Stories from the banking hall

 

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 there waiting for my turn while the guy, 2 or 3 seats over keeps on complaining, his frustration is clearly seen rising steadily. The attendant tries to calm him down by telling him to chill, atasaidiwa. Venye attendant alisema hivyo, ni kama aliwasha moto! The guy ni kama alitake offence kwa kuambiwa ni kama hio service anangojea ni kama bank inamfanyia charity for serving him! 

Venye attendant aliona anaendelea kupigwa msomo, akaamua kuenda kuketi tu chini, asijibu amwage unga, na jamaa atulie. I felt pity for the attendant, someone is mouthing off at you hio asubuhi yote, and there's nothing you can do. Nilikuwa najiambia ujaribu kuniletea hio mdomo ya kunipiga msomo haieleweki, ni ngumi mzito inakuwa na urafiki na uso yako unazima kiasi tu, nitakupitishia smelling salts around your nose you smell, ujisikie turn yako ikifika.

So the guy pauses his rant for a bit, makes a call who I presume is the one he's paying, complains on the phone about how the service is moving so slow, and asks if he can do the payment on Monday. I guess he doesn't get confirmation at that moment, so he starts complaining again to anyone who can hear. 

I look around, people are trying as much as possible to look busy, so as not to be mistaken by the guy as an audience. After a few minutes, the guy receives a call, he's on it for a few minutes, then he gets up to leave. But not before announcing loudly that client amekubali payment ikuwe processed Monday.