MARIKITI EXPIRIENCE

The alarm rings and I ignore it, thinking I am in a dream. It becomes louder and louder and of course I get irritated. Before I snooze it and go back to sleep, I force a glance through my heavy eyelids. “Did I see something like 0431hrs?” I tried convincing myself but at the back of my mind I knew I had to wake up to go to marikiti. Marikiti? The thought of the place got me tired instantaneously. Before I resorted to other options, I quickly made calls to the marikiti envoy. “Sorry, you do not have enough…”.  Excuse me lady did you have to have to tell me that? I already knew it.  Uuuhm clearly I did not know that. It was just and understandable outburst. Hope you understand it too.  Of course I had many options. I redeemed my bonga points. Tamana did not receive my calls and I got so determined to go heckle him out of his room forgetting that of course he was locked in. I was just left standing at the door begging him out of his bed. He heeded to my call. Colo thought he was in a dream when I softly banged *really?* his door, after which I witnessed him cladding his warm attire for the cold we were about to experience.

We merged with the choir entourage at around 0530 hrs after we took Eve from Stella just opposite sonu office to board a matatu. Just then we debated on the chances of various possibilities of sonu elections which were just concluded the day before. Some matatus passed without stopping and people had different speculations on why that is happening headed by Muhoi.” Hawa hawawezi simama, wanajua tulifanya elections jana na wanadhani tumeanza kuriot”. That is apparently our image.  His Kiswahili intonation always comes out with a funny attachment.  Before we finished reacting to the allusion a car came and we boarded. 10 bob to Kencom.

We alighted and found our way through the fully streets of Accra road then though Githurai stage and there we were, besides KPCU building where it was supposedly our meeting point. The choir envoy was divided according to what they were to procure but for us, the prolifers, we remained together thanks to our small number. It was now dawning and we headed for the fresh farm produce in marikiti. The entrance itself was eye-soaring. It was analogous to cattle boma back at ‘ocha’ during a rainy season. We wondered how we would pick our way through. Anyways we were dressed for the occasion so we soldiered on. We had to keep up with driven mikokotenis and people in haste through the tiny pathways between the stalls. “ muharakishe ama niwagonge”, “ kwani kuna nini hapo mbele”.  We had two options, either to bear the verbal ammunition or quickly assimilate to the pace. We tried settling for the latter.

Our first stop was at Mama viazi, or is there a conventional name for that?. Apparently she stills remembered Tamana a year after they were in the same place. Damn, I envied her memory.  As she was getting a bag for our goodies, a group of people seemed to be shouting heading towards the market from the gate. She started narrating how they have been mistreated and that is why they were trying to champion for their rights.” Hawa watu wametunyanyasa sana, wameongeza rent. Kwani unadhani hawa magovernor watalipwa na nini?” It was clear it was all about the county government and its many employees. But I was not sure what she insinuated at.  Was she okay since the extra money they are paying for goes to the county staff or she did not want the county government? Or even if she dint approve of the county government there is nothing they can do but just riot to try reduce the rent a little bit? That was not my business. We did all the shopping and headed back to the meeting point.

After everyone returned, Muhoi being in the last group returned we journeyed back to St Pauls. There was a lot of hustle and bustle and I wondered why, it being a Saturday morning. I had to carry and extra load after Tamana disappeared but rejoined us halfway through the journey. We reached st pauls and Makuu helped us store the goodies. Of course he was happy knowing that his lunch and supper was sorted.