Daniel hakuzungumza mpaka walipofika nyumba yao ndogo upande wa lower shamba.
Wairimu na Mumbi walienda kuchota maji. Nyambura aliwazuia.
“Leo mkae. Daniel atachota.”
Daniel aligeuka.
“Mimi?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Nyambura, sasa usianze mambo ya kuniaibisha mbele ya watoto.”
“Kuchota maji ni aibu?”
Daniel akachukua jerrycan bila kujibu.
Mumbi alicheka kidogo, kisha akafunika mdomo.
Wairimu hakukuwa mtoto wa kucheka kwa urahisi. Alikuwa anaangalia mama yake kwa makini, kama anajua kuna mtu mpya ndani ya skin ileile.
Daniel aliporudi, akafunga mlango.
“Sasa niambie. Nini kimekutokea?”
Nyambura alikuwa anapanga receipts mezani.
“Nimechoka.”
“Watu wote wamechoka baada funeral.”
“Sio leo tu.”
“Lakini umeongea kama lawyer mbele ya wazee.”
“Truth haihitaji law degree.”
Daniel akakaa.
“Unajua Mama aliteseka na baba. Sasa anajaribu kuhakikisha family haivunjiki.”
“Kwa kumpa Samuel asset nzuri na sisi debt?”
“Samuel amebaki karibu na home.”
“Na mimi nimefanya kazi hapa miaka kumi.”
“Lakini wewe ni wife wangu. Kile ninachopata ni chetu.”
Nyambura akamwangalia.
“Kwenye agreement, lower shamba ni kwa jina la nani?”
“Langu.”
“Coffee share?”
“Samuel.”
“Shop?”
“Samuel.”
“Cow?”
“Family.”
“Debt?”
“Daniel and household.”
“Na mimi niko wapi?”
Daniel akasita.
“Mke wangu.”
“Hiyo si sehemu kwenye title.”
Daniel alisugua uso.
“Unataka niende kinyume na Mama wiki moja baada Baba kufa?”
“Nilitaka uende kinyume na injustice kabla Baba kufa pia.”
“Usilete old things.”
“Old things ndiyo shamba, shop na debt.”
Daniel akasema:
“Tutapewa lower shamba. Tutaifanya vizuri. Mimi nitafanya furniture, wewe milk na food. Tutakuwa sawa.”
Hiyo ndiyo plan ya maisha ya kwanza.
Wangefanya lower shamba vizuri.
Mama Ruth angeomba milk “kwa muda”.
Samuel angechukua coffee transport.
Wairimu angeacha school mwaka mmoja kusaidia Esther.
Mumbi angejifunza kuwa good girl anayesubiri.
Nyambura angeanza mandazi kwa roadside, Daniel angeita family business, Samuel angeingia kwenye certificate.
“Sitafanya hivyo,” alisema.
Daniel akashtuka.
“Kufanya nini?”
“Kuanza tena kwa debt ambayo wengine wametengeneza.”
“Basi unataka nini? Upper shamba yote?”
“Hapana. Nataka valuation, labour credit, school obligation na title clarity.”
“Maneno mengi.”
“Maisha yangu pia ni mengi.”
Daniel akasimama, akatembea.
“Mama amesema ukisukuma hii, hatakupa cow yoyote.”
“Cow si gift yake ikiwa milk yangu ilinunua.”
“Unataka kupigana mpaka mwisho?”
“Nataka nisipigane kila siku kwa miaka ishirini.”
Daniel alisimama.
Nyambura alijua moment hii.
Kwenye maisha ya kwanza, baada meeting, alilia. Daniel alimkumbatia na kusema:
“Trust me.”
Alimtumaini.
Sasa akatoa paper blank.
“Andika.”
“Andike nini?”
“Kwamba una-support independent valuation. Kwamba girls hawataacha school kwa request ya family. Kwamba hutakubali debt bila asset. Kwamba labour yangu itarekodiwa.”
Daniel alicheka kwa kutokuamini.
“Mimi ni mume wako. Kwa nini niandike?”
“Kwa sababu wewe ni mume wangu.”
“Hii ni insult.”
“Kwa nini promise yako ikikaa kwenye paper inakuwa insult?”
Daniel akasema family haitafanya contract kati ya husband na wife.
Nyambura akajibu:
“Family ilifanya agreement ya kunipa debt bila jina.”
Daniel alikaa kimya.
Nje, Wairimu alikuwa amesimama karibu na dirisha.
Nyambura alimuona lakini hakumfukuza.
Watoto tayari walikuwa ndani ya conflict hata watu wazima walipojifanya wanawalinda.
Daniel akasema:
“Give me time.”
“Ulikuwa na miaka kumi.”
“Siku saba.”
“Wakati wa meeting?”
“Nitaongea.”
“Public?”
“Nitaangalia.”
Hapo ndipo Nyambura alijua.
Daniel wa 1984 alikuwa bado Daniel wa 2007.
Si kwa sababu future imeandikwa.
Kwa sababu tabia yake ilikuwa tayari hapa: kuahidi movement bila direction.
Nyambura akafungua sanduku.
Akaweka nguo za watoto, school books, cooking knife yake, sufuria mbili alizopewa na mama yake, sewing kit na receipts.
Daniel akasimama ghafla.
“Unafanya nini?”
“Naondoka kwa muda.”
“Wapi?”
“Thika. Rose alisema kuna room karibu na school yake. Nitaanza kazi.”
“Bila mimi?”
“Unaweza kuja ukijua umesimama wapi.”
“Nyambura, watu watasema nimekushindwa.”
“Umeogopa watu, sio kunipoteza.”
Daniel akashika sanduku.
“Huwezi kuchukua watoto.”
“Kwa nini?”
“Mimi ni baba.”
“Na school yao iko wapi? Nani analipa? Nani anajua teacher?”
“Tutazungumza.”
“Wairimu,” Nyambura akaita.
Binti akaingia.
“Unataka kubaki hapa au kuja nami Thika kwa sasa?”
Daniel akasema:
“Usimweke mtoto kuchagua.”
Nyambura akakubali.
“Right. Sisi watu wazima tutaamua kwa interest yao. School iendelee, usalama iwepo, na wewe uwe na access. Sina mpango wa kukuficha.”
Daniel hakutegemea fairness hiyo. Alikuwa tayari kupigana na version ambayo inamnyima watoto.
Nyambura akatoa notebook.
“Tutakuwa kwa Rose. Address hii. Unaweza kuja Sunday. School costs tugawane. Andika amount utakayotuma.”
Daniel alitazama paper.
“Sina cash sasa.”
“Basi write date.”
Alikataa.
Nyambura akafunga sanduku.
Mama Ruth aliingia bila hodi. Esther alikuwa nyuma.
“Nasikia unaondoka na watoto.”
“Kwa muda.”
Mama Ruth akasema:
“Binti wa Mwangi hawaendi kufuata mama mwenye hasira.”
“Ni watoto wangu pia.”
“Wewe unaweza kwenda. Wao wanabaki.”
Wairimu akasimama karibu na Mumbi.
“Mimi naenda na Mama.”
Mama Ruth akampiga Wairimu kofi.
Chumba kikaganda.
Daniel akasema, “Mama!”
Nyambura alishika mkono wa Wairimu, akamvuta nyuma yake.
“Usimpige tena.”
Mama Ruth akasema:
“Mtoto amenijibu.”
“Na wewe ni adult.”
Daniel akasimama kati yao.
“Mama, please.”
Mama Ruth akamwangalia.
“Chagua sasa. Mke wako au family.”
Nyambura akamwangalia Daniel pia.
Hapo ndipo maisha ya kwanza yalijengwa.
Mama Ruth alisema choose.
Daniel alisema tusichague.
Nyambura ndiye alilipa.
Daniel akasema:
“Nyambura, usiende leo. Tutamaliza.”
Hakusema Mama, amekosea.
Hakusema watoto wanaenda na mama yao.
Hakusema nitakuja.
Alisema usiende.
Peace, tena.
Nyambura akachukua sanduku.
“Wairimu, Mumbi, chukueni sweaters.”
Daniel alimfuata mpaka gate.
“Nyambura!”
Akasimama.
“Nitaongea na Mama.”
“Ukiwa umeongea, andika ulisema nini.”
“Unanifanya stranger.”
“Hapana. Nakufanya responsible.”
Akaenda barabarani na watoto.
Hakukuwa na matatu ya moja kwa moja. Walitembea hadi junction, wakasubiri chini ya mti. Mumbi alikuwa na njaa. Wairimu alishika shavu lake lililopigwa.
Daniel alionekana mbali, bado gate.
Hakuwafuata.
Matatu ya Thika ilifika ikiwa imejaa. Conductor akasema space ni kidogo.
Nyambura akaweka sanduku juu, akawasukuma girls ndani.
Wakati gari linaondoka, Mumbi akauliza:
“Baba atakuja?”
Nyambura hakusema uongo.
“Sijui.”
Wairimu akasema:
“Lakini sisi tunaenda school?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Na hutaturudisha kusaidia Aunt Esther?”
“Hapana.”
Wairimu akakaa vizuri.
Kwa mtoto huyo, promise hiyo ilikuwa nyumba ya kwanza Nyambura aliyojenga upya.