He had a smile and he even hugged Kimani.

"We found Mutiso. He confessed after we nabbed the man whose name and address you had. I used some of my contacts and the matter was hushed up. So your friend doesn’t know yet. We are ready to arrest him. Apparently the deals also involve Njoroge’s father and a few politicians who have been helping him to move the diamonds through diplomatic channels. I just wanted you to know. Obviously you can’t be freed right now. We have to wait until we set up another trial. In a few weeks you will be a free man."

Kimani expected to feel relief at those words but he didn’t. He felt empty and angry. His life had been ruined by a man he had considered to be his best friend. His name was sullied and he had lost the love of his life. All he wanted now was revenge. He wanted Njoroge to feel the pain and humiliation he had felt.

Kimani said, "Matthews I need a favor." Matthews leaned over and Kimani told him what he wanted.

The day was bright. The church was beautifully decorated and the cars outside the church showed that this was a wedding of class, no riff raff allowed. The guests were well known individuals from the political, social and entertainment scene. It took an engraved invitation to enter the glittery party.

The bride entered the church and the guests were stunned at how beautiful she was. She wore a white lace dress with crystal beads sown into it. She had a priceless diamond necklace around her neck and diamond eardrops. She looked like Cinderella at the ball. No one looking at her would be able to tell just how far she had come from the village.

When she reached the front, the handsome bridegroom took her hand and kissed it. There were many in the audience who wished at that moment that it was them up there getting married. The couple was looking too hot for words.

The minister read from the word and then asked is there anyone who has reason to declare why this two should not get married. There was a hush. Guests were conscious of the fact that Njeri’s ex-fiancé was in prison. They thought maybe his relatives or friends would try to stop the wedding. There was a collective sign of relief when no one stood or shouted an objection.

The couple then said their vows and went to sign the marriage certificate. As soon as that happened they were brought back to the front of the church and declared man and wife before the congregation. All of this was being televised live on TV to viewers who had wanted to catch a glimpse of this fairy tale wedding. They all thought, “lucky girl.”

The congregants’ private thoughts were suddenly interrupted by stomping boots as a group of policemen burst into church. Leading them was Matthews waving a bunch of papers and a gun. He walked right up to Njoroge and told him, “Mr. Njoroge, you are under arrest for the smuggling and selling of diamonds from Sierra Leone. Also for falsifying evidence against Mr. Kimani. Here is the arrest warrant."

Njoroge’s fuming father shot up, “How dare you? Do you know who I am? How dare you embarrass my son like this? I will have you deported and I will sue Interpol." Matthews smiled and said, "Sir I also have a warrant of arrest for you. You have been using your family business to buy and sell illegal gemstones from all over Africa" at this news Njoroge’s dad collapsed and was rushed to hospital. In the ensuing chaos Njeri could be heard screaming, “it can't be true, it can’t be true. You mean Kimani was innocent? What have I done?

Over the next few weeks, the story made headlines especially after more politicians and businessmen were named and arrested for their involvement in the diamond scandal. Kimani was a hero to many especially those in prison. They applauded him for not giving up the fight for justice.

When he was released after Njoroge’s trial and subsequent life imprisonment, his family threw a party for him in Nyeri. He was trying to enjoy himself and enjoy the nyama choma and beer that he hadn’t tasted for almost a year, when his brother called him aside. "Njeri is here. She wants to talk to you. She is at your house." Kimani walked to his house. “What do you want?” he asked.

“I came to say that I am sorry. I should have believed in you. I am sorry. Is it possible to start over?” Njeri pleaded.

Kimani coldly told her, "you know what I can’t forgive. You have known me all my life and you choose money over me. I can believe Njoroge fooled you at first; he did the same to me. but for you to forget the man you loved and believe a man you had only known for a few months. That is what I can’t forgive. Anyway aren’t you married? You should be comforting the man you choose. Don’t ever come look for me again. What we had is over. I never want to see you again," with that he walked out and did not look back even as Njeri sobbed and screamed for him to come back

Epilogue.

Njoroge was jailed for life with ten strokes of the cane after evidence was uncovered about different smuggling runs that he had conducted. Unfortunately for him, Kimani's cousins were waiting for him at Kamiti. He obviously did not have a good time and after his trial he was send to Shimo la Tewa Maximum Prison where he was expected to spend the rest of his natural life.

His father was also convicted and the family business collapsed as his embarrassed wife and daughters ran off to Europe to escape the scandal.

Mutiso was also convicted of several crimes but his sentence was reduced after he testified and gave evidence linking several prominent politicians to the syndicate.

Matthews was given a medal of commendation by Interpol and another by his country. He is somewhere; undercover helping to get information on bad guys that will lead to prosecution.

Njeri was an outcast. No longer accepted in Nyeri and was snubbed by those who had embraced her and her marriage to Njoroge. She moved to Malindi were she is working as a tourist guide to make ends meet.

Kimani is studying law at the University of Nairobi. He realized that when he was in prison there are some innocent but poor prisoners who needed someone to defend and fight for their rights. He is also suing the government for 50 million for wrongful imprisonment and mistreatment of its agents for not investigating his case properly. The case has been adjourned severally but his lawyer Oozy is convinced that in the end, the government will have to settle the case.

Rayhab 09

Obsessions

Kate looked across the room at Alex and Becky who were looking very happy together. She on the other hand had a big plastic smile that hide the hate in her heart. "Stupid bitch. She will pay for stealing my man." At that thought she smiled genuinely and went to offer her congratulations to the engaged couple.

Kate and Alex had met in campus. Alex was the popular, handsome boy who played rugby. Kate was the pretty, shy and quiet girl who played chess. They met in one of their computer general classes. Kate was a whiz the computers, knew everything about them including how to hack into computers. This of course was not something that she shared with anyone.

Alex started hanging out with her some evenings, asking her to help him with some of his assignments. Kate developed a crush on Alex and as time went by her crush became love then an obsession. Alex liked hanging out with Kate. She did not have any expectations of him. She was always there for him when he broke up with a girl. They would hang out and have fun.

When they finished campus they decided to move to the same area. Actually they were neighbors. It made perfect sense. They would be able to watch each others house’s when one of them was not around. That was Alex’s reasoning. And besides he loved Kate’s cooking. He often joked, “Where can I get another lady who treats me like you?

