Monday, December 14, 2009
How I am spending a-week-long leave : Day One
06:12am I turned, hit off the mosquito net, and staggered to the bathroom to urinate while my eyes almost closed. Coming out a minute or two later, I was a little more awake.

The sun rays though the window panes never suggested that a day had started. I jumped back between the blanket [duvet] and the huge 6x6 blue Tuff Mattress, and switched off the mobile phone. A sleeping day had begun.

01:32pm I shouted, what are we taking for lunch and hid the head inside the bedding. Faintly I heard Cix, my eldest brother on a visit respond, "What do you want to eat. Rice, Ugali, Mandondo (boiled beans)..." He followed it with laughter.

"That's boring," I said as I dosed off.

03:30pm my sleep was cut by Cix miming a Buju Banton's song, Destiny. " The rich man’s way is in the city, yeah! Destruction of the poor is poverty, Lord. Destruction of your soul is vanity, yeah... yeah... do you yeah... I and I, I wanna rule my destiny, yeah! I and I, I wanna rule my destiny. Destiny!! Mama look from where you calling... Destiny!! Mama look from where you calling... I have been blessed, I have been touched. I love Jah so much..."

The problem wasn't miming, but discords and careless shouts.

"Please get a vocal trainer, at least Papa Shirandula will help you, and Ian Mbugua would judge your rendition and others,” I said as I gave him the back to the Kitchen.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! I need a better platform... Something better than 'The Idols', or 'America Got Talent,'" He hit back.

I dropped a 'Sufuria' on the gas with a cup full of raw ground nuts.

"Will that be enough for both of us?" Cix asked sarcastically.

"More than enough," I answered.

I walked to the bedroom to get a newspaper to use so that I avoid my fingers from getting burnt. I checked beside the wall unit and the almost all were current. As I got down to the heap newspapers I came across one that looked an A-4 sized tabloid.

"Ha! Kenya has tabloid?" I said holding the 8-paged Tribune paper.

"Yeah, there are so many, and most with unmemorable names," he said putting a side the headphones plugged on the laptop.

"Who brought this?" I asked.

"Don't worry," he said.

I sat on a plastic chair in the kitchen and looked at the headline that read "Raila: The Kibaki - Ruto Secrets." Reading the piece, there was no secret and they delved on speculations. Anyway, I hate politics and prefer development issues, or issues that check the government performance.

"Do they writer anything about Millennium Development Goals?” I uttered.

So I turned to the third page, here I found a piece on "A Hyena's Tale." It was not about any wild animal, but sex adventure. The language and narration of this story and the one on page five "Places Women Wants To Be Touched" purely confirmed that they were lifted from a Ugandan Tabloid, The Redpepper, or the writers for this paper are drawn from East African Countries, or...

Though the back page of the tabloid indicates it is published in Nairobi, Kenya, I feel there is a case a move to localise sex stories. Will I be wrong to say that "A Hyena's Tale" on the Tribune that is written and presented as the Hyena story on The Redpepper, or do sex writers have same experiences and language... even commas and fullstops?

Away from that, my nuts got ready. I split into half and served Cix. It was escorted with a mug of black tea.

4:30am I held 'Off Came: Private thoughts made public, by Ted Koppel.' He is a thirty-seven year veteran of ABC, and also an anchor of Nightline since the 1980's. This book that am almost on the back cover is simply his journal. It is interesting to read journalist's unsaid perspective, or perception, and critical questions that remain unanswered.

6:00pm let me get Kshs. 20 Sukuma Wiki (Kales), and prepare supper. What will it go with?

Oh! Let me switch on my mobile phone... Her sms will pop... I hope she won't be complaining, or a call for duty...
 
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