Why Mwisho wa Lami is no longer a place for me to live

As you all know, I travelled to Kakamega about a month ago with the sole intention of offering my undivided attention and support as Fiolina’s principal consort, while enjoying the trappings and benefits of her well-paying sales job. My plan was not to return to Mwisho wa Lami, until a week after schools reopen —God knows when.

And life has been so good. With money not being a problem, and with no one to disturb me, all I have been doing is wake up, take heavy breakfast, go for a run or walk, come back for lunch, rest, then read a book. I run an errand or two for the family in the afternoon before calling it a day.

Life has been so good and I have been wishing that schools reopen next year in January!

But something happened last week, forcing me to travel back to Mwisho wa Lami. If you remember, before leaving for Kakamega, I dispatched Branton to my sister Yunia after Fiolina made it clear that she would now allow the boy to join us in Kakamega.

But last Monday, I was informed that the boy had returned home and was messing up everything.  I was given the updates by the beautiful Rumona, who, upon one evening seeing lights on in the house decided to visit thinking that I was back, only to find Branton. I immediately called my sister Yunia to inquire why Branton had left her place, but she did not pick my calls. Later, she sent an SMS: “When I called you last week you did not answer; now you think I am useful. Endelea kuponda raha Kakamega.”

Sh500 every week

Indeed, I had ignored her calls. You see, whenever Branton stays with her; I become her ATM, sending her money for all manner of things — food, clothes, medical care.... And right now, Yunia behaves as though Fiolina is a Chief Administrative Secretary, earning a lot of money for doing nothing. In the first three weeks, I had been sending Sh500 every week.

I got tired and refused to send more money, and, in revenge, she dispatched Branton back home. Last Tuesday evening after an amazing run in Kakamega, I decided to travel back home the next morning. I arrived In Mwisho wa Lami at 10am. Since I had carried quite a lot of stuff and needed three boda bodas to carry the luggage home, within minutes, word that I had arrived spread in Mwisho wa Lami and beyond, and everyone was greeting me happily, asking how Fiolina was doing. These were people who had never cared about Fiolina before.

I, however, excitedly answered them. But my excitement fizzled out after I discovered the following:

My home – My house, my large state-of-the-art bungalow, was one big mess. The kitchen looked like a pigsty. Since he returned, Branton had never washed utensils, yet he had been cooking every day. His room was another mess. A pungent smell hit my nostrils a few metres away from the room. The boy had even been passing urine in bottles at night. Even worse, he had not been emptying the bottles after waking up. In the sitting room, he had been burning old newspapers on the floor. Whether it was to keep him warm or for lighting, only God knows!

My farm: Having been away this planting season, I have been sending Nyayo money to plant, weed and use Top Dressing fertiliser at my farm. Nyayo has been sending me photos almost daily.  “Boss hii mwaka utavuna kweli kweli” was his Monday message. I really wanted to see the maize for myself, and disappointed with what I saw at home, I decided to visit my farm. I was in shock. The farm had sparse kwashiorkor-infected maize and beans.

One needed no calculator to know that it was not the Hybrid maize I had paid for, and no brain to see that no weeding had been done. And no manure or fertiliser had been used yet I had sent Nyayo lots of money. It’s no wonder Nyayo had pretended to be busy with another customer and sped off when I arrived; and since then, every time I call him his answer is brief: “Niko na mteja wacha nikupigie nikimshukisha...”

My trees: As you know, I had planted trees a few years ago, and although they are not many, I was always sure that in four years’ time, I will be rich after selling them to Kenya Power.  Pius has also been claiming ownership of the piece of land, which I had fenced before I left home. However, I was shocked to find that the fence had been breached, and the land is now a grazing field for everyone in Mwisho wa Lami. And that was not all, quite a number of trees had been cut, and no one took responsibility.

Swimming in money

Hitler’s debts: Upset, I decided to go to Hitler’s so I could forget my problems. But another shocker awaited me. My father, Nyayo, and Rasto had been drinking there every day in my name. Apparently, a perception had been created that I was swimming in money, and therefore anyone who told Hitler that Dre would pay was given whatever they asked for. Hitler was happy to see me, saying I owed about Sh3,000.

The collapsing school: The next morning, I decided to go to school, and plan my next steps. Mwisho wa Lami Primary School has never been this bushy, abandoned and dirty! It was an eyesore, to say the least. I left and went straight to Cosmas’.

Way forward. That evening, I tried to contact Catherine, Branton's mother. If she accepts, I will send Branton there and go back to Kakamega, until schools reopen. Even when schools reopen, I am ready to be commuting from Kakamega to Mwisho wa Lami, daily.  Village life is definitely not my type.