Well, for Kate it served a double purpose. She would be able to keep an eye on Alex’s relationships. Secondly, it would give Alex a chance to realize that Kate was the girl that he needed to settle down with. Unfortunately for Kate it didn’t work out like that. Alex loved her but as a friend. He saw her as his best friend, the one woman he could depend on.

Kate realized that Alex was taking his time in noticing her. She decided nothing would stand between her and her man. She started sabotaging his relationships with his girlfriends, in small ways which could not be traced back to her. Just when Kate thought Alex was starting to see her as his only dependable girl Becky appeared!

Kate blamed herself over and over about how Alex met Becky. Kate had been invited for a formal dinner, which was been held for a client. Since her date cancelled at the last minute, she asked Alex who agreed to be her date. She had never taken Alex to her work dinners. She did not want to share him with anyone at work. She knew that if he meet her friends from work they would keep asking about him and ask her to set him up with them. How would she explain that she wanted Alex to herself?

She moved around the room with Alex, all the women were checking Alex out. In her heart she said, “eat your hearts out girls, soon he will be mine!” Then Becky came over. A colleague, she was the beautiful girl with a good heart who everyone loved. No one ever had anything bad to say about her. She asked Kate for a present that Kate had left in the car for the client. Kate went off to get the gift leaving Alex and Becky together.

When Kate got back Alex and Becky were laughing like old friends. Kate had a twinge of jealously but thought nothing would come of it. But when they left Alex was speaking in glowing terms about Becky.

The next Kate heard, Becky and Alex had a date. Then two, soon the two were inseparable. Kate tried her usual tricks but nothing was working. The matter came to a head when after three months Alex asked Becky to marry him.

Kate realized that this time if she didn’t move quickly she would lose her man for good. And Kate wasn’t planning to lose. She wanted Alex and she would do what it takes to have him.

So here she was at the engagement party scheming on how she would get Becky out of Alex’s life. To anyone watching, her she looked the picture of happiness. If only they could see inside her head how she was planning to ruin the engaged couple’s happiness.


Next morning Kate went to work early. She went to Becky’s computer and typed in Becky’s user name and password. Becky was the chief accountant and she had access to all the financial data and online accounts. Kate hacked into the accounts and removed some money from the office accounts to Becky’s savings account. Over the next few days, she did the same at different times of day.

Then at the end of the week she asked for leave for one day to go help Becky to shop for clothes for the wedding. Then she sent an anonymous email from a bogus email account that she had set up to the CEO that someone in the accounts department was embezzling funds.

The next day she went shopping with Becky encouraging her to buy expensive clothes and jewelry to the honeymoon and wedding. She was setting Becky up to look like she had stolen money to finance her wedding plans.

The next day she reported back to the company as usual. She went into her office, the sign on the door written IT Manager. At around ten the CE0 called her to his office. He said that he had gotten a disturbing note that someone was stealing money from the company. Could she allow the auditors access to her computer so that they could check the transactions of the accounts department. Kate said she was happy to and left the office with a satisfied smile.

The auditors spent all week going over the records starting from a year before to the present. Finally they found the transactions from Becky’s computer. They gave the information to the CEO. He called the police and they came to arrest Becky at the office. She protested her innocence but to no avail.


Kate defended Becky to her workmates. She told them that maybe the pressure of getting married had gotten to Becky and she had decided to borrow some money to pay for the wedding.

Later, a heartbroken Alex told Kate "I don’t know what it is about me that I attract bad girls. It seems that every girl I meet is just pretending to be good. Thank God I have you. A true friend. Good and kind. I don’t know what I’d do without you. My best friend."

Kate smiled. She was going to get her man and no one would stand in her way. One day soon Alex would see that they were the perfect couple.


Rayhab 09

Playa

Martin sat at the bar, sipping his drink. He scanned the crowd at the nightclub. The human traffic moving in and out of the dance floor. He was looking for someone, on the hunt for his next prey. No one interested him. Been there, done that, he thought.

Then he saw her on the edge of the dance floor. “Oh my, sexy sexy!” He licked his lips. The woman seemed to have been poured into that red dress. It clung to her curves like a glove and she had the body of a goddess. He had to get a second look, his predator instinct kicking in. He almost roared the mighty lion in hunt of the beautiful gazelle.

Martin moved up to her and ignoring the other hungry eyes watching them, started dancing with her. Up close she was more striking then from afar. She had clear ebony skin, brown eyes, and a beautiful face with full lips that begged to be kissed. He flirted with her as they danced, romancing her with seductive smiles and those smooth dance moves that he had perfected. He bought her drinks and made her laugh, lowering her inhibitions.

At 3 o'clock he whispered in her ear that they should go to his house to get to know each other better. She agreed and went with him.

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Next morning, Martin woke with a smile on his face. “Oh what a night!” Still sleepy but content, he reached out for his latest catch but she wasn’t there. She's probably downstairs making breakfast. He drifted back to sleep feeling really tired.

A couple of hours later he awoke and looked at his watch. It was 4 0'clock in the afternoon. "Oh my God! Am late for work," he said. He woke up and looked around at his empty room. What! His eyes widened and he had to rub his eyes. He ran all around the house getting almost hysterical when he found all his possessions were gone. He had been systematically robbed. The hunter had become the hunted, the player had been played.

Rayhab 09

Secret masks

When her friend told her, I love your body,
You’re so slender and you can eat anything!"
She smiled. How was her friend to know
She used to be fat and decided to go on a special diet,
That now everything she eats she puked into the toilet.

When the MP told them, "I want to go to parliament
To represent you, to look after your interests."
The people voted. How were they to know
The politician would organize for killings
And work only to safeguard his salary.

When he told her, "you’re so beautiful
I like your African figure,
Your big hips, your big breasts
Let me take you home tonight!"
How was he to know she had HIV?

When they told her, "pole for your loss,
He was such a good man, a gentleman
Always taking care of the family and protecting them!"
How were they to know she was happy
He was dead, as he had beaten and abused her all their married life.

When her friends found out she was pregnant
And asked her who the father was,
Teasing her whose child it could be,
She ran off in tears, how were they to know
Her father sexually abused her and made her pregnant.

