Journals
-
Out of Office
Read more: Out of OfficeThe corridor was dimly lit through the glass partitions. It was a Wednesday evening, after sunset. The lights in the office were lit unevenly. One room on, one room off. I walked slowly, confronted by an air of unfamiliarity in a place that was engraved in my heart. I turned left, looking into a room…
-
Kifaru
Read more: KifaruI have a slightly swollen forehead from running into walls when I was young. I ran into walls, and broke things; a glass, a glass jug, a plate, my hand (when I was learning to walk). I was always running. Rushing to the next errand; take this to the kitchen, take this to the living…
-
No Air
Read more: No AirKilimanjaro must have exorcised my demons. I have been talking in my sleep, more like growling. The night after the summit, I kept my roommates awake with my noises. I caught it once or twice, this sleep-noising, just before I drifted to sleep; that liminal space between consciousness when you are drifting into dreams but…
-
I Hope this Finds you Well
Read more: I Hope this Finds you WellThe year is 2156. Only 0.0000017% of the world remember the ancient art of handwritten letters. I am one of them. I reincarnated specifically for this reason. To come back and write emails, without AI. Yes, I would come back just to write emails. I love emails. I love it when they find me well,…
-
Closing Day
Read more: Closing DayIt’s closing day and I am next in line to get a taste of my classmate’s ‘Bazooka’. ‘Bazooka’ dominates the tea time snacks market at Karatina D.E.B primary school. It’s more addictive than those Festive Ring cakes that currently have me on a chokehold. This is the early 2000s and Kinder Joy, the weapon fashioned…
-
Just Start
Read more: Just StartI am staring at a blank page, wondering what to write about. I feel like a drying well. I should be publishing a piece for Day 29 of my writing challenge but I am empty. In fact, I feel like a stranger has been writing all those other days, and I am envious of them.…
-
Rasta Privilege
Read more: Rasta PrivilegeToday I got a seven shillings discount from the lady who sells me chicken. It pleased my heart. She said she allowed it because I am not in her black book of stubborn customers. But you know what would have made me happier? If she did it because of my locs.I need a return on…
-
A Large Potato
Read more: A Large PotatoMúturú was a precious commodity at Karatina D.E.B Primary School. If you got it, you were either lucky, or the cook’s favourite. The cook, Maina, was a slender man who always wore gumboots. Múturú was a large potato, preferably uncut, served in ‘supro’ AKA githeri with a bucket load of soup. ‘Supro’ always had hard…
-
Wahome
Read more: WahomeI always found my grandfather seated by the cow shed early in the morning, contemplating life, I assume. Or perhaps he loved the view of the rolling hills with tea farms. Gaithuri was, still is, a very scenic village next to the Aberdare forest. Maybe it was none of that. Maybe it was just a…
