Stories from the banking hall

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  People out here are angry, really angry. I know this is no way to start a story, but relax it's heading somewhere, I promise. It's a chilly morning and I'm at a bank waiting for my turn to be served, service yao ilikuwa imeanza kusumbua from Monday, but hey, that's a story for another time. I could feel like I was a bit out of place, you know? because the last time I remember I was in a bank was many years ago, when I was on campus, paying for my fees. Mzazi aliniamia bana, alijua ningepata guts, temptations za kukula fee ingekam, ningejua venye ningeilipa. So where was I?  Oh yes, there is this guy who is seated like 2 or three seats away from me, bigger and older than me from the looks of it, looks like a business man, or in lay man terms jamaa wa madeals. After a few minutes waiting, he starts getting impatient, and frustrated so he starts complaining, why is the service taking so long, can't they go a little faster, and so on and so forth.  I'm seated ther...

Take me back.

              A couple of months back, nilikuwa nimeenda place fulani shughuli na one of my boyz, Tommy, tulikuwa Whistling Moran I think. Tulifika mapema, tumetulia tunangoja tu clients wafike. I always arrive early for business, a skill I unknowingly picked up from my old man. Tommy alikuwa anataka kushika one or two beers to kill time before clients wafike, lakini nikamsho zii, business first, atashika a couple of beers after tumemalizana na clients. 


Tulikuwa tunataka tu kufine tune some details kwa contract fulani tulipata ya kuweka some serious coins in our pockets with the clients ndio tusichomeke. After they arrive, tunaanza kuiron out some details with the clients, it takes a while, going back and forth, and right before I reach my breaking point to snap and maybe flip the table on them like I have see it done in the movies, the clients compromises, and agree to some of the changes we want in the contract. 


Satisfied, we bid the clients goodbye as we are left there deliberating the next steps. Tommy beckons the waiter, orders a KO infused with Mukombero and a Sprite for me. One is I was the one behind the wheel that day, two, I don't drink anymore ilinichosha tu, three the last time tuliaminia someone drunk akuwe behind the wheel, kidogo tujipate in the belly of the Rift Valley mkikaribishwa Sayuni. 


Drinks zinafika, tuko hapo tukisip sip tukiongea about life and shit and venye hii contract iko almost at our grasp. 




Tommy laughs, naumuuliza what's up, then he decides to show me a pic, and I just find myself saying out loud, 


“Ayayaa!

Hii pic umepatana nayo wapi?”


Pic ni someone's daughter na mimi. Naona venye alikuwa mrembo na design nilikuwa nimempenda mbaya. Nacheka alafu naambia Boyz wangu venye nilikuwa nimepanga future na someone's daughter, many many moons ago, way before life inipige uppercut ya reality haamini. I don't blame him though, hio ilikuwa before mapenzi inioneshe shege, na nikuambie never again! 


(Story for another day.) 


Niko hapo nasikia a mix of feelings, one ni ile baddies hupenda kuisema sema, cringe, a bit of nostalgia, na ka regret kiasi. My phone vibrates, kuangalia napata ni Tommy amenitumia another pic imenitoa ka John Wick nikiwa in the middle of a fight. He’s like, 


“Souley, 

unakumbuka hii day? 

Design tuliguza guza watu kiasi, 

ju ya 

kuchokoza the love of your life 

back then?”

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