I had woken up lazy and a bit frustrated about unfulfilled promises,
the un-paying clients and unpaid bills! A circle that makes one stark in the
middle & may sometimes be viewed as a liar, due to promises based on
promises unfulfilled - I slowly rolled off the bed it seemed to be the only
understanding feature in my life at the moment.
Thinking as I walked slowly to the kitchen, a glass of water and a
cup of tea, I walked back to the bedroom thinking, what has become of me, the
enterprising man who made practically anything seem like Gold, sipping quietly
on my cup, I watched a bit of the news, all the heroes of the world were there
changing the world but none of them was me…
I thought about the days when I was much younger, totally energetic confident
and virile, sometimes with empty wallets packed with business cards and photos,
sharing dreams that were beyond comprehension by the “simple brains”, the ideas
were exotic and complex, they were fantastic and desirable! Those were the days we walked out of the house
with literally no money and walked back in the evening with everything, it was that
easy, it was cheap and it was spontaneous!
Life depended on charisma, confidence and mighty looking ideas and plans, having explored a
few of them now they seemed quite trifling!
Anyhow seeing that giving up was not an option, I slowly got myself
together and listed the activities planned for the day, prioritizing some over
the others and making plan B’s for each and every item on the list as well as
plan C’s for the most crucial … I then set out for the day!
… I am driving, I have given up on all local channels because I almost know what they are going to talk about and now
listening to Swahili on BBC because its Swahili, but kind of not really
listening but somehow enjoying the sound of the voices, as I drive closer to the
CBD, realizing the heavy jam has raised a lot of exhaust fumes, I turn on the
AC only to realize that it had run out a few days ago and I had ignored it,
well all will be well I say to myself, just as a light turns red on the dash
board – it is indicating an engine complication.
I read into the air … I read many troubles a head today, this Monday
“si ya muchezo”! … I think I need jazz to keep me calm, so I switch to “A wash
in the rain” sounds good, then on to “A year ago & Alone” all saxophone
based Jazz collections.
I have now calmed down, reading through mail on my laptop, the phone
rings and I think this might be the first good thing today, well it starts well,
then I hear words at a distance because somewhere along the way I stopped
listening, but they are familiar words like loser, not man enough, weak, you’ll
be poor for ever, your family is blah blah blah - so finally the call comes to
an end and my ear is hot from listening, I do not like the phone any more – I wished
for the days of landlines…
I take a walk around the office ask John to bring me some spiced tea
and samosas, I look for the monitor, it’s still not here again! Anyway I have
not started on my work list as I turn my attention to the list call number two,
I will not tolerate this …, I will not tolerate that…. Eh!, I said to my now
really hot head, is this what it means to stray from God’s ways, but I thought
God was a forgiving father – I start repenting again and suddenly the call is gone
again!
Suddenly a new priority forms in my head and off I drive – to garden
city, I walk around the shops looking at everything on sale, then on to next
mall, I walk to Arapapa and assure them
that I will soon be there to finish with my order … Call three was like one and
two, so I picked the phone put it back in the pocket - I continued to look at
the nice new things in Bata, the new movies showing in Cineplex, the
electronics in Nakumatt – I remembered that the days in Kampala were getting
more complex and could be arrested for
idling and looking at government buildings suspiciously…
It was time to get back to office …
It is fast past noon nothing on the list done, then the call, thee
call, master callers says “Hello? Hello
Sir? Hello is that Sir Riche” … … I said “Well yes this is he…” = “Well then
Sir, the concept has been considered and accepted, could you join us for lunch
and lets discuss the implementation” I was suddenly “Sir...red!”.
Bingo
Bingo
