It was a beautiful sunny day and i'd just received good news, that i was going to graduate come July. For those not up to date on my news, i have spent the whole of this year just trying to get that stupid piece of paper. So here i am having finished all my precious savings, justifying my decision to use those Githurai buses that charge ksh 10 only for the whole trip over the 60ksh matatus.
So I had just sent a text to a buddy and was about to alight. Anybody who has been through Githurai can describe the terminus as a filthy affair of people, mud, ditches and rubbish. In an unusual action, and later to be a good sense of fortitude, i threw my phone onto my laptop bag, which in another fortunate turn didn't contain my laptop.
when i got off, i made it a couple of steps before i felt somebody grab my hand and walk really really close to me. Two other guys flanked me on the other side and i felt something pressed against my ribs...thankfully(if i may say so) it wasn't a gun...it was a knife...talk about between a rock and a hard place.
The guy grasping my hand asks for cash and hints he has a gun, and goes to the extent of informing me they are 'native' to githu and can disappear just like that. I really really wanted to call their bluff but it occurred to me that if they weren't bluffing I'd most certainly die for nothing. Risking my life by snorkeling among sharks and other extreme sports is worthwhile, but dying because of a stupid ego thing that is just plain dumb.
My sensei would turn over in his grave, though i doubt he would call me a little pussy, if he saw me there being all docile and shit. When he was passing the martial arts skills to us he was teaching us how to defend ourselves and beat the crap out of bigger guys. Though he refused to teach us how to use the numchucks and close combat knife fights! Still pissed over that, though i understand why, we used to go overboard with our spurring, which is how i dislocated both toes and broke three ribs(and i was the lucky one)!
The big question now. Where was everybody else as i was being mugged? Answer: Looking on or pretending not to notice. Nairobians are a funny bunch...they dont realize they might be next and maybe nexts time they will be one ending up in a ditch dead, or sprawled over the railway, a sacrifice to the morning train.
Anyway they frisked my pockets and took out about a K and missed my phone by a mile. They hid the knife and merged into the crowd. Still very much shaken and emasculated, i made my way to K.U. almost ignored a call from a friend who'd seen my tweet because i didnt want to talk to anybody. That was about four days ago. And that little incident triggered a bipolar episode...that led to a really big screw up, which is a story for another day.
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