My x-mas holiday

A not so happy new year to all out there. Though I still tend to say its a happy one for me. I am alive and I made it from Kisumu to Nairobi in the midst of all the chaos and confusion.

Well, I am glad to be back (to work too). Having spend the x-mas holidays and the new year in the village, it is reassuring to finally be back behind my desk doing what I love most.

My son and I did a flight to Mombasa on 13th December, Air Kenya. Never flown them before and was kinda jittery knowing they operate a 25 seater, my son being claustrophobic. Was a crying game till we arrived over an hour later! Anyway the first thing that hit me was the heat, not the normal coast heat but a different kind of heat, one I have never experienced in Mombasa before. My ride was waiting so home we went.

Day 1 was indoors, where can you go in that heat anyway, and nights are worse! Survived the inferno for 5 days, and back home on 18th evening. I was so glad to be back to the normal temperatures. Reach home and the person I left in the house is still away at work, she didn't understand my message that I'd be arriving at 8.30pm, so look for a cab, go to her office and collect the house keys as she is in the middle of counting bundles of cash and cannot leave. I'm so hungry and angry at not being able to rest my aching feet. The rounds I did in Mombasa were not amusing. If you thought nairobi had a hawker's problem, please wait till you visit Mombasa. I had never witnessed traffic in the coastal town and it is bad! Worse than Nairobi by far and being that it is small and congested, block one side and its Kosovo! Well, I lived through that.

Ok, back to planning my shags trip. Confirmed 23rd. Being a Sunday, flight is at 1420hrs, make it just in time to get a very long queue. I'm early! Left the house by 1300hrs so that I'd be at the airport by 1310hrs, enough time for the one hour before flight check in rule. Shock on me. Gates are still closed. I notice so many new airlines operating out of Nairobi, its amazing. Flights to South Sudan, Eritrea and even Somaliland! More revenue for the gava.

Reach Kisumu at 3, my ride left me as there was a bash in Raila's backyard and I was keeping the car waiting so bye bye! Sawa tu. The other option was to wait for my cousin who 'left Kericho at 3' and is coming home so 'don't move.' With the absence of the road network and driving a small car, 2 hours at least. And I'm with the baby. There's no milk at the canteen! Well I call my very reliable cousin. He is leaving town for the house to pick his wife and kid before proceeding to Kisumu. This is just great. Call baba, explain the situation, of course quarrel enough for being kept waiting, but there's nothing much I can do. Either pick a cab to town and get a mat home which I'm not ready to do, or wait. Well, another cousin just lives across from the airport. Call him, comes and keeps me company as we talk about our relas. Time really flies. Its getting dark, no sign of these guys. Finally arrive at around 1830hrs, and we head home.

Less than half an hour later and we are home, safe. Everyone is in an upbeat mood. Its families and families. Others had arrived earlier. Had dinner and went to bed. I'm exhausted. I sleep alone in the house as the bash is extended to the next day. Ok.

Early morning, make breakfast, sit with the rest of the clan together, talk, gossip, eat, and the day starts. He's finally back so we head to Kisumu for shopping in the afternoon. Its crazy how everyone does their shopping at the last minute, us included. Should have done this at least the previous day, and that had been my plan. So here we are and the shopping malls are not the best place to be at this time. Everyone is in town. The late arrivees are also here on their way home. Finish shopping and head home.

Next day is x-mas, up early to start cooking. I buy time as I hate this part. I want to be called when all is ready and being the eldest, I have no choice but to lead by example. I can't feign sickness, it time for merry making. Lunch is late, at 3, but it was worth the wait. I love the way the boys have been trained to assist. They know their duties so well, one clears the clutter, one cleans, one dries, one stores! Then afternoon at leisure. I dont eat dinner as I had a lovely lunch. So I sleep early ready for the next day. It is normal as we all wait for the elections tomorrow (27th Dec). Everyone is looking forward to that and I too hoped to vote but unfortunately I did not get a flight back in time (don't kill me). I know I didn't like anyone who claimed not to have a voter's card or wasn't going to vote. I made enough enemies and just the thought that I wasn't going to vote made me wish none on them found this out.

27th morning I'm woken up by the school bell (the school is right next to the house). This is at 5am and I hear voices of everyone waking up everