Jonas Kweka alitoa printer paper sita na kuzipanga sakafuni nyuma ya photocopy shop yake.
“Usiite database,” alisema.
Mariam akamwangalia. “Sikuwa na mpango.”
“Watu wakisikia database wanaanza kuleta kila kitu.”
“Tunataka vitu vinavyofanana tu.”
“Exactly.”
Shop yake ilikuwa nyembamba, ikiwa na printers mbili, photocopier kubwa na meza ya ku-bind. Harufu ya toner ilikuwa imechanganyika na kahawa. Nje, mabasi yalikuwa yakipiga honi kila dakika chache.
Mariam alikuja na folder lake. Mama Pendo alikuja na bahasha ya zamani. Familia nyingine mbili kutoka Mto Mdogo zilikuwa zimekubali kuleta copies zao baada ya Jonas kuwapigia na kuwaeleza kwamba hakuna kitu kingepigwa picha bila ruhusa.
Kabla hawajaanza, Mariam aliandika rules kwenye karatasi kubwa.
1. Hakuna jina linalotoka nje bila consent. 2. Tunalinganisha wording, dates, references na status tu. 3. Rumor haiingii kwenye table. 4. Hakuna kudai unit ya mtu mwingine. 5. Kila copy irudi kwa mwenyewe.
Mama Pendo akasoma rule ya nne.
“Na tukikuta namba yetu imepewa mtu?”
Mariam akasema, “Tutauliza process ilikuwaje. Hatutamfuata huyo mtu bila evidence.”
Jonas akatikisa kichwa. “Good.”
Familia ya kwanza ilikuwa na priority letter yenye stamp ya kijani kama Mariam, lakini wording yake ilikuwa tofauti kidogo.
PRIORITY CATEGORY: ORIGINAL DISPLACEMENT HOUSEHOLD.
Mariam akatoa yake.
PRIORITY CATEGORY: VERIFIED RELOCATION APPLICANT.
Jonas akasema, “Hizi si sentence sawa.”
“Lakini wote tulibomolewa Mto Mdogo,” Mama Pendo alisema.
“Usiamue meaning bado,” Mariam akasema. “Andika wording.”
Jonas akafungua spreadsheet.
Columns: HOUSEHOLD CODE. LETTER DATE. PRIORITY WORDING. PAYMENT DATE. BATCH REFERENCE. PORTAL STATUS. UNIT STATUS IF KNOWN. CONSENT LEVEL.
Mariam akasema, “Hakuna majina.”
Jonas akatumia codes A, B, C, D.
Mariam alikuwa A.
Mama Pendo B.
Familia ya tatu ilikuwa C.
Familia ya nne D.
Walipoanza kuingiza data, pattern haikuonekana mara moja.
Mariam: payment confirmed, BM-17, sold out, no allocation found.
Mama Pendo: payment confirmed, batch reference tofauti, waiting review.
C: payment confirmed, unit assigned miezi miwili iliyopita.
D: payment confirmed, phase two offer received, no phase-one unit.
Jonas akasema, “Hii ni messy.”
Mariam akajibu, “Messy si proof.”
“Najua.”
Mama Pendo akafungua bahasha yake.
“Nina barua ya kwanza na nyingine waliotuma baada ya miezi miwili.”
Jonas akasema, “Tunaweza scan?”
“Ndiyo, lakini usiweke online.”
“Sitafanya.”
Barua ya kwanza ilikuwa na line iliyosema households za relocation zingepewa priority allocation kabla ya open-market release ya units zilizobaki.
Barua ya pili ilikuwa na wording laini zaidi: eligible households would be considered in available allocation windows.
Mariam alisoma mara mbili.
“Priority allocation,” alisema.
Mama Pendo akasema, “Ndiyo nilichokumbuka.”
“Na mpya haisemi hivyo.”
Jonas akaongeza column mpya: PROMISE WORDING VERSION.
Mariam akasema, “Usiandike promise broken.”
“Kwa nini?” Mama Pendo aliuliza.
“Kwa sababu bado hatujui kama wording ilibadilishwa kabla au baada ya baadhi ya allocations. Tunajua tu letters zinatofautiana.”
Mama Pendo hakufurahia, lakini alikubali.
Familia C ilileta letter yake. Wording ilikuwa ya zamani. Payment batch ilikuwa BM-16, siku moja kabla ya BM-17.
Jonas akainua macho.
“Hii inakaribia kuwa interesting.”
“Usiseme hivyo,” Mariam alisema. “Andika.”
C alikuwa amepata unit.
Mariam alikuwa BM-17 na hakupata.
Familia D ilikuwa BM-18 na haikupata phase one.
Mama Pendo alikuwa batch nyingine ya marekebisho na status ya review.
“Kwa hiyo cut-off ilikuwa between 16 na 17?” Jonas aliuliza.
Mariam akasema, “Maybe. Lakini hatujui kama batch code ndiyo allocation sequence.”
“True.”
Jonas akaandika kwenye QUESTIONS column: Does payment batch order equal priority allocation order? Was letter wording changed before or after phase-one assignments? Were some old priority codes migrated differently?
Mariam alitazama maswali hayo na kuhisi tofauti kubwa. Jana alikuwa na hasira. Leo alikuwa na maswali ambayo mtu mwingine angeweza kujibu kwa record.
Tunu alifika baada ya shule akiwa amebeba bag yake.
“Bado uko hapa?”
“Dakika ishirini.”
Tunu aliangalia karatasi sakafuni.
“Hawa wote hawana nyumba?”
“Cases zao ni tofauti.”
“Lakini wote mlilipia?”
“Ndiyo, kwa namna tofauti.”
Tunu akakaa kwenye kiti cha Jonas.
“School van seat imeenda?”
Mariam akasimama.
Alikuwa amesahau deadline ya saa nne.
Alipiga simu haraka.
Mwenye van akasema seat ilikuwa imepewa mtu mwingine.
Mariam alifunga macho.
“Next opening?”
“Labda wiki ijayo.”
Tunu hakusema kitu.
Mariam akaandika kwenye school timetable: continue bus route — one more week.
Jonas aliona lakini hakutoa pole.
“Tuendelee?” aliuliza.
“Ndiyo.”
Waliendelea.
Mama Pendo alitoa receipt nyingine, ya instalment ndogo aliyolipa baada ya initial deposit. Reference ilikuwa handwritten. Jonas akasema inaweza kuchanganya comparison, kwa hiyo wakaweka separate row badala ya kuifanya main payment.
Mariam alipenda nidhamu hiyo. Kila kitu kilikuwa kinapewa nafasi yake, si kusukumwa kwenye story walitaka kusikia.
Baada ya saa moja walikuwa na table ndogo ya cases nne.
Si proof ya corruption. Si proof ya theft. Si proof kwamba Mariam alistahili unit maalum.
Lakini ilikuwa proof kwamba watu waliokuwa na ahadi zinazofanana hawakuwa na outcome inayofanana, na wording ya priority yenyewe haikuwa stable.
Jonas akaprint copies mbili. Moja ya Mariam. Moja ya group, bila majina.
“Next?” aliuliza.
Mariam akasema, “Tunatafuta watu zaidi only if they consent. Lakini hatutakusanya kila complaint ya mji.”
Mama Pendo akasema, “Ninamjua Halima.”
“Muulize kwanza. Usilete karatasi zake bila yeye.”
“Na barua yangu?”
“Tutai-scan na kurudisha original.”
Jonas akafanya scan. Aka-save kwa code B, si jina.
Mariam akafungua folder lake na kuweka copy ya comparison table nyuma ya service note ya Rukia na batch slip ya Ema.
Kisha Mama Pendo akatoa envelope nyingine, iliyokuwa imekunjwa pembeni na tape ya zamani.
“Hii ndiyo barua waliotupa kabla demolition ya awamu yetu,” alisema.
Jonas akaiweka mezani.
Mariam akalinganisha na barua mpya ambayo Jonas alikuwa ameprint kutoka kwa familia D kwa consent.
Mstari mmoja haukuwepo.
Mama Pendo anaweka barua yake ya zamani mezani; mstari wa ‘priority allocation’ haupo kwenye barua mpya.
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