Life is tough
“You are such a fool! You cannot even fix a simple pipe, why should I even keep paying you?” Madam Gloria told Enock while staring at him as if she was going to swallow him alive.
“I am sorry madam, but I had already told you that I am not a plumber, I am just a casual laborer here and this work of fixing leaking taps there was someone who used to come and fix them whenever they are leaking.” Enock told Madam Gloria.
“As long as I am paying you, you should do anything I tell you. And don’t you dare speak back to me or I will teach you a lesson you will never forget.” Madam Gloria said and adjusted her seat as she swung from left to right while looking at Enock. Enock looked away. He did not know what to say anymore as he hate to argue with Madam Gloria, who was the boss there and also a senior warden in Kenya wildlife service.
Enock asked himself: did God has to post this harsh woman to Gede station of all stations?
Madam Gloria leaned forward, adjusted her short skirt and said, “Enock, I want you to pick a rake from the store, clean this compound and then come for your payment, failure to I am not going to pay you any money.”
“Ok Madam.” Enock said politely and turned to go away.
“Where are you going? You have not even taken the keys to the store, where will you get a rake?” Madam Gloria asked Enock.
“I was going to borrow a rake.” Enock said.
“Why should you borrow and yet we have rakes here? Come on! Can you use your brains for once? Get the keys and open the store, get the rake.” Madam Gloria told Enock.
Enock went and got the rake from the store, and also took a machete. He then returned the key to Madam Gloria’s office.
“Hang the key over there and go finish your work. Once done, come for me to check if you have indeed finished the work.” Madam Gloria told Enock.
“Ok.” Enock said.
Enock went and began doing his work. He went around the office checking for where there were overgrown flowers, leaves that had fallen from the trees or papers that might have been blown by the wind and deposited in the office compound. The office block had a T shape. At the top of the T were three offices, with Madam Gloria’s office being to the left. At the middle was another office and to the far right was the armory where game wardens put their firearms.
On the long section was an open space for receiving visitors and to the other end was an office which was occupied by a lady who served as the secretary there.
Enock, for not wanting trouble with the boss did his job thoroughly. He took his time to ensure that the compound was very clean and tidy. He even arranged the rocks and stones around the compound.
The weather was hot and humid such that by the time Enock was done, he was sweating profusely. He however had no choice than to work failure to, he was going to sleep hungry that day.
By the time Enock was done, Madam Gloria had left. Enock approached one of the KWS officers that had been left there and asked him, “Where is Madam Gloria? She was to pay me as soon as I am done with the job.”
“She will be back tomorrow; she went for an official duty in Kwale and won’t be coming back.” The KWS officer told Enock.
“MY God! She was to pay me today.” Enock said.
“Sorry, check tomorrow.” The KWS officer said and continued reading a book he was reading about snakes.
“I can’t wait until tomorrow; I don’t have any money and…” Enock was talking when the KWS officer turned and looked at him until he stopped talking.
“Enock, there is nothing I can do to help you. You also know this woman and how hard it is to deal with her. If she had left any money, I would pay you, but she did not even leave the keys to the safe, even the accountant cannot access the money.” The KWS officer said.
Enock, feeling desperate told the KWS officer, “Bakari, I don’t have anything to eat today, if I don’t get that money, I will sleep hungry, I am begging you, if you have some money, give it to me and I will return to you once I am paid. Is that ok?”
Bakari looked at Enock for a few seconds and told him, “I don’t have any money with me, but if it is just food you need, I can get for you some flour from the shop since I can be given goods on credit from that shop.” Bakari pointed at a canteen that was built 150 meters away from the KWS offices.
“Ok.” Enock said.
The two walked to the canteen. Bakari, a medium height KWS officer, very dark and also slender carried his G3 Rifle in a manner that made it seem like it was heavier than he could handle.
Enock and Bakari got into the canteen. Bakari called out the young man who was selling at the canteen by his name, “Henry! Come over and be quick, I don’t have much time to waste.”
Henry got inside the canteen almost running. He even knocked down a small bucket that was at the backdoor but he quickly got it up.
“What are you running after this fast? You might break something.” Bakari told Henry.
“Of course, coming to serve you.” Henry, the ever-smiling short and slim man told Bakari.
“Give Enock some maize floor 2kg.” Bakari said, more like commended.
“I want money.” Henry said.
“Is it that I don’t pay whenever I take goods here?” Bakari asked.
“People of late are taking items on credit so much until I am running out of stock.” Henry told Bakari and then pointed at a sticker on the wall written: PAY CASH, FOR CREDIT COME TOMORROW
“Henry, I am not here to read useless stickers, will you give me the flour or I get in the shop and take it for myself?” Bakari asked Henry.
“Ok, ok. Let me give it to you.” Henry said politely. He got inside the shop, got a 2kg maize flour and was about to give to Enock when Bakari stopped him.
“Hey, Henry, give him the correct brand, come on man, we are all men here, not like one of us is a woman. Why are you behaving like you want me to caress your buttocks for you to offer me what I want?” Bakari asked Henry.
Enock laughed.
“Idiot!” Henry told Bakari but gave Enock a better maize flour brand.
“Thank you.” Enock said.
“Now, Enock, cook for two in the evening, I will come to eat from your house, my wife is not around.” Bakari told Enock.
“I don’t even have money to buy something to eat with.” Enock said.
“You go and figure out where you will get something to eat the ugali with, you can even go steal your neighbor’s chicken as long as you won’t get caught.” Bakari told Enock.
“You are a police officer; you should not be promoting theft.” Enock told Bakari.
Bakari laughed, adjusted his G3 rifle on his shoulder and said, “I am a KWS officer, my work is to guard animals in the forest, not properties in domestic homes.” And with that, he walked away towards his workstation. The time was 4 pm. Bakari had 2 more hours to hand over to the night duty officer.
As Enock walked towards his home, he was looking at some hens that were moving around the vast village where most workers lived and thinking: if any comes to my house on its own, I am going to slaughter it and get some soup to eat Ugali with.
