Vite

 Inner Core Estate, Eastlands Nairobi (2002)

He wore a black baggy suit, about a size and a half bigger.  The suit was the old kind that came with shoulder pads, very 80s-esque, but his were worn out and looked like cotton wool was stuffed in the coat.  As he clumsily teetered behind her then tripped on an untied shoe-lace dropping his back-pack as he tried to break his fall with his free hand.  

"Arghh" she sighed as Vite squatted to tie his left shoe-lace.  They had been married for 8 years.  "Well at least I made it past the 7 year divorce mark, yippee!" Vite thought sarcastically to himself as he collected his back-pack and caught up to Makena, his wife, who had continued walking and was now at their car.  "Are you coming or what?"  Vite dashed to the passenger side as Makena revved up the car and sped off.

She had been driving them for 3 years now.  It began around the time Vite got demoted at work and had to depend on Makena's salary to meet their needs.  They had 2 small children in primary school, the boy was in class 2 and the first born daughter in class 4.  The 2 kids sat silently at the back seat of their 1995 model Toyota Corolla, just having witnessed the embarrassing morning routine between their parents.  Vite's relationship with his wife soured increasingly from the time she began chipping in with the bills; she grew distant and resentful, eventually they just stopped talking and would only do so when need be.  After dropping off Vite at work, the Kenya Meat Commission along Landhies Road, Makena went on to drop the children at Westlands Primary School before signing in at Kenya Commercial Bank where she worked as a Bank Teller.  

Vite was a Meat Packer and worked at the warehouse in 12 hour shifts.  Prior to his demotion he was a Health Safety Officer, a job he lost because 30 rats where found in the facility by Nairobi City Council inspectors during a random check.  At the time, Vite was on duty so responsibility fell squarely on him.  Now here he was earning 15,000 shilling less working 2 shifts more. He punched in his card at the time sheet machine, wore his white overall and gumboots then began helping the other men offload the uncut meat from the lorries starting with the pigs.  

*    *    *

It was now noon and Vite was due for his 30 minute break.  As he swept the remaining sludge-like animal blood from the corner of the warehouse a young man in a white overall came by.

"Do you need some help?  I know it's your break time."

"Eh ... yes sure, thanks." Vite replied as the young man picked up one of the rubber brooms and began helping with the clean-up. "Sorry to ask, but are you new here?  I have never seen you ..."

"Yes, I am an intern."

"I did not know that the Kenya Meat Commission hires interns."

"I am a volunteer intern."

"O-kay, my name is Vite," he removes his glove to shake the young man's hand.

"Juma. Well, go on I have it covered, you now have 20 minutes remaining to eat your lunch."

After 10 minutes Juma joined Vite and the other workers at a nearby food stall near the Jua Kali market where many people in the area usually went to eat.  Vite was winding up his meal as Juma sat next to him holding a soda peaking to see what Vite was having. "Chapati dondo, nice! Old school mjengo meal."

"Soda, interesting ... on a diet?" Vite smiled back.

"If I was on a diet it would be Diet Coke," both laughed.  Juma then took a huge last gulp, picked the bottle cap and pressed it back onto the bottle before placing it on the wooden table.

"Why did you do that? A ritual?"

"Do what?"

"Return the bottle cap."

"Oh, that. There are some guys who sift through the crates at the back of all these vibanda before the pick-up trucks come to take the empties back to the depot. So, I learned that having the cap on is more value for recycling for those young men."

"And ... , you know all this how?"

Juma glances at his watch, "Time up."  He then gets up and heads back to the warehouse.

*    *    *

Vite took a bus home every day, a habit he started right about the time his wife began driving them to work. He was now at the point of avoidance and any opportunity to interact less with her was welcomed gladly because every conversation morphed into an argument.  Also, taking the evening bus home was therapeutic for Vite.  He got to relax amidst strangers and have no pressure to talk or do anything at all.  The 30 minute commute was his daily dose of peace.  It also allowed him to avoid Makena without the children noticing since the school bus would drop them back home earlier in the day.  Sometimes, when he had an early morning shift, Vite would dash home for late lunch to spend time with the children.  They arrived back at 3pm and he would play with them then return to work for the second shift till late night, by then Makena was asleep and couldn't quarrel him.  However, Vite knew deep down that this model of living was unsustainable.  Today was his last day at work and would be on leave for the next one month.  Knowing this, Vite enrolled for a volunteer position at a nearby church where he would help build their upcoming chapel.  He was not a Catholic but still the same felt the need to do something with his time away from work.  It was also a great way to avoid Makena because he could take the evening shifts when she was home then return to find her asleep.  During the day he could spend time with the children.  As he got off the bus, Vite pulled out the day's newspaper from his backpack and turned to the TV guide section - KTN channel was going to do an overnight marathon of the series 24, both season 1 and the recently released season 2.  Vite was movie lover and this could not have come at a better time.  He glanced at his watch, it was 30 minutes to the marathon.  He quickly rushed to the gate, dug into his bag for his keys, unlocked the gate and hurried in.

