Nilichanganyikiwa—ameniibia? Yeye ana nguo nzuri, mbona anachukua zangu? Nikampigia, nikasema, “Neema, nguo zangu ziko wapi?” Akasema, “Una nguo wewe?” Nikasema, “Neema, sio utani, nimeoga, nataka kuvaa!” Akasema, “Magwanda yako nimeyachukua, tulia, nakuja.” Nikasema, “Unamaanisha nini?” Akasema, “Tulia, nakuja sasa!” Akakata simu. Nilishangaa, lakini nikatulia. Baada ya nusu saa, alirudi na begi la nguo. Akasema, “Hizi ndizo nguo, chukua.” Nikasema, “Nguo gani hizi? Zangu ziko wapi?” Akasema, “Zile nimewagawia watu, hizi nimenunua, za mtumba, bei nafuu, zitakufaa.” Akanivua kitenge, nikabaki uchi, nikasema, “Neema, nini sasa?” Akasema, “Shoga, umeumbika! Hata mimi ninakutamani!” Nikasema, “Toka, niache!”
Akasema, “Tuliambiwa nini unyagoni kuhusu vichaka?” Nikacheka. Akasema, “Vuzi lako, shoga, kama unataka kufuga ngedere, sio msitu huu!” Nilicheka, akasema, “Chukua hii mashine.” Alinipa Gillette ya kunyolea. Nikasema, “Inatumiwaje?” Akanisukumia kitandani, akavuta kitenge, akaanza kuninyoa, akisema, “Unaoga juu tu, unayasahau huku chini? Msitu umefunga, utakosa harufu!” Nikacheka, akasema, “Jitahidi uwe safi, ulitia aibu hospitali!” Alininyoa vizuri, akapaka makwapani, akasema, “Twende bafuni.” Nikaokota vuzi, kweli nilikuwa na msitu mnene! Nikaenda chooni kuzitupa.
Akasema, “Nakukumbusha ya unyago, umesahau. Marufuku kuosha chini na sabuni, safisha kwa kidole cha kucha fupi, sugua uvungu wa mapaja, usiwe na weusi, usichafue pindo za chupi. Siku zingine usivae chupi, acha upepo.” Nilicheka, lakini nilielewa. Akanifundisha kusugua masikio, shingo, uso, mwili mzima, hadi “mstari wa ikweta.” Akasema, “Oga mara mbili kwa siku, piga mswaki kila ukila au unapolala.” Nikaoga vizuri, tukarudi chumbani. Akanipa deodorant ya makwapa na sprei ya kunukia, nikapaka. Akasema, “Vaa hizi shanga mbili kiunoni, sio marufuku kukaa wazi, shoga!” Nikasema, “Sawa.” Akasema, “Vaa hizi nguo, wewe sio mzee, binti wa Mtwara!”
Nikacheka, nikasema, “Umezipata wapi?” Akasema, “Mimi nina mbaba, nimemudu, ananipenda, anataka kumuacha mkewe. Wazazi wetu walitutupa tukafanyiwa unyama, sasa ni zamu yetu kulipiza. Hatuwezi bila pesa. Baba Zawadi anakupenda kama mtoto, lakini unaweza kuwa zaidi. Mteke kimapenzi, atakupa dunia!” Nikasema, “Kweli?” Akasema, “Binadamu wametufanyia unyama, sasa tumudu maisha yako na uzuri wako!” Nikajiangalia kwenye kioo, akasema, “Unaona? Unaweza kulinganisha na yule mchaga? Jitazame ulivyo, mtoto wa Mtwara mbichi! Mpe Baba Zawadi penzi, utanishukuru.”
Nilivua gauni jipya, nimenenepa, nina nyama, nilipendeza. Nikasema, “Neema, unafikiri atanipenda?” Akasema, “Mwanaume gani asiyekupenda? Labda akuogope kwa uzuri wako.” Nikakubali, akasema, “Simu yangu iko wazi, nipigie kwa ushauri, sawa?” Nikasema, “Sawa.” Akasema, “Anza kumtega leo, vaa gauni linalonukia, utaona!” Tuliongea mengi, akanifundisha, nikakubali kufanya hivyo kwa ushawishi wake. Neema aliaga karibu saa tisa, nikamsindikiza hadi getini, nikiwa na gauni jipya.
Masai aliniita, akasema, “Mbona umependeza hivi? Kama dada wa TV!” Nikacheka, nikasema, “Masai, acha uongo, niko kawaida.” Akasema, “Ukiendelea hivyo, nitashindwa kuwa baba, nitakutaka!” Nikasema, “Mzee, niache!” Akasema, “Msee? Nimekuwa msee kwa kukuangalia, Zawadi! Njoo ndani tuongee.” Nikasema, “Acha, naenda kupika, baba atarudi.” Akanishika mkono, akasema, “Njoo, nikuoneshe bakora yangu!” Nikampiga mkono, akaniachia, nikakimbia. Akasema, “Zawadi, unakimbia, visuli vya nyuma vinatikisika kama pundamilia!” Nikacheka, nikasema, “Unazeeka vibaya, niache!”
Nikaenda ndani, nikampigia Neema, tukapiga story za Masai. Akasema, “Kumbuka lengo lako sio mlinzi, ni bosi wake!” Nikasema, “Sawa.” Nikapika samaki wa kukaanga, wali, kachumbari, na mboga za majani—anazipenda, na kuna mama analeta nyumbani. Nikaandaa sebule, nikamsubiri baba. Saa moja usiku, hajaja. Saa mbili, bado. Saa tatu, nikaona nimpigie. Akapokea akiwa kwenye kelele, akasema, “Nakuja,” akakata. Nikahuzunika, nikamtumia ujumbe Neema, “Mbona hajarudi? Nimepika!” Akasema, “Kuwa mvumilivu, msindikize sebuleni.” Nikalala sebuleni, nikapitiwa na usingizi.
Niliamshwa na Baba Zawadi, akasema, “Mbona umelala hapa?” Nikasimama, nikasema, “Nilikukusubiri.” Akasema, “Ungelala, mbu wanakung’ata kwa nini? Siku nyingine usinisubiri.” Nikasema, “Sawa.” Akasema, “Lala ndani, naenda kulala.” Nikasema, “Sawa.” Alienda juu, nikampigia Neema, nikasema, “Hajaniangalia hata kidogo!” Akasema, “Kesho wahi kuamka, vaa kanga iliyoloa, uwe umenuna.” Nikasema, “Ninune nini?” Akasema, “Ajue hukupenda kurudi marehemu.” Nikasema, “Sawa.”
Asubuhi, niliamka mapema, nikaoga, nikapika supu. Nilivaa kanga iliyoloa, niko busy jikoni. Baba aliamka saa tatu, akakuta supu mezani. Aliniita, sikuitika. Akanifata jikoni, niko na lubega, mgongo wazi. Nilihisi yupo nyuma, lakini hakusema nini. Nikadondosha kijiko kwa makusudi, nikainama kuokiokota, nikaona sandal zake. Nikajifanya sijaona, akakohoa. Nikastuka, nikageuka, akasema, “Hujambo?” Nikasema, “Sijambo, shikamoo.” Akasema, “Marahaba. Nimekuita, mbona hujaitika?” Nikasema, “Samahani, sikusikia.” Nikamuangalia kwa umakini.
Akasema, “Sawa, tule ulichoandaa.” Nikasema, “Asante, nimeshakula.” Akasema, “Hicho umefunika ni nini?” Nikasema, “Chakula nilichokuandalia jana, hukula.” Akasema, “Ndiyo maana umenuna? Nisamehe, nilikunywa sana, sitorudia.” Nikamuangalia, nikampita nikitikisa, nikaingia mlangoni. Alinitazama, akanishika mkono, akasema, “Zawadi, baba amekosa, unatakiwa umsamehe. Si rahisi baba kusema amekosa.” Nikamtazama machoni, akastuka, akaniangalia kama ananiona leo. Nikakwepesha macho, akasema, “Niangalie.” Nikamuangalia, akasema, “Nisamehe, sitochelewa tena, sawa, mama?” Nikasema, “Sawa.” Akasema, “Naomba tule wote sasa.” Nikasema, “Sawa.”
Nilipanda juu, nikampigia Neema, nikampa mchapo. Akasema, “Kazana kumtega, mfanyie vituko hadi adate!” Nikasema, “Sawa.” Nilivaa sketi na blauzi ndogo ndogo za Neema, nikaenda mezani, nikavuta kiti. Nikadondosha kijiko kwa makusudi, nikainama, shanga zikionekana. Baba aliniangalia, akatoa macho, nikanyanyuka, nikakaa. Hakusema nini, akakohoa, akajifanya hanitazami usoni. Akaanza kuniuliza mambo, kisha akasema, “Umewahi kuogelea?” Nikasema, “Sijawahi.” Akasema, “Jiandae, tutoke tuende, sawa?” Nikasema, “Sawa.”
Tulikula, nikapanga vyombo. Akiwa sebuleni, nikaskia mlango ukigongwa, akafungua. Nikaangalia—nilikutana uso kwa uso na Mama Zawadi na mabegi! Itaendelea