If anyone has been in Kenya, then you know for a fact that our transport system is something out of this world: and by transport I mean the public service vehicles, especially matatus. (For those who do not know, matatus are the Nissan 14-seater p.s.v vans and also include a smaller version of Isuzu buses.) Ridiculous if not ridonkulous you ask me-yes, it even makes me come up with new vocabulary to try and describe it. This one time I got on one and had quite an experience that I even wrote about it on my phone. Enjoy the read:
Matatu's are like deviant little children on sugar highs, who are absolutely out of order. For some funny reason they think and act as if they own the world and their word/ actions is law. Today I got in one at Madaraka in bid to get to town soonest but lo! What lay ahead was a twist of the unexpected.
My dad had been so sweet; dropped me half way (T-mall) and I quickly walked to the stage thinking that it had all been a miracle because I was there by 3.30pm or so. My agenda was to run to hospital quickly get some tests done, dash to River Road to buy some materials and make it just on time for class. I stood waiting for a while at the stage before finally getting in one Rongai matatu. (I have to emphasize this because they among the most notorious p.s.v's.). I was elated when we approached the Uhuru Highway roundabout and thought that the rest of the jam would clear soon. However, after approaching the roundabout the driver went and joined the road to Industrial Area. To me, this was totally off route- I was going to town, what were we doing in Industrial Area?
I started trying to console myself that it was okay, everything would be alright. It was just a short cut and that we would eventually get to town. After a while I began to doubt it because first I had no clue where we were. Secondly the next thing I saw was South C/B(I still get confused about this areas to date) matatus and that we were near the Oilibya near Bellevue. That did not make sense.
"May be we'll get out on the Mombasa Road highway? But that doesn't make sense, it's like going backwards!" I told myself. I finally asked the conductor who re-assured me that the endpoint would be town. Phew! Breath of relief!
Now that I was sure that we were headed to town I became a bit more relaxed. Funny thing though, despite the fact that the driver was trying to avoid jam, he put us in 'thicker' jam. It was massive. Wait until all the matatus decided to break all the traffic rules. It was as if they were all waiting for a sign from the sky to announce that they could all go berserk. All matatus got off the roads and drove on pathways causing havoc for pedestrians and raising a lot of dust. The roads at this point looked as if circus animals had been let loose and were running wild on rampage. I was silently praying that the vehicle I was in would not follow suit but that did not happen. All those that had dozed off were abruptly woken up and were now clinging to the seats in front of them for dear life. It was kind of funny, but the not-so-funny joke was that after all that we did not really get anywhere. The driver's effort to steer clear of looming traffic ended us in worse jam; had he stuck to the original route, we would have probably already reached town.
After a whole lot of waiting, cars started moving and by the look of things we had somehow wound up at Jogoo Road. Too funny( half laughing, more of disbelief) How now? A Rongai van ending up in Jogoo when the target was town? That's like going East and ending West or South. It felt like one of those moments you feel like slapping the driver for being too adventurous at the cost of delaying you.
We soon ended up in Muthurwa Market and I began thinking of the bus that I had seen pass by while I was with my dad. Had I got into it I would have been in town an hour ago and finished my errands plus headed to class. Wishful thinking.
"Breathe, Relax. It's all good, we are now in town," I told myself but what the driver did was totally out of order! I scurried off the matatu and made a dash for it but what was evident was that I would be late for my class. As Mojo-Jojo would say- 'Curses'!!!....(you driver!!Nktutho)
Till the next time,
Theng'e: Signing Out!
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Thursday, 28 June 2012
THE LAST TRUMPET?
Yesterday I got the scare of my life. I've never seen life to be as vivid or short as then. I had been crafting a few necklaces and bracelets, trying to make some 'mulla'. The way our economy is, life is hard: so I best try to achieve financial independence as soon as possible but only through the right means. Back to the story, I had probably worked until around 1.30-2.00am or so, and I was tired. As I was having my 'snuck' (what do you call midnight supper?snuck=from supper/snack may be?) I remember hearing the dogs barking wildly. At first I ignored until I heard a long loud sound overhead. "What could it be," I wondered?
It sounded like an airplane at first but it lasted too long to be an airplane. It then sounded like a really loud buzz, somewhat like a call, a horn or trumpet of some sort that went on and on. At this point I began to get nervous, may be it was the sound of the last trumpet. Had the world come to an end?
Previously I had been reading the book of Revelation-all about end times and it spoke of signs of the end. I remember something about a trumpet going off worldwide where everyone would hear and soon God would come and take His people. I don't remember what the order was: trumpet, people disappearing happening at the same time or separately,or God coming before, after or as all this happens.I don't know. One thing was definitely certain, I was terribly freaked out because according to my calculation of events, the end might indeed have come. SCREAM! My biggest fear was the possibility of being left behind.Was I ready for this?
