This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
As I walked home one evening, I spotted someone I knew, someone I didn't have the strength to engage with. Their greeting was always a painful reminder of their mean-spirited nature: 'Caro, na si umeadd weight? Life must be treating you well … unakaa mama kabisa.'
They would then add, 'But you look good,' as if to take off the sting of their comment. But it only made things worse. They would continue, 'So, where do you work these days?' And when I said I worked for Nation, they would say, sounding surprised, 'Bado uko Nation?!' As if it was the crime of the century to still be working there.
They would then add, 'Anyway, wewe fanya job, there are people looking for jobs but can't find them,' as if my job was the lowliest of all jobs in Kenya. And they weren't done yet. 'Last time I met you, you had two children, uko na wangapi sasa?' I would say I had three now, and they would exclaim, 'Three?! With this economy?' 'Simamia hapo please,' they would advise me, wondering if I had finally moved from Kinoo.
By the time they decided to let me go, I was in need of counselling. Keen to escape the negativity, I decided to run. But each time I looked behind me, I would spot them right there, taking every corner I took. I was acutely aware that if I ran, someone would either shout, 'mwizi!' and I would be lynched, or the Nairobi City askaris would pounce on me and drag me into their rusty vehicle.
So I continued walking, hoping to outpace my tormentor. But next time I looked behind me, they were almost on me. In a panic, I darted into a fast-food restaurant, only to find them following me in. The mirrors everywhere made it a matter of time before they saw me, and true enough, I heard, 'Caro!' forcing me to turn around and feign surprise.
They greeted me with, 'You mean there are still people who eat chips — you're not afraid of cholesterol?' informing me that they were buying junk food for their children. By the time it was my turn to pay for the packet of chips I didn't want, they had managed to unclothe me, in a way that only they can, to everyone within earshot.
Pray, why are some people like this?