When I walk past you, and smile, you say hallo and I say hi back.
We laugh and talk about superficial things,
Yet we don’t say what’s really on our minds
I don’t know what you’re hiding under your smiling mask
And you don’t know what am hiding under mine.

Raylitpoems 2009

Love song part 3 - A kenyan love story

FOUR YEARS LATER.

Nyokabi sat at the head table as she looked at the people in the room, her guests as it were to her graduation party. She had graduated from the University of London with a degree in law. After what had happened to her and Kamau she had felt helpless. She had wanted to help people be able to fight for her rights.

She wondered what had happened to Kamau. She had no one to give her the information. She had never come for holiday visits to Kenya, her father preferring to keep her away. Her parents and siblings had moved to Nairobi after the incident because of what had happened to Kamau.

From what she had gathered from her sisters, Kamau’s dad had been kept in jail for two months under orders from her father. He had said that Kamau’s dad would stay there until Kamau returned as it had been determined that the dad had taken his son to the bus stop and thus allowed his escape.

It is only after the village elders and Nyokabi’s mother’s intervention that kame’s dad was released. But during that time bad blood had developed between the villagers and the Mbae’s family. Mr. Mbae had been forced to take his family to Nairobi.

Since they did not have any friends in the village anymore, no one seemed to know what had happened to Kamau.

“So much for the dream that Kamau and I will find each other and live happily ever after. I know that after what my father did, Kamau will never want to talk to me again. I wish I could see him and tell him how sorry I am. I wish I had never kissed him not for my sake but for his. Maybe things would have turned out different.’ Nyokabi thought to herself.

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Kamau sat in his office at Nyaga Construction Company. He was trying to finish doing the payroll for the construction workers. Kamau was the cashier for the construction company that had hired him four years ago. He had worked in construction rising up the ranks from carrying stones to being a fundi.
Two years ago the cashier had quit running away with some of the money for payroll. The boss was looking for someone to hire and was waiting to interview some candidates.

Kamau had seen this as his opportunity to get a better job. He had been tired of being a fundi. It was not something that required him to think. It was a routine job that was very repetitive and boring. He also needed money for university. His letter had come for the university and his parents had sent it to him.

He knew he could not apply for HELB because it would mean that Mr. Mbae could track him down. He needed money to pay for his exams. So he went to talk to the boss.

“Sir, in high school I did accounts and got an A. I would like to apply for the position of cashier.” Kamau had said to the boss.

The boss was surprised. “If you got an A in accounts, what are you doing working as a laborer. Bring your papers and I will think about giving you a job on probation”

Kamau had already carried a copy of his KCSE certificate plus the original. He gave them to the boss.

The boss was shocked. “Son, you have an A. Shouldn’t you be university right now?”

Kamau explained that circumstances had forced him to look for a job just after high school. He now needed to pay for his university education and so that’s why he needed the job.

The boss agreed to hire Kamau as the cashier on probation for 3 months and if things worked out he would hire him permanently. The boss had been so impressed with Kamau’s good and hard work that he had even increased his salary so he could pay for his university education.

Kamau had given up the idea of doing architecture. It was a full time course with no classes in the evening. Kamau was heartbroken to give up his dream but he knew that in life sometimes you have to take the lemons and make lemonade. A year ago he had started his degree in the parallel programme. He was studying accounts and business. He was enjoying the course and the things he was learning.

As he sat in his chair he thought about his life. It had not turned out the way he expected or dreamed. He thought about Nyokabi a lot. He wondered what had happened to her. He knew that she had been forced to go to the UK. But since the parents had moved to Nairobi no one seemed to know what had happened to her.

Kamau had written a song in Kikuyu about her which he would play on his guitar. Some of it went something like this.

Nyokabi my beautiful one,
Your face haunts my dreams,
I wonder where you are.
Your beautiful face and your smile,
I hold in my heart.
You were my one true love,
I wish I could see you honey
And tell you how I feel.
My beautiful one,
I love you, come home to me.

Kamau played in a band called “the kikuyu calabashes.” He was actually the lead singer although he had come into the group as the last member. The group was composed of four guys and a girl.

It had all come about a year ago. Sometimes Kamau’s classmates from university parallel program would invite him out for a drink. It was at one of these nightclubs that he met Angela. He had no idea how that encounter would change his life.

Angela was the female singer and dancer for the band. She had moves like Shakira and had a full African figure. Big breasts and big hips. She was not what you would call beautiful. More like very pretty. But when she was up with the band she was sensational. No man could take his eyes off her. It’s like she spun a spell with her sexy voice and sensual seductive moves.

Kamau as was still naïve and sweet when he met her. When she finished her set Kamau went to congratulate her on her performance, telling her that she had a great voice but the man playing the guitar did not do justice to her voice.

Angela was a woman of the world, loved the sincere flattery that she heard from Kamau but she was not interested in his opinion. He looked like a simple guy. From his dressing you could tell that he didn’t make much and he had that cheap look that said he was probably a student. He was handsome, she thought and he had a deep voice that for a weaker woman would have made her tremble. But she was not a weaker woman.

She dismissed him as a bother. Angela looked out for number one. Herself. She was not interested in admirer’s who could do nothing for her. She had rent to pay and other things that needed money. But somehow that comment about the guitar player not doing her voice justice stuck in her mind.

The next night she invited her boyfriend over to hear her play. He was a record producer who had been telling her for ages that he would get her a demo tape. That had never materialized. Angela didn’t let it bother her. She knew he was using her and she was using him. Angela made sure that at any event she attended with her boyfriend she would attach herself to an important musician. Sometimes she would find herself going back to the musician’s house for a little fun. She didn’t mind. That’s how things were done. Some might have called her a groupie but she didn’t go by that. You would never find her following those musicians around begging for scraps of time or a photo opportunity. Angela was smart. She was not one of those women as she would tell herself. I am going to make it and make it big. Everyone will remember my name.

When it was time for her break she asked her boyfriend casually ‘baby you think the group is playing well. I thought the guitar wasn’t quite right?”

Her boyfriend replied “actually he is not that great. He is off key sometimes but unless you listen closely you can’t tell.’

