Amazed by the environment. The clutter of noises as metals were pounded by a hammer by them, those mechanics. Though it was far, but could be seen. The beeping of horns, the tapping of people as they walked. The shouts, the calling, the talks as people went about their business. Cars differently crossed each other to and back travelling. They hitting a bump, slowed speed, a rise up, followed by a fall and then pressing of the gas emitting smoke behind. The no care attitude of a few motorbike riders could be seen. Cutting lanes, overtaking, over speeding, stopping and picking of passengers.
Not far away a mahindi choma vendor is cooling the effects of the boiling sun hitting those outside. People had grouped themselves there, ordering one after the other. Lemon and masala they applied to it, from the cutting of the maize combs heated to the flares of burning charcoal where a piece went for the price of ten shillings or twenty shillings. It reminded me of this joke, of high flying restaurants on how they would sell such a commodity using too much vocabularies to entice the eyes and the mouth. It would have been described as discombobulated frenzy spiced fired spark of charcoal mixed with lemon and a pinch of masala maize comb. Anyways might be making it up, it reminds me of the Nigerian movies where actors spoke, “English not my language, aah, abeg.” I have nothing more useful to add to that, aah aah.
The sun, this one is another topic, it is unbearable. Sweating all through, drinking water every time, it was never enough. Gallons after gallons you drank, but still, naah. Climate change. It has come, is this it? Watching on news every day you would have heard of this convention, you ask oneself what those people were talking about, ooh carbon emissions, ooh fossil fuels, ooh greenhouse, ooh solar panel, ooh Antarctica’s ice is falling. It was too much to believe it was true, it was actually the thought they were blowing the trumpet. Not any more though, it is real, here, not leaving but staying enforcing itself. Punishing us for the ignorance, for the betrayal to the environment, dirtying it with every manner of waste. Dirtying it with every manner of factories build. To make matters worse, people are burning charcoal by falling trees. The worst, protectors are accepting bribes. It is stomach now not thinking of tomorrow. But again who thinks of tomorrow? They ask. God is there. But, even so, the mantra is, “ protect yourself and I will protect you.” Show an effort and earn big from Him.
Anyways it is not about complaining, today it is about sitting here, at the balcony, enjoying the cool weekend it is. Peaceful, amazing and chasing out all the negativities, it is riding on positivity. Fuelled with hope, courage, determination that to come it will, arrive it knocks, to welcome we will, to ride high will it be, smiling all through. Beaming like sunflowers to sunlight. Of course not all, with a glass near me and a packet of juice. It is a matter of enjoying oneself, sip by sip. Be wowed by the tantalizing sweetness induced into this mango juice, so fresh, so original. They said on the packet, “picked straight from the farm, feel the coolness.” Indeed it was that, a thumbs up, a point given that in a world full of its own issues and challenges there is a positive. An expectation was met. It is from the littlest things that matters I guess. Oh my am I being a philosopher again. Habits, when will it end.
Well let me enjoy this book reading. “Foresight and vision,” but I ask myself, are they not the same, they have similar meanings? This author is playing games with our mind. Foresight means you have seen ahead so to is vision. Anyways regardless, the book is pure bless, top notch and a worthy read.
Chapter 15…
*Mahindi choma: Roast maize.
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