Sure, it sounds funny now but then it was not. I felt so confused, scared and sad. Confused because how was I going to escape this looming danger (of being left behind)? It was one of those moments you honestly know you need to pray & very hard for that matter but you feel that you can't. It's either your tongue-tied or feel too wrong to pray or so entangled that nothing comes out. Scared because I knew that if the world had really come to an end then I was finished, damned for that matter The grace period would be over and the only way out of the earth would be death. A gruesome death. :-(. Of course I did not want that. I hate any level of pain so definitely not the most ideal of situations. Sad, because I had perhaps been left behind and been doomed to die a terrible death . Sadder still that there was a possibility that there was no remedy for this. That if it really was the end then my prayers, pleas for forgiveness were hopeless: hell and the burning lake of sulfur was a reality I may endear.
I tried praying but all that came out was," Lord, I'm sorry for all my sins. Please forgive me. Please forgive me. Do not leave me behind. Please don't let me get left behind. I can't handle it. I know you're not supposed to listen to me at this point but please, please don't let me get left behind. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
I probably went on half praying, half wondering if that was what was really going on. I thought of calling some of my close more spiritual friends and find out whether they were gone, so to speak, or if they were still around. I didn't have enough airtime to do so, so that one went down the drain. I then thought of checking if my mum and sis (but mostly mum) were still there but I could not-at least not my mum. How? Was I going to bang on my parents door at 2.00am going to 3am, and say, "Hi, thought the world was ending so just checking if you're still around." Definitely not. I did however check to see if my sis was still there and found her in deep slumber. I breathed a sigh of relief but was still a but unsure. I decided I would know the truth in the morning.
By the time I was getting to bed I had a change of perspective in life. I saw the need to have an active relationship and constant conversation with God, and not saving my prayers for bedtime. Saving my prayers for bedtime whereas I have the whole day to pray, confess, repent, give thanksgiving seemed to ring a loud no-no.The moment is now: when I blunder I confess and ask for forgiveness at that exact moment. No waiting because it may be too late.
Yesterday went and today came-technically though it was all today. I woke up today, and found everything intact. The world was still up and running and boy, wasn't I glad. Honestly, the whole experience opened my eyes to the reality and truth that no-one knows when the world may end therefore we best be prepared for the unexpected. So, are you prepared for the sounding of the trumpet?
Till next time: Theng'e signing out!
It sounded like an airplane at first but it lasted too long to be an airplane. It then sounded like a really loud buzz, somewhat like a call, a horn or trumpet of some sort that went on and on. At this point I began to get nervous, may be it was the sound of the last trumpet. Had the world come to an end?
Previously I had been reading the book of Revelation-all about end times and it spoke of signs of the end. I remember something about a trumpet going off worldwide where everyone would hear and soon God would come and take His people. I don't remember what the order was: trumpet, people disappearing happening at the same time or separately,or God coming before, after or as all this happens.I don't know. One thing was definitely certain, I was terribly freaked out because according to my calculation of events, the end might indeed have come. SCREAM! My biggest fear was the possibility of being left behind.Was I ready for this?
Sure, it sounds funny now but then it was not. I felt so confused, scared and sad. Confused because how was I going to escape this looming danger (of being left behind)? It was one of those moments you honestly know you need to pray & very hard for that matter but you feel that you can't. It's either your tongue-tied or feel too wrong to pray or so entangled that nothing comes out. Scared because I knew that if the world had really come to an end then I was finished, damned for that matter The grace period would be over and the only way out of the earth would be death. A gruesome death. :-(. Of course I did not want that. I hate any level of pain so definitely not the most ideal of situations. Sad, because I had perhaps been left behind and been doomed to die a terrible death . Sadder still that there was a possibility that there was no remedy for this. That if it really was the end then my prayers, pleas for forgiveness were hopeless: hell and the burning lake of sulfur was a reality I may endear.
I tried praying but all that came out was," Lord, I'm sorry for all my sins. Please forgive me. Please forgive me. Do not leave me behind. Please don't let me get left behind. I can't handle it. I know you're not supposed to listen to me at this point but please, please don't let me get left behind. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
I probably went on half praying, half wondering if that was what was really going on. I thought of calling some of my close more spiritual friends and find out whether they were gone, so to speak, or if they were still around. I didn't have enough airtime to do so, so that one went down the drain. I then thought of checking if my mum and sis (but mostly mum) were still there but I could not-at least not my mum. How? Was I going to bang on my parents door at 2.00am going to 3am, and say, "Hi, thought the world was ending so just checking if you're still around." Definitely not. I did however check to see if my sis was still there and found her in deep slumber. I breathed a sigh of relief but was still a but unsure. I decided I would know the truth in the morning.
By the time I was getting to bed I had a change of perspective in life. I saw the need to have an active relationship and constant conversation with God, and not saving my prayers for bedtime. Saving my prayers for bedtime whereas I have the whole day to pray, confess, repent, give thanksgiving seemed to ring a loud no-no.The moment is now: when I blunder I confess and ask for forgiveness at that exact moment. No waiting because it may be too late.
Yesterday went and today came-technically though it was all today. I woke up today, and found everything intact. The world was still up and running and boy, wasn't I glad. Honestly, the whole experience opened my eyes to the reality and truth that no-one knows when the world may end therefore we best be prepared for the unexpected. So, are you prepared for the sounding of the trumpet?
Till next time: Theng'e signing out!
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