Now this was interesting. Her boyfriend had never told her the guitar was off. Clearly he did not have her best interests at heart. Clearly it was time to let him go. He couldn’t help her anyway and she had heard that his studio was having money problems. “I don’t hang out with losers. Its time for you to hit the road,” she thought.

She thought about her problems. She tried to tell the guitar player to work on his skills but it seemed he thought he knew better. After all what did she know about guitar?

Two weeks later Kamau was back with his friends. Even though he had never quite gotten over Nyokabi, Angela was on his mind. He was infatuated with her. He had not really had time to socialize much in the city. With his busy job and university he was so swamped and tired at the end of the day all he wanted was his bed.

Kamau was no fool however. He understood signals and he had gotten the signs that Angela was just not interested. But it didn’t stop him from thinking about her. Her music drew him to her. She was like a flame that moths gravitated towards not knowing that their death might be imminent.

So when Angela came to his table at the break to say hi, Kamau’s heart almost stopped. He did not stop to think what could have brought about the change of heart.

Angela on that day was wearing a blue dress that clung to her like a second skin and left nothing to the imagination. It was a good thing Kamau had not watched the movie the devil in a blue dress otherwise he might have been more weary of Angela.

“Sweetie,” she said, how are you. I haven’t seen you for a while. I thought you liked my singing. I was sad when you didn’t come back!” as she sat at an empty seat that one of Kamau’s friends had just vacated to create room for her

Kamau could not believe that she had remembered him. He was mesmerized by her lips that had some shiny red lipstick that seemed to glitter. As if to heighten the effect she took a cigarette out of her stocking.

‘Sweetie, please light this cigarette for me,” Angela said. Kamau looked around to his friends to see who had a lighter. One of his friends who smoked gave Kamau his lighter. Kamau leaned in to light Angela’s cigarette which was now on her lips. He could smell her perfume, something light and fresh. It smelt heavenly.

Angela took a puff and then said, ‘honey I have been thinking about what you said about the guitar player. I think that it may be true that he is not so good. Would you happen to know how to play? I would like to see if there is a difference. Would you play with me one set? Please baby!” and with that she leaned forward and showed Kamau a glimpse of her cleavage.

Poor Kamau. He wasn’t thinking properly. Actually at that moment if she had told him to go to the moon he would probably have found a way there.

Kamau agreed. Angela went to the guitar player whose name was Michael and told him to go get a drink. She had gotten a friend of hers to do the next set. Michael went off, glad for a chance to get some beer and some rest. That gal is so pretty but she is such a bitch, he thought as he went to the bar to get himself a drink or two.

Kamau took the guitar and tuned it. It felt right in his hands. He did not have a guitar to play with at home. He had left his guitar when he had fled the village. But sometimes in the youth service he attended he was called to play and sing whenever there was a special guest coming in.

The music was flowing. Kamau had a gift for musical instruments. He could play and had played most instruments including the Isikuti while in high school. The only thing he had not learnt to play was the piano because his school could not afford one let alone hire a teacher to teach it.

At some point Angela asked Kamau whether he could sing and when he said yes, Angela asked him to join her in a song. The chemistry was amazing. The music sounded good to the ears. It was like collaboration between Barry White and Mariah Carey. At the end of the performance the audience clapped and cheered asking them to play another number together. They seemed to have real appreciation for the duet.

When Angela saw how people were appreciating the music more and seemed to be focused on her, she realized something. She had to get Kamau into the band and under her thumb. He was going to be her ticket to fame.

And that is how Kamau started playing in the band “the kikuyu calashes” as the lead singer and guitarist. Kamau had no way of knowing it at the time but this band would change his life and fortunes.

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Nyokabi sat on her bed and wept. The party for her graduation and homecoming had taken place hours ago. The party had wound up at around 2 o’clock with people going off to various spots to enjoy themselves. But Nyokabi had not felt like celebrating. Her degree seemed to her an empty trophy. She could swing it around yes and show everyone but somehow to her it meant nothing.

The past four years that she had spent in UK doing her degree and pupilage had seemed to have dragged on. She had hated the winter. The place was so bloody cold. She wondered how anyone would survive and thrive in such an environment. She had wanted the sun, its warmth on her face as she woke up and went through her day. The weather had just made more depressing a situation she had not wanted to be.

She had not wanted to go to the UK. She planned to hate it with all her heart and grudgingly do her degree. Eventually though she found that the city had cast a spell on her and she started to love it. There was nothing to go home to. No one knew where Kamau was and she hated her father with all her heart for what he had done.

Nyokabi chatted with her mum every week. On Saturday night she would call her and they would catch up. She had tried to tell her mum about email but her mother just didn’t seem to get the concept so they were forced to write each other letters. She would get so excited to get letters from her mum and sisters. Her dad wrote too but she didn’t care about that. Nyokabi largely ignored him unless she was asking for money for allowance and expenses.

Nyokabi had a social one through a screwed one. She had made friends with a couple of girls and they had become close. But men, she stayed away from them. The experience with Kamau had scarred her. It was partly because she was in love with him and was sorry for ruining his life and also the guilty at what her dad had done ate at her. She did not want to be distracted from her studies by men who were just passing time with her.

She would think, “one day I will go back to Kenya and find Kamau. Maybe there is still a chance for us to be together, to be happy.”

But as the years past Nyokabi gave up on the illusion of love and of finding Kamau. “He probably has a girlfriend or two. He is so handsome and his voice…..” she would think.

By second year she had mellowed at least a bit. Nyokabi started going out with the girls out on the town to have a great time. She did not drink much though. She was scared of what might happen if she set herself loose. Nyokabi had seen what happened to some girls when they got drunk. They would strip their clothes or start singing at the top of their voices. Sometimes they would let a man take them home.

“That life is not for me. I want to get my degree and go home. I don’t want attachments or one night stands.” Nyokabi had not let go of her old fashioned values. She did sometimes though wish she had a boyfriend who loved her and cherished her like some of her friends had.

Nyokabi put all her energy into school. She always ended up in the dean’s list. She was an outstanding student but a D average in social skills.

Some campus guys were fascinated by her. She was very beautiful even by standards outside of Kenya. They kept trying to woo her and were not rebuffed when she said no. they tried again and again. Eventually they got the message that “Nyokabi was not available”

So here was Nyokabi back in Nairobi. She had her degree in law but she had no love. The worst thing was Nyokabi felt lost. She felt like she was caught in a time warp. Things had changed and no one had time for her. Her sisters were close probably because they had not been banished abroad although they went to expensive schools in the city and one was in 1st year at university.