The children were already asleep but Makena was not.  She sat in from of the TV holding a glass of sweet white wine watching one of the telenovelas on a different channel.

"Hey, remember we agreed that I would watch the 24 marathon today?"  Vite said slowly as he approached the living room.

"Shhhh!" Makena replied aggressively. "You always watch your stuff can't you let me watch mine for a change!"

"Always?  Well, I normally find you asleep so I assume that you watch 'your stuff' before I get home."

Makena laughs sarcastically, "You're so selfish!"

"Selfish? I'm selfish because I asked politely to watch a once in a year marathon that we already agreed on?"

The older child, Mary, walks to the door and watches the two arguing.  Vite notices her as he turns to enter the kitchen to serve his dinner.  "It's okay, go back to sleep, Mum and Dad are just talking."  Mary goes back up as Vite takes a seat on the other side of the living room.  Makena remains glued to the TV. 

"And oh there's an electrician coming to check on the fuse box so please let him in when he knocks."

"Repairs at 9.45pm?"

"Please don't start ..." Makena sighs. 

After a few minutes the gate bell rings and Vite goes to open it. It is Juma.  

"Are you stalking me?" Both laugh.

"I'm here to check the fuse box, I did not know you live here."

"Wait, you work for the power company?"

"Yes, why?"

"I thought you worked for Kenya Meat Commission as an intern?"

"I do, I also do this ... and many things."

"Damn, who are you Juma?" Both laugh again as Juma gets in and uses one of the screw drivers in his tool box to open the external fuse box on the wall of the house.  The power company had been placing stickers on the meters written 'Do NOT Tamper' after people began fiddling with the coil to lessen the meter readings. 

"I see you also tightened your coil." Vite gets startled because he knew it was true.  With the crazy bills they had to pay and dealing with Makena's madness he felt that he had no choice but to tamper with the meter.  "Relax, it's okay.  I would tamper with it too, I get it.  Life in Nairobi is expensive."

"So, you won't report this?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Why not?  In any case, I am also guilty of something."

"What?"

"I have come past 5pm and I got the job card at noon when we were having lunch."

"So?"

"So I now get to be paid overtime aka 'OT'." Juma continues talking as he works on the fuse box.

"Gotcha ... " Vite realises that he's still holding a bowl of fruit from the time he came out to open the gate. "Sorry, forgot to ask, do you want to come in for supper?"

"Thanks but I have to catch the 24 marathon."

"Wait ... you are a 24 fan?"

"Yes, why?"

"I love 24! But my wife won't let me watch it because of her telenovelas."

"'Won't let you'? ... We can watch it at my house, I live in Umoja One."

"You are serious?"

The two stare at each other for a second then, realising that Juma is serious, Vite runs back into the house and emerges 5 minutes later with a coat and car keys, "Lets go."

Juma lived in a one bedroom flat at the border of Umoja and the large field separating Umoja from Kariobangi South.  Initially that field was sectioned off by the Nairobi City Council to build a market but for some reason it never happened.  Vite was dumbfounded as he entered Juma's home; he had large shelves with several books and on the other wall the shelf was full of music vinyls, music cassettes and video tapes.  "I see you are a collector," Vite gaped as he pulled out one of the tapes from the shelf.

"More like an enthusiast than a collector," Juma smiled as he removed his. KPLC overall.

"Blood Sport, 1988!  You like action?  Man they don't make them like this anymore!" Vite said excitedly as he kept sifting through Juma's movie collection. "How can you afford all this on an intern's salary if you don't mind me asking?"

"I have several jobs, as you just witnessed at your home, plus there's a video library in town that is selling some of their VHS tapes for 200 shillings.  Most of those tapes I got from there," he points to a smaller shelf below the open kitchen counter. "Waking Life, 2001, was lucky to get that one, only copy left."

"Damn ... " 

The two settle down and watch the 24 marathon till morning when Vite would leave for home.  Juma said that he had another gig so did not join Vite who was now preoccupied with his 8210 Nokia phone that had 83 missed calls from Makena who he had forgotten to tell that he would be out all night.

*  *  *

Days went by and Vite did not get to see Juma at work.  Juma did not have a mobile phone either.  Perhaps his internship had ended or perhaps he got a better gig, who knows.  One evening, Vite passed by Juma's home and found his house locked, upon inquiry, the cleaning lady told Vite that Juma had travelled for a few months but did not say where to.  Back at work Vite asked the other men about the intern who was helping clean the slaughterhouse but no one seemed to know Juma. 

The End.

Written by Robert Mũnũku

© Mau Mau Arts 2025

Did you enjoy this short story on my blog?  There are many more like it in my anthology, Saṃsāra, grab your copy!

To order Saṃsāra, email: info@maumauarts.org