A train tale.

When you talk to Kenyans who’ve traveled or lived abroad, they tell you meeting a fellow Kenyan feels like a bit of home away from home. A lady we met on the train explained just how warm Kenyans are.
She talked about how once you meet someone you can relate with its a whole new world of exploration. Now, if you have used the train you know how much you pray to get good people who sit next to you and if you are with a friend, she doesn’t end up on sit 5 when you’re on 4 because they are miles apart. (I think they should let you book your sit)
However, you meet different kinds of people; some can’t stand you, others chat along the whole way, others sleep and others feed you. It really is a rolling the dice kind of situation.
On our way to the coast this weekend Sylvia and I had a pretty great crowd. It was a group of ladies going on a vacation to spoil themselves. They were probably our moms ages and their outlook on life was nothing but spectacular.
One who really intrigued me works for the UN. (I guess we all see why) We talked about Geneva and how I’d like to go there and she said how everything is possible. I know this gets old sometimes. But there was really something about how positive she was. She never really thought she’d work for the UN and travel all over but miracles happen. She made Geneva a reality even though sometimes these big dreams look unachievable. The wisdom these ladies have is exquisite and you just see how much we are learned as a nation. If that doesn’t make you a tad bit proud I don’t know what does.
That was somewhat not the highlight of the trip. It just had to be who we met on our way back. Sylvia really said her prayers and again, we ended up on the same seats. Now we had a couple seated opposite us. The lady couldn’t stand us, she really made it clear when we said hi and only the husband responded. The hubby, chill guy, but he looked like the type to be ‘kaliwad chapo’ so there was really not much interaction that was going to happen. Or so we thought…
I decided to nap and Sylvia filed away her nails. When I wake up there’s this guy addressing the whole coach about how the Chinese are imprisoning us on the train. ‘Oh we can’t move from one coach to another, oh we have to empty the trash, oh they don’t have enough alcohol, oh this and that’ He was a very confident human being and more so a very proud Kenyan. When we spoke later he said he didn’t like to be contained and just do one thing. Pretty much explained why he was a businessman and particularly in food and kayumbet.
As I snoozed my way back to reality, he continued his sermon, ‘these people cannot expect what works for them to work for us. If you want to make money from Kenyans give them food and booze.’
All that confidence really got him a crowd. He was like D’Annuzio from the Art of Seduction. A rake in all its forms. He wasn’t cute really, maybe in his youth, but now he had a huge belly, probably what we read in set books as, ‘…wanaume wana vitambi kana kwamba ni mimba ya miezi tisa…’ he had the rake in him really doing the magic and I wouldn’t doubt he was a ladies man, despite not being as attractive as Nairobi women would claim to like their men.
Did I mention he was from the lakeside? I think there is something about men from the lake. How they speak their native language. You really don’t understand anything but if they are marinating you, you accept to be marinated. Their voice is so sly, you go with everything they say despite not knowing what it means. When they revert to English, the men speak like they could give you the world.
I think if you date someone from the lakeside and get home with you heel broken they’d be like, “baby, my princess, my love (insert appropriate accent and intonation) why do you suffer like this, do you not know I am Jatelo? From today henceforth you will only wear red bottoms! These cheap things will not be worn by my princess. I cannot have people think money is a problem yawa, pesa otas! Let me even call the port see if your car has arrived. Omera, how can you suffer walking in Nairobi under the hot sun? Won’t that make my ancestors turn in their graves?”
That was the kind of person we were dealing with and best believe Lwanda Magere is a very proud ancestor. He knows there is still an enigma who may not equal him, but possess his enchanted personality. And that makes his death a bit painless, as he sees his descendants live larger than life. Best believe Kenyans are pretty amazing people.
Have a beautiful week!
Featured image by Sylvia, thank you love.