Nyokabi had tried asking her mum about Kamau. Mrs. Mbae had looked at her daughter with a sad look in her eyes and said, “Kamau’s mum no longer speaks to me and no one from the village has told me anything. They all despise us for what your father did. But I heard I don’t know if it is true that Kamau is working as a clerk somewhere in the city.’

Nyokabi’s heart had sunk at that news. Kamau with all his potential was a clerk. She thought Kamau must hate her and curse her every day for that kiss. She had no doubt at all that Kamau was in that situation because of her and her dad.

“I am going back to UK. There is nothing for me here. At least there I have friends and I have a purpose. I don’t want to stay here,” she thought as she buried her face in her pillow and tried to get some sleep.

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Mr. Mbae relaxed in the tent outside his house. He took a sip of his expensive whiskey as his friends chatted all around him. “This was all worth it. My daughter is a graduate of a prestigious university with a law degree.”

Mr. Mbae frowned as he thought of how that imbecile boy had almost ruined his daughter’s future. Mr. Mbae had no apologies what so ever for what he had done. He felt he had been justified in what he had done. Given a chance he would have done it all over again.

As he looked as his beautiful expensive house in Karen with a view of the Ngong hills he thought, “Look how far I have come. With my brains and sweat I have gotten myself here. Who would imagine a simple poor village boy would get this far.”

Mr. Mbae had been born Jon Mbae Mburu. He had been the last born of a family of six children. His father had been a teacher and his mother a stay home mother and farmer. When he was two his father abandoned them and went to the city to look for better fortunes. He had never returned. His mother had been forced to raise him and his siblings out of her earnings from the farm. Before his father left Mbae and the family had not exactly been staving but they had gotten by. When his dad left there was no money.

Eventually to make money maze’s mum started brewing traditional changaa. There were always men, drunk men around their house. Sometimes one of them would become a temporary occupant of his mother’s bed.

Mbae grew up hating his circumstances. “I will get out of here. I promise. One day I will get out of here and I will never look back. I will not be poor like this forever. I will make it no matter what it takes.”

Mbae would go to school in the mornings. Well, when there was no work in the shamba or helping his mum get the ingredients for the changaa. Making changaa wasn’t easy. The police were always coming around for a bribe or sometimes for a drink. Sometimes especially when there was a new boss at the station there would be harsh measures. The police would come and carry away the drums of changaa and his mother to boot. She would end up spending a couple of days in the cell while she negotiated her release.

During those times the family would go hungry. Everyone around them was also poor. They did not have money to feed 8 empty mouths, the two extra being children Mbae’s mum had gotten with different men who had stayed over for a couple of months before moving on.

By the time Mbae was ten all of his siblings had left. His two sisters had gotten pregnant and married the losers who had gotten them that way. Their lives were pretty much what their mother’s had been. Suffering and more suffering. Mbae’s brothers had all gone to the city to look for money and their father. They promised to return and save the family. None did. It’s like they left the filthy hut with the fermented smell and the black cockroaches and say au revoir.

So by the age of ten Mbae was the defunct head of the family. Mbae was clever. He found ways to hide mtungi’s of changaa far away from the house where the cops even if they came would never find them. He also found a way to distribute the changaa so as to make maximum profits. He would borrow a bicycle sometimes and cycle with some of the changaa and distribute it. Soon people started sending him to other areas to buy and sell for them things. He would charge them a commission.

By the time Mbae was seventeen he had bought two bicycles of his own. He used them for transporting goods throughout the region and he had expanded his area of operation. He had even made friends with the police. Paying the police a monthly bribe to stay away from the operations. He even distributed changaa at the police station. The changaa he made was very good, he had taken over from his mum who had succumbed to the lure of alcohol and started consuming her own brew.

By the time Mbae was 22 he had one of those Peugeot matatu's to ply people along the route from his home area to other areas. Mbae kept expanding his operations until by the time he was 25 he was very well off.

After that he moved his base of operations to river road. He had stopped dealing in changaa when his mum died when he was 18. But he had learnt lessons from doing that business that he brought to the city. Including how to put the police into his pocket.

Mbae had met his wife in the city and they got married. He had never told her where he had come from, telling her that he was an orphan who had siblings but they did not talk. He had bought land where his wife’s family came from and that’s where they had settled.

Now as Mr. Mbae looked at his house and laughed with his wealthy friends he was content. “Look at me now. I have made it. And I have plans for Nyokabi. She doesn’t know it but she is going to make me an extremely wealthy and influential man.”

love song part 2 - an african love story

Kamau was working in the shamba with his parents. His siblings were all in school but since he had finished high school he was now working to earn his keep.

Kamau was singing as he raised the jembe up and down to till the land. He had a deep melodious voice, the type of voice that would make the gals swoon. He had a Barry white sort of voice and in high school he had been very popular at the music festivals. All the high school girls would run to hear him sing and imagine that he was singing to them.

Kamau was happy. He felt like things were finally going right for him. He was formulating plans in his head about the things he would buy when Mr. Mbae gave him a job.

“Kamau, Kamau” in the middle of his daydream he heard his name being called.

Kamau turned from where he was tilling to look up. He was at the bottom of the shamba near the river. He saw Kariuki running towards him. Kariuki was a childhood friend of his and he was wondering why Kariuki was looking for him at this time when he should also be working.

Kariuki ran down to him. He looked frightened. Kamau’s first thought was that something had happened to Nyokabi. Kamau asked, 'what’s the matter? Is there something wrong with Nyokabi?’

Kariuki took a deep breath then said “Kamau there’s trouble. Mama Nyambura told Mr. Mbae that she saw you kissing Nyokabi now he is mad. He is going to get the police to come and arrest you. Nyokabi says that you should go hide for a while.”

“What?” Kamau said.

Kariuki continued, “Nyokabi has given me two hundred shillings to give you. She said you should go to Nairobi until things calm down.”

