KIKAMBALA

2022 June

I’ve done a project for a client, now waiting to be paid. Guess what they do? Disappear from the Internet, calls go unanswered, and I lose $400, just like that.

Working virtually is not like you can go knocking on someone’s door and ask them which games they are playing. This is a person in another continent. You only know their voice and face. Nothing more.

18 days of intense writing and research, sleepless nights, gone to waste..

It messed me up mentally, I needed therapy, which meant packing up my bag and getting away for a day or two. (TRAVEL IS MY THERAPY) Breaking into my savings, I made a hotel reservation and booked 2-way dreamline bus tickets, to and from Mombasa. I would travel later that night.

Mavueni is located 54 km north of Mombasa, I decided to go and visit the famous Mnarani Ruins later. It is while travelling back to mombasa from Mavueni, that curiosity got hold of me. I decided to alight at Kikambala, access the beach for an evening walk along the shores. It was 4;30pm, I still had time to move around..

GPS gave me an interesting route to the ocean: a thin path with green maize and scattered houses along the way. I walked for 20 mins with no sign of an ocean.

“Will this path lead me to the ocean?” I asked this lady. She was lazily walking on the side of the path headed in the same direction.

“Naam” She responded with that ‘kiswahili ya pwani’. From the look, she was young, 22 – 25 hapo. Her hair was shaggy, and her feet were dusty.

“Nilifikiria nimepotea”, I responded.

“Hapana, wewe ifuate tu yote hadi baharini, hautapotea,” she said. Well, I kind of liked her voice, and her tone was expressive.

Making sure I matched with her pace, I started off a conversation and talked hadi tukafika baharini..

My evening walk along the shores turned out to be a date, an awkward one for that matter , because I talked most of the time, and she just listened while giggling in between.

Funny thing, she didn’t seem to be in a hurry.

“Take me a short clip” I said as I handed her my phone, after realising that the sun was going down.

“Una simu zuri jameni.” She said while looking at my phone, surprised.

“Ni infinix hio, inachukuwa picture zuri” I replied in a forced swahili accent , as I showed her how to record.

Now, hear the twist.

Yes, we walked back from the ocean before darkness fell. It was around 6:30pm. when we got into a cross road, one that led to her home.

“Unaeza nipea number yako? Tuongee nikifika?” I politely asked.

(Disclaimer: Honestly, mimi sio fisi, okay?)

“Eeeheee, nina mume jameni!” She responded

“You are married?” I asked in English. That got me off guard.

“Yeah, wewe huna mke kwani?” She replied..

I just laughed a little, and said goodbye