Nairobi is an interesting place. Those who have been here for a long time can attest to that. Its Friday 6: 30 p.m. , the city is alive and bubbling. Ties hang loosely as both young and old Nairobi working class men file from their offices as they prepare to hit the clubs. The buttons on the ladies blouses, drop from 10th floor to Mezzanine 1 and the condom shoes are quickly replaced by World Business Center 4, 000 bob stiletto heels. Clubs, in a bid to attract the most patrons, turn up their music to levels that make the angels in heaven have to keep on re shuffling the furniture.
My girl Liz and I had just left the office sad. The boss had promised to pay us today and we were quite ecstatic about getting some money for the rave. Mr. Boss called from “ Industrial Area” at 6. His excuse? There was too much traffic to get back to town and we would have to wait till Monday for our Salaries. Come on sir! This is the third time you’ve used that one ! Lame!…. Is what I wanted to say but heck! I still needed my job. Other people seem to always have more fun when you are broke.
Java on Koinange street was packed and I almost put my face on the glass begging to be invited in. No one had called with a drinking plan and the only plot left was to go home, Kiambu. Joan and I walked into Mr. Price and all other fancy stores chilling for fare “ to go down” I had a sock in my purse and Joan had 80 bob 0r 70 I think. Just when we had gotten into the matatu, the call came. It was Fred, my friend. He wanted us to meet him at Winkers ! Who the hell goes to Winkers? I can tell you who does…broke people who have no money. “Shukisha wewe mjinga!” Liz shouted at the Conductor who had already instructed the driver to drive on when he heard us saying we wanted to get off. Abduction Nairobi style. The driver was adamant and didn’t stop until we got to Globe roundabout . That was after a heated exchange of words where if I can remember, someone-a woman I think- in the matatu said “Si uwashukishe dereva hawa ni wale Malaya wameitiwa kazi . Wacha wakaibe mabwana za wenyewe ”
OK Jesus! Nairobians are so frustrated they just jump into anything they can to help them forget about their troubles. Twenty minutes later, we were at Winkers sipping Cold Tuskers and drowning Tequilas, the matatu incident completely forgotten. Fred was with two other guys and a chic by his side. By the way I had the hots for Fred , just so you know! So, I sat there brooding jealously as Fred and the chic cuddled and made out. All these thanks to being broke. The two guys sat strategically so that one vibed Liz and the other bored me to death. I was really trying to listen to him but Fred and his chic were distracting me!
At one point, Fred who was short of change asked me for a hundred bob and promised to give it back before the end of the night. That is where all my problems began. At around 11 p. m. miss thaing’ had given Fred a hard on and the drink-till-morning- drunkard wanted to go ‘home’ (read wanted to go fuck that ugly weave off the lass) . When you have 100 hundred bob only in your pockets, believe you me its all you think about. So I remembered mine. “How about that sock,” I smiled trying to make it sound like it was nothing. “Errr…Njoro si you’ll give 500 bob tomorrow coz I don`t have change. I`ll give it back kesho,” Fred stammered eyeing the massive booty on his mama and winking at us. “No problem man,” Njoro (I know weird name) my man for the night said waving Fred off. 500 sock was good. Truly Jesus was with me tonight.