By this time Kamau’s parents had come to hear what the commotion was about. When Kamau’s mum heard that Mr. Mbae had gone for the police she started weeping. Everyone knew the police were not to be trusted and that they sold their services to the person who could pay the most money. Efficiency and effectiveness was based on how much you could part with from your pocket.

Kamau’s father took charge. “Kamau go pack your clothes. You can go live with your cousin in Mathare valley in Nairobi until things cool down. Mama Kamau go and wrap some sweet potatoes for Kamau.”

The family hurried to the house. Kariuki went back to tell Nyokabi that he had passed the message. Kamau did not have many clothes so he was packed in a few minutes. He hugged his mother then his father walked him to the matatu stage so that he could get a matatu to the center from where he would get a bus connection to Nairobi.
Kamau’s father told him, ‘my son don’t worry. We will resolve this issue. I will send a letter when it is safe to come back. Be good and don’t get into trouble.”

A matatu came right then and Kamau entered to start his journey to Nairobi. Kamau looked out of the window looking at his dad whose figure got smaller and smaller. Kamau was in shock, things had happened so fast that he had not internalized anything. Kamau had no way of knowing it but it would be very many years before it would be safe to come home again.

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Mr. Mbae entered the police station and asked to speak to the policeman in charge. The police station in the area was not as big as the ones with the city and so there were no senior policemen stationed there. You had to go down to the center to get the big guns.

As he waited for the sergeant to come and see him Mr. Mbae was formulating his plan. He intended to have Kamau throw in jail and given a thorough beating for what he had done. He knew he had to spin the story so that Kamau looked really guilty. ‘I will make you pay for touching my daughter.’

When the sergeant came Mr. Mbae told him that Kamau had forcefully kissed his daughter and had been about to do far worse things when a neighbor came and saved his daughter. He wanted Kamau to be arrested.

The sergeant got a couple of policemen together and he briefed them. He them told mweshimiwa that they had no fuel for the police car. Mr. Mbae removed 1000 from his pocket and gave it to the sergeant.

Mr. Mbae led the way in his car to where Kamau’s parents lived. The policemen went to the door and knocked. Mama Kamau opened the door.

The sergeant said, ‘mama where is Kamau? We are here to arrest him. He has committed a grave offence.’

Kamau’s mother said he was not there and said he had gone to take for the cows grazing which is what her husband had told her to say.

By this time Kamau’s father was walking back to the house. When he reached the house he greeted the mweshimiwa and the police like there was nothing wrong. He asked with a smile, Mr. Mbae, what brings you here. It was been a long time since you visited our house. Mama Kamau please make for mweshimiwa and his escorts some tea,

Mr. Mbae said, ‘I am not here for the tea. Your son assaulted my daughter Nyokabi. The police are here to arrest him.”

Baba Kamau looked shocked and then he said, “Mr. Mbae are you sure. My son would never hurt your daughter. They are childhood friends and he would never ever hurt a woman.”

Mr. Mbae by this time was spitting mad that he had not caught Kamau. He had wanted to be the first to take out his whip and beat the boy until he learnt about respect. He was not here to be told about Kamau’s good qualities. He said, “Your son assaulted my daughter. He was about to rape her when one of my workers came in and saved her. Since your son is not here we are going with you to the police station. When your son comes he will come find us at the police station. I am not stupid. You are hiding that boy. You are hiding that rapist.”

With that the police took baba Kamau to the land rover and drove off with him to the police station. Mama Kamau was left in the house not knowing what to do.

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Back at Mr. Mbae’s house Nyokabi was so scared she could not think. She decided to go talk to her mother hoping that she would talk sense into her dad. Her mother was in the kitchen boiling some maize. She told her mum the whole story as it had happened and told her mum to talk to her dad. “It wasn’t Kamau’s fault. It was mine. I am the one who put him into problems. Mum please talk to dad, please.”

Nyokabi’s mum promised to talk to her dad. Then she said, “We don’t want your dad to be angrier when he comes. Pack your things so that when he comes you can go to Nairobi. In the light of what has happened I think its best you go away for a while.” Seeing that Nyokabi was upset she said, ‘Nyokabi you are no longer a child and you have to stop acting like you are. This situation will not be easy to resolve and you refusing to go will make things worse. Or is there something else that you’re not telling me.” She said this looking at Nyokabi’s belly.

Nyokabi said, “Mum we didn’t do anything apart from kiss.” After saying that she burst into tears and ran to her room.

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Kamau reached the city quite late. The roads were bad and it had taken a couple of hours to reach Nairobi. Because he didn’t know how to get to Mathare valley at night he had only gone there during the day he slept at the bus station. It seemed there were a lot of other stranded people who had to sleep there.

At that time there were no mobile phones so he could not call his cousin and his cousin lived in a slum with no telephone in his house. He was very careful with his money because he had heard people in Nairobi were bad. They could steal your shoes even as you watched.

In the morning Kamau woke up to the sound of bus conductors calling for customers to different destinations. Kamau stretched trying to make sense of where he was. He saw a man selling some mandazi’s and went to get some. He was very hungry. When he came back to where he had been sitting he found his bag was gone! When he had gone to get some food someone had stolen his bag.

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Mr. Mbae went back to the house in the evening a very disappointed man. The police had looked for Kamau around the village but had not found him. Kamau’s father was still in police custody being used as bait to get Kamau out of hiding.

When he got to the house he went looking for Nyokabi’s mother. “Mama Nyokabi,” he said, where is your daughter? We are leaving for Nairobi today. I hope she told you what she was doing with Kamau. This is all your fault! You should have taken care more about your daughter. Tell her to come downstairs now!” with that statement Mr. Mbae stormed off to the bedroom.

Mama Nyambura went to get Nyokabi ready and to also collect her things as she was also going to Nairobi to see Nyokabi off.

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Kamau was so shocked to find that his bag with his clothes was gone. He was so stunned that for about ten minutes he stood staring at the spot where he had spent the night. He was wondering what he would do now that his clothes and the map to his cousin’s house in Mathare valley were gone. At least he had put his money in his shirt pocket so that it could not disappear.

He sat down on the hard bench to think, his appetite had disappeared, and he could not even think about eating the mandazis in his hand which now seemed unpalatable. He calculated in his head what he needed for the journey to mathare valley. He had used most of the money for the trip but he had around 60 shillings left. “I hope its enough to get me where am going? The first thing is to get to Mathare valley to my cousin’s house.”

