CONTINUED FIGHT OVER FIFTY SHILLINGS ($0.5)
How could I let fears and Ndugs
intimidate like that, it was a question of ego not cash anymore. I had
to do something to prove him that in future I will be one of the
richest persons in the village and possibly in the country.
Ndugs concentrated in the game, cheered
whenever a person won and sighed when one of his favorite players
lost. From the look on his face I could tell he did not mean what he
said but it was already done my esteem was already triggered and what
I was about to do was led by emotions and thinking came last.
And yes I did it, I put my hand in my
pocket and randomly singled out what my hand first touched and
without much thought as before placed the money on one of the cartons
without even looking at Ndugs.
I could feel his eyes on me but that
did not matter he already said I could not have money, I never felt a
single voice since my whole soul went to the one carton I had placed
money on, what alerted me was the gambler’s voice inquiring whether
I was content with my choice, of course I wasn’t but I nodded
thoughtlessly an indication that I was in with my two feet.
What followed, happened so fast that
left me the looser and Ndugs the spectator both shocked with how the
bastard afforded to lure people in giving him easy cash despite them
having gone through thick and thin to earn the cash. I was a good
example, the Gambler instantly took my cash and put it in his pocket
after it came out that I had missed the right carton.
It was as if he had worked for the
money since he placed in the pocket and continued luring more people
into playing without looking at me and acted as if nothing had
happened. The stare I gave him could have sent him to hell if my eyes
were given a chance to prosecute.
It was a great blow for me after losing
staggering hundred Kenyan shillings which was two thirds of my worth
if money in my pocket was anything to by.
What went through my head was how at
least I could get a n extra fifty shilling to compensate for my loss
and my thought was rotating around the fifty shillings in my pocket
after all I had lost twice the cash so it was not a rather big deal
despite the fact that it was all I had.
All this time Ndugs gave a look that
showed that he was cautious with any move towards me because he knew
I was not that bad in blows when I got offended, it’s not blowing
my own triumph but any thing I did was passionate including hating
and fights.
Ndugs knew what would follow after my
loss, ‘trouble’ even if I did not have the guts to start it then
but when or if we got drunk I looked for a silly excuse to start a
fight. Not that I was a bully but it was the only way to relief of
hardships in life. Ndugs was the only reachable creature that I
sometimes thought was part of my problems.
He too developed defenses and was ready
for any encounter just in case his mad friend brought something up.
That made our fights less frequent because it was not always a win
situation sometimes I must admit he really got me.
“That bastard just got away with it
but his day will arrive.” That was Ndugs right there trying to
console me and yeah I was consoled but could not show it I had my
pride to guard I was not a ‘softie’ as he mostly referred to me
whenever we got to trouble and I showed a sign of withdrawal. It was
his way of getting to me to play his tune you know playing with my
ego.
That said and done I was a bit sober
and could see things clearly so i was in for yet another risk but
once bitten twice harsh so I was smarter not that I knew it but my
later assessment indicated so.
“Can we try this time and see how it
goes?” A question that left Ndugs shocked up to this date when we
meet to reminisce those moments that back then seemed harsh but today
are a course of a hearts out laughter.
“Really do you want to this after
what has just happened?” He asked in one his best concerns looks I
ever saw.
“Oooh man do you really think so.”
I said in pretence of worrying naïve guy, and then abruptly changed
my look in to a more focused one. “Of course I mean it do I look
like am joking?”
“You better because that’s all we
have.” He said in reference to my money as if we had a joint
ownership.
On placing the only we had as Ndugs
kept on the carton of choice, Ndugs shouted as he was telling the
whole crowd and not me, “You are making the wrong choice man.” My
lack of better words to respond to his stupid utterance made me to
shut and pretend and I hadn’t heard him.
But as always Ndugs never gave up
easily so he went to extent of pulling me just to prove what he just
said did not fall on deaf ears. That made me lost my defenses and now
had to face him with full anger all the disputes that went unsettled.
“Stop treating as if am one of your
many girlfriend, I know what am doing and if that hands falls on me
again expect skirmishes of your life time.”
I saw the people around us laughing but
I had no time I had better things to worry about and that was
gambling. I shifted my attentions from Ndugs who I realized all eyes
on and faced the gambler with one of those staring looks I saw on
actions movies when I got lucky to visit my relatives who had TVs in
their home.
