Room ya Rose Njeri ilikuwa nyuma ya nyumba ya mwalimu mmoja, karibu na Thika road.
Haikuwa kubwa. Kitanda kimoja, mattress ndogo ya watoto, shelf, jiko la makaa na dirisha linalofungua upande wa workshop. Rose alisema wanaweza kukaa mwezi mmoja bila rent, lakini Nyambura akakataa.
“Tutalipa kidogo kila wiki.”
“Uko na pesa gani?”
“KSh mia mbili na arobaini.”
“Na unataka kugawa?”
“Nataka record.”
Rose akamwangalia kwa muda, kisha akaandika kwenye exercise book:
**Room contribution: KSh 20 per week, meals separate, review after four weeks.**
Nyambura akasaini.
Rose akacheka.
“Umebadilika sana.”
“Nilikuwa nafikiri friendship ikitosha, paper ni insult.”
“Na sasa?”
“Paper inaweza kuilinda friendship.”
Asubuhi ya kwanza, Nyambura alienda market kabla girls waamke. Akanunua unga, mafuta, sukari, chai na charcoal kidogo. Sufuria aliyobeba kutoka Kiambu ilikuwa nzito na imeungua chini. Alikuwa ameitumia miaka mingi.
Rose alimwonyesha corner karibu na matatu stage ambapo watu waliuza ndizi, mayai na chai.
“Market committee inaweza kukufukuza.”
“Nitauliza.”
Committee chairman alisema space ni ya temporary vendors na fee ya siku ilipwe.
“Food licence?”
“Unataka kuanza leo, Mama? Sasa mambo ya licence baadaye.”
Nyambura alijua baadaye.
Akasema, “Nipe receipt ya fee. Na niambie health inspector anakuja siku gani.”
Chairman akamwangalia vibaya.
“Watu wengine wanauza tu.”
“Mimi nataka kuuza kesho pia.”
Akalipa fee, akapata scrap ya paper yenye stamp.
Jiko lake la kwanza lilikuwa crate iliyogeuzwa, sufuria, kettle na tray ya mandazi. Alifanya dough kwa haraka. Batch ya kwanza ilinywa mafuta mengi kwa sababu fire haikuwa stable. Mandazi zingine zilikuwa brown nje na raw ndani.
Matatu conductor mmoja aliuma, akakunja uso.
“Madam, hii ni pillow yenye unga.”
Watu wakacheka.
Nyambura alitaka kumjibu, lakini akaomba mandazi irudishwe.
Akamrudishia pesa.
“Kesho nitafanya vizuri.”
Conductor akasema, “Kesho nisikuwe tester wako.”
“Kesho chai yako bure ukinipa honest answer.”
Agreement hiyo ikafanya wengine wajaribu.
Siku ya kwanza, aliuza karibu kila kitu lakini profit ilikuwa ndogo kuliko alivyodhani. Charcoal, oil na waste zilimeza pesa.
Wairimu aliporudi school, akakaa mezani na kuhesabu.
“Umeandika sales?”
“Kwa kichwa.”
“Then hujui.”
Nyambura akatabasamu.
Wairimu wa miaka kumi na mbili tayari alikuwa accountant.
Wairimu akafanya columns:
Unga.
Mafuta.
Makaa.
Fee.
Sales.
Refund.
Food ya nyumbani.
Nyambura alihisi memory ya maisha ya kwanza.
Wairimu alifanya accounts za biashara miaka mingi bila kulipwa, kama mama yake. Safari hii lazima line iwe tofauti.
“Utasaidia dakika thelathini baada homework,” Nyambura alisema. “Si zaidi.”
“Lakini naweza kukaa stage.”
“Una school.”
“Esther alisema school inaweza kusubiri.”
“Esther si mama yako.”
Mumbi akauliza yeye afanye nini.
“Uoshe cups mbili baada homework.”
“Mbili tu?”
“Mbili.”
Girls walishangaa kuona mama yao akizuia msaada wao.
Nyambura alijua watoto wanapenda kusaidia. Tatizo ni adults kugeuza msaada kuwa obligation isiyoisha.
Siku ya pili, aliwasha charcoal mapema, akaacha dough ipumzike, akapima pieces. Mandazi zilitoka light na ndani cooked. Conductor yule yule alirudi.
“Free chai?”
“Ukisema truth.”
Akauma.
“Leo ni mandazi. Jana ilikuwa weapon.”
Wote wakacheka.
Matatu drivers wakaanza kusimama. Factory women waliomba uji usio na sugar nyingi. Nyambura akatengeneza pot ndogo ya millet uji na nyingine ya chai.
Siku ya nne, health inspector alifika.
Alikagua water storage, food cover, handwashing na waste. Nyambura alikuwa na bucket lakini hakuna tap.
“Unahitaji container yenye spout.”
Akapata warning, si closure.
Chairman akamwambia anaweza “solve” kwa chai ya inspector.
Nyambura akakataa.
Akanunua container kwa pesa ya profit, akapoteza siku moja ya income.
Rose akasema:
“Ungepeana tu kitu kidogo.”
“Kitu kidogo kinakuwa fee kila week.”
Alirudi na setup safi. Inspector akasaini.
Wiki ya kwanza, profit ilikuwa KSh 96 baada costs.
Kidogo.
Lakini ilikuwa yake.
Daniel alifika Sunday.
Alivaa shirt nzuri na alileta sukari kilo mbili.
Girls walimkimbilia. Nyambura hakuwazuia.
Alikaa nao nyuma ya room. Akawapa habari za shamba: Mama Ruth bado amekasirika. Samuel anasema valuation ni insult. Wazee wamepanga meeting nyingine.
“Na wewe?” Nyambura akauliza.
“Nimewaambia tuangalie.”
“Umeandika?”
“Nyambura, tena paper?”
“Umetuma school money?”
Daniel akatoa KSh 50.
Wairimu fees balance ilikuwa zaidi.
Nyambura akampa receipt book ya Rose school.
“Sign kiasi.”
Daniel akasema mke wake anamfanya guest.
“Guest hulipa chai. Baba analipa watoto.”
Akasaini kwa hasira.
Alipoona jiko, akasema:
“Unafanya mandazi barabarani?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Watu wataniona aje?”
“Wakiwa na njaa, watakuona kama mume wa mtu anayepika vizuri.”
Daniel hakupenda.
“Rudi home. Tunaweza kutatua.”
“Terms?”
“Mama atatulia.”
“Si term.”
“Shamba?”
“Valuation?”
Daniel akaangalia chini.
Nyambura akajua hakuja kumchukua.
Alikuja kuona kama hardship imemfundisha kurudi.
Siku hiyo, hardship haikuwa ushahidi wa kushindwa.
Ilikuwa receipt ya kwanza ya maisha mapya.
Wiki ya pili ilileta problem nyingine: portions.
Nyambura alikuwa anajaza sahani kwa macho. Wafanyakazi wa factory walipenda githeri yake, lakini wengine walipata nyingi, wengine kidogo. Mwanamke mmoja akasema:
“Kwa nini yeye amepewa nyama mbili na mimi moja?”
Nyambura alitaka kusema nyama imeanguka tu, lakini akajizuia. Akatengeneza kijiko cha kupimia kutoka tin, akaweka portions mbili rasmi: kawaida na kubwa. Bei zikaandikwa kwenye board.
Wairimu alichora line nzuri chini ya prices.
Mtu mmoja akalalamika kwamba chakula kimekuwa “cha office” kwa rules nyingi.
Nyambura akasema:
“Rule ya kijiko inazuia urafiki wangu na wewe kubadilisha sahani.”
Siku iliyofuata, customer aliyekuwa akimjua Rose aliomba credit.
“Kesho nalipa.”
Nyambura akampa baada kuandika jina na kiasi.
Kesho hakufika.
Baada siku tatu, alirudi na kutaka chai nyingine.
Nyambura akamwonyesha notebook.
“Lipa ya kwanza.”
“Ni shilingi chache tu.”
“Haba na haba pia hujaza debt.”
Mtu huyo alikasirika na kusema Nyambura hana roho ya biashara. Lakini alilipa.
Rose alipoona, akasema:
“Unakuwa mgumu.”
“Nilikuwa soft na family kwa miaka kumi. Hardness kidogo inaweza kulipia school.”
Hata hivyo, Nyambura hakutaka kuwa mtu ambaye kila uhusiano ni transaction. Alikuwa akimpa chai bure mzee mmoja aliyekuwa anasafisha stage, lakini akaandika line:
**Community meal — one cup daily — approved by owner.**
Wairimu akauliza kwa nini charity pia inaandikwa.
“Kwa sababu nisije kesho nikasema biashara ilininyang’anya wakati mimi ndiye nilichagua kutoa.”
Mwisho wa mwezi, Nyambura alilipa Rose rent contribution, school needs na sehemu ya charcoal advance. Aliweka coins zilizobaki mezani.
KSh 74.
Mumbi akasema:
“Ni kidogo.”
Nyambura akamjibu:
“Ni kidogo kilichobaki baada kila kitu kutajwa. Hiyo ni bora kuliko pesa nyingi ambayo hujui imeenda wapi.”