Kamau went to a conductor of a bus whose passengers had just alighted. He asked in Kiswahili “where can I get the matatu to Mathare?” the conductor gave him directions to another part of the city.

Kamau walked towards the direction he had been shown. He was looking at the buildings and the seemingly busy people who seemed like ants running around, everyone seemed to be in a hurry. In his mind he thought that it was a shame that he had come to the city under such bad circumstances. He had always liked coming to the city when his school used to come for music and drama festivals and also when he came to visit his cousins.

In an hour’s time after making many twists and turns in Mathare slums he found his cousin’s house. On knocking there was no reply. A neighbor came and said that his cousin Njoroge had left for the day to go to work in the construction site where he worked. He would have to wait for evening. The neighbor went back into his house not even bothered to invite Kamau in to wait for him.

Kamau sat outside the doorstep and wondered how rude and uncaring these Nairobians were that they would not watch out for their neighbors guests.

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2 days later.

Nyokabi had landed at the airport in the UK. She was jet lagged, fatigued but the worst thing she was broken hearted. She could not believe things had turned out this way. Her father had taken the family back to Nairobi and changed her flight to leave the next day. She was to stay with her relatives in north London before she started school in 6 weeks. She had already done the interview for the British High Commission but she had been hoping that she could change her dad’s mind about studying abroad.

As she left the airport with her relatives she looked out at the surroundings. It was snowing and there was mist everywhere. She could not believe her father had banished her to this cold, strange place. She was trying to keep her emotions under wrap. Her relatives were excited to see her. They assumed that she was excited to be there. After all every Kenyan fantasized about the chance to go abroad and study or visit.

Nyokabi had cried during the flight. She had gone to the bathroom numerous times to cry. She had wished for her bed so that she could cry to her heart’s content but here she was stuck in a plane full of strangers so she could not give in to her misery in the open. She already missed Kamau and wondered what he was doing and how he was coping in Nairobi.

Nyokabi promised herself that she would not forget Kamau. I don’t know how but one day Kamau we will meet and we will be together and no one will separate us not even my father, she thought.

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Kamau was wearing his cousin’s clothes. Since he had been robbed he had only the clothes he had been wearing. His cousin had come home in the evening and Kamau had told him what had transpired.

Njoroge had felt pity for Kamau. “You can stay here for as long as you like. That mp of ours has grown too big for his boots forgetting where he came from and that just the other day he was just like us.” Kamau had not eaten the whole day so he prepared for them a meal.

Njoroge suggested that Kamau should get a job at the construction site while he waited for the problem at home to cool down. It would also give Kamau a chance to make some money to buy clothes and some food while he was there.

Kamau agreed with the idea. The next day Njoroge went to the construction site to talk his supervisor about getting Kamau a job. Njoroge’s boss got him a job carrying stones with a wheelbarrow to the construction site.
Kamau had started work and found the work hard. The stones were very heavy and pushing them in the wheelbarrow was not an easy task. Kamau welcomed the work though because it kept him busy from thinking too much about what was going on at home.

‘I wonder how Nyokabi is doing? I hope Mr. Mbae did not lock her up. And my parents I hope them are ok. Mr. Mbae is capable of doing anything. But I will go home soon and then I will find out what happened.’

Groanings at the office

I stroke you back and forth,
As you mourn with ecstasy.
I feel the sweat building on my temple,
As I work to keep you satisfied.
You are intent on your own pleasure,
As I push the right buttons to make you light up.
Deeper and deeper your mourn is.
Yet I do not get any satisfaction.
You are draining my energy
And I want this to be over
Yet I keep working on you,
To finish this job that I have started.
Finally it is over
And I have to wipe up the mess.
You ignore me,
Like I did nothing for you.
I walk away annoyed,
You’re such an ungrateful, stupid, and dirty photocopy.

raylitpoems 2003

Love song Part 1 - A Kenyan love story

Kamau stood at the edge of the shamba waiting for Nyokabi. He was so excited and he could hardly contain himself. He whistled as in his mind he formulated his life ahead.

When Nyokabi came into view he stopped whistling and watched her walking towards him. He thought to himself that he had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. Nyokabi had a round beautiful face, with bewitching black eyes, with full lips and spackling white teeth with a gap in the front teeth. She had long black hair and a beautiful figure. When Nyokabi saw him, she smiled. Her smile was as blinding as the sun as when she smiled her dimples came out and her eyes twinkled.

When Nyokabi reached him she asked "well?”

"I Got an A." said Kamau. Nyokabi squealed and jumped to hug him. Kamau held her for a moment or two then reluctantly released her. Nyokabi pulled him to her and kissed him. Kamau was surprised he had not expected this. The kiss was sweet, Nyokabi tasted like nectar and Kamau could have kissed her the whole day.

Then Nyokabi stepped away from him. She said, "I always wanted to try that. I loved it."

Kamau didn't know what to say. He had been in love with Nyokabi for years but he knew that they had class differences that were too wide to breach and so he had dared not dream about her least he got a broken heart.

Kamau and Nyokabi had grown up together in the same village in the rural area. Their parents had farms on adjacent properties. Nyokabi's father also did business and had increased his wealth. This had not really changed the strong relationship between the families. It was when Nyokabi's dad was made into an mp that things changed.

Nyokabi and her sisters were removed from the local primary school and taken to private schools. Nyokabi’s dad Mr. Mbae started letting the power get to his head. He stopped associating with the people in the village and started spending all his time in Nairobi. Mr. Mbae then moved his family away from the village to Nairobi. The gals would only come to the village doing the holidays when they had closed school to spend time with their mother who had moved back saying that the city was too crowded and crazy for her.

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Mr. Mbae started acquiring new friends in the city, influential politicians, and businessmen. He now had no time for small time farmers like Kamau's father. They stopped visiting each other and their families slowly drifted apart.

Kamau and Nyokabi remained friends though. They were the same age and had gone to primary school together. Nyokabi had been taken to a British curriculum school and so she had finished earlier then Kamau and already had her results.

Nyokabi had told Kamau that if he passed very well her dad would give him a job and pay his fees at university. Kamau and Nyokabi cheerfully discussed their dreams. Kamau wanted to do architecture and design and build houses. Nyokabi wanted to be a lawyer. After around 2 hours they left the shamba chatting happily unaware that they were being watched.

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Nyokabi went home a happy girl. She had wanted to kiss Kamau for ages but had never had the courage. She put her fingers to her lips as she thought about the sweet kiss, her very first. She had never felt the way she felt about anyone else. She had always had a crush on Kamau. He was a great guy but abit shy. Kamau also had a great body like one of those stars you saw in the movies.

Kamau was around 6 feet tall and had broad strong shoulders from working on the farm. He was actually nicely muscular. The most arresting thing was his eyes. He had black eyes with a ring of brown in them. He was dark, very dark but he had a handsome face. the thing that people liked about Kamau the most was the fact that he had a good heart. He was always good to people.

Nyokabi went to their house and went to look for her father who had come home the night before. He was sitting in the sitting room watching TV.

Nyokabi said, "Dad, Kamau got an A. You had promised that if he did well you would give him a job and pay for his university."

Mr. Mbae looked at Nyokabi and said, "Nyokabi I thought you were taught better manners then that. First greet me then you can tell me what it is you want. Kamau got an A. well that’s good. He can come work in my office until he's to start university then he will get money to pay his fees."

"Dad I thought you said you will pay for him university?’ Nyokabi said.

"Young lady do I look like a charity? I have to look for money to pay for your degree in the UK. I don’t have money to waste on Kamau. He is not my son. If his parents had been hard working like me they would be able to afford to send him to university."

"Dad, I told you I don’t want to study abroad. I want to go to university in Kenya. I want to study here!" cried Nyokabi.

"I have already paid the fees for the first term. You will leave in two weeks with the daughter of Njenga, the MP of Nyeri. You are going to be a great lawyer when you come back. That subject is closed!"

With those words Nyokabi's heart sunk.

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Kamau went home to tell his family the good news. His family was very happy for him and started making plans to have a family celebration.

That night when he went to bed he started thinking about Nyokabi. He could not believe Nyokabi had kissed him. It was strange. Kamau had started having feelings for her when he became a teenager but he had never told her. One because he was shy and two because her dad had become an mp when they were in standard eight and the social divide between them had grown.

As he lay in bed he thought about going to university and how becoming an architect would make it possible to afford the lifestyle that Nyokabi had gotten used to. He fell asleep dreaming about him and Nyokabi getting married and having 3 children.

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Nyokabi wept as she lay in her bed. She could not believe that her dad could be so cruel and inconsiderate. She had all this plans in her head about going to university and convincing Kamau that they belonged together. During high school when the other girls had many boyfriends she had remained alone thinking only of Kamau.

She was not naïve. She knew that since her father became an MP and got rich they had a lot of money. There were now class differences between her and Kamau. But that didn’t matter. What matters is how I feel about him.

Nyokabi fell asleep trying to think of a way to make sure that her dad did not send her to UK.

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The next morning was a very gloomy looking morning. The clouds were grey and dark and it looked like it would rain during the day.

Nyokabi woke up late because she had been tossing and turning because she couldn’t sleep well. She woke up tired. She went downstairs to have breakfast. Looking outside the main window she saw mama Nyambura standing outside.

Nyokabi frowned wondering what the old lady was doing there. Mama Nyambura was the village gossip and trouble maker. She seemed to like spreading trouble and gossiping about people. Nyokabi did not like her at all. “I guess the old witch wants to see my dad to ask him for money or something.”

She shrugged her sense of unease and went to the dinning room to eat breakfast. She sat nursing her tea and bread as she tried to think of what she could do to change her father’s mind.

She was just finishing her tea when she heard her dad bellowing “Nyokabi, Nyokabi!”

Nyokabi ran to her father’s office. “Yes, dad here I am”

Mr. Mbae looked spitting mad. “Nyokabi is what I hear true? Where were you yesterday? What were you doing with Kamau?

Nyokabi was taken aback. “Dad I was just taking to Kamau in the shamba. We were discussing his results.”

Oh ok. So it’s not true what mama Nyambura is telling me. That you let that boy kiss you. That you let that filthy boy touch you.”

Nyokabi was left speechless for a minute. Mama Nyambura looked very satisfied. Her mischief was done and now she had gossip for the whole village. The MP’s daughter with the neighbor’s son. She wondered how much chumvi she could add to the story.

“Nyokabi answer me. Tell me you did not let that boy touch you. I am going to have that boy thrown in jail. How dare he touch you?”

Nyokabi tried to protest. “Dad it wasn’t like that. It was me ………”

That seemed to inflame her father further. “Oh it was you. Is that the girl you have become? Throwing yourself at any man. Is that what they teach you in school? What the hell were you thinking? I blame your mother. She is not watching over you. This boy will see who he is dealing with.”

Mr. Mbae turned to Mama Nyambura. “Please go. I will deal with this matter. I will give you some money later. Don’t tell anyone what happened. If I hear this story will know it is you who has spread the story and you will be sorry!”

Mama Nyambura left.

Mr. Mbae told Nyokabi. “After all I have done for you, you still think like a villager. I am very disappointed in you. You will never see that boy again. Go pack your things. I am taking you to Nairobi today. I will change the flight. You will leave for the UK today.”

Nyokabi was crying at this point. “Dad don’t…….’

“I don’t want to hear anything from you. Go get packed now. Let me deal with that villager. He will know who is playing with. I am going to have him arrested right now. No one touches my daughter. No one.’’ After saying that Mr. Mbae stormed out.

Nyokabi was left in the office crying. Oh what a mess, she thought. She knew her dad was not joking when he said he would have Kamau arrested. What can I do?

She ran outside and went to the shamba behind the house. Kariuki a childhood friend of hers worked in the shamba for them. He had never finished high school and had gone to work for the Mbae family to feed his family.

“Kariuki, Kariuki” she called. Kariuki came running.

“What is it Nyokabi?” he said.

Kariuki please do me a favor, run to Kamau’s house. Kamau should be in the shamba. Tell him he needs to go away. My father has gone to get the police to arrest him because he kissed me and Mama Nyambura told dad. Here, I have 200 shillings. Tell him to go hide in Nairobi because my father will hurt him.