I placed my fifty shillings note on the
carton that I thought was the right and waited to gain or loose, to
ease the tensions a sighed an indication that I was ready for the
worth.
I felt sweat dripping my armpits down
to the muscles and thanks to the game no one seemed to notice it even
Ndugs who claimed I was in his finger tips.
“Are you sure of your choice.” That
was the same question that came before the loss of a hundred
shillings. That scared the hell out of me and without even realizing
it I suddenly pulled my hand off the carton and put the money back in
the pocket.
“If you have to win you must get in
with two feet and risk losing.” Ndugs said in one of the most
mature looks I had ever seen even today now that he is a family man.
“Why don’t you try it yourself Mr.
courageous and if you lose you give me back my money.” I said
ironically and grudgingly placed the fifty shillings in his palm and
folded his hand.
He posed as if he was thinking of
something, making his mind I guess and he finally sighed and said.
“Ok after we’ll all die some day.” I never understood where
death came in but never mind it was a way of self- consolation.
He took his time as he concentrated on
the game as if he knew what he did then abruptly placed the money on
one of the cartons and waited with brace of young boy entering a
slaughter house to become a man not knowing what to expect.
The gambler acted as usual and gave
Ndugs time to change his mind, but he was not the type of fearing the
ears before seeing the horn of a buffalo as he frequently when taking
a daring step.
He was shocked beyond words when he
realized that he had lost. The gambler did open the carton and to my
surprise and everybody else’s watching Ndugs lost and walked away
and I never knew where he went. I walked home alone and it took a
while before I saw him again.
THREE MONTHS LATER……..
Everyone but me seemed to be coping
with this kind of life, ploughing was at its peak and people were really
working hard not to be over taken by the season which was once
annually.
Bankruptcy was on my face despite
efforts of borrowing that never went through after whoever I
approached termed me a ‘never- want -to- get- tired- kid’.
My relationship with my grandparents
deteriorated after my refusal of grazing following a two day horrible
experience of cattle chasing that led to my swearing of never doing that again.
It was at my neighbor’s mourners
gathering following the death of their grandfather that I saw Ndugs
again looking very healthy 'thanks to my fifty shillings'.
I made my first confrontation which was about
my cash of course and the impact was very negative after he responded harshly
and showed signs of attack.
Being a 'gentlemen' I walked away to
avoid skirmishes in such an event and of course I hated attention. I
opted for my plan B which was to wait until the end of the gathering
to make my next move.
Everyone gathered for the final prayer
as I monitored to ensure my prey stayed input,And yes he was input, Ndugs
was there just like everybody else holding hands, closing their eyes
as the prayers proceeded.
“It is in the name of Jesus we pray
and believe.” Those words by the pastor put me on my feet and it
was now or never to get my compensation.
I went and waited outside the gate for
Ndugs to come and face him like a man to get my justice because as
far I was concerned at that time it never existed until you found it
yourself.
So he came with a ‘rungu’ on his
hand that he always carried whenever he walked at night. That however
never hindered me from confronting him
“We mbeca ciakwa waugire atia.”
(Where is my money?)
“Ndiri na mbeca na ndukangie.” (I
don’t have your money and don’t bother me)
That triggered me to act and held his
shirt with force that shook him, and in response he lifted his rungu
to hit me but I held it before it fully landed on me. It did hurt my
left arm but I had to push on now that it was too late to retreat.
As I held the Rungu to protect myself
from further damage Ndugs hit me with his fore head on my face which
made me saw stars as he uttered the word. “Release the rungu.”
In my efforts not to lose I hit Ndugs
feet with my right leg and to my surprise he fell down and that gave
me an advantage to punch him hard for hitting me and not paying my
money back.
Joseph who was our age mate came to our
rescue and held me with his strong arms in that I could not resist
and shook me hard while he shouted at me. “Stop being silly KIM we
are supposed to be brothers not enemies.”
That gave Ndugs a chance to stand up
and walked around as if he was searching for something after his rungu turned to be of no help. That scared the hell out of me and made me to escape from
Jose’s hand toward Ndugs.
Seeing me coming Ndugs fled in the dark
and vanished in the nearby bush, it was then that I realized we were
surrounded by a crowd of what I would call cheerers and Koiya a guy
we had attacked with Ndugs a while ago was laughing his heart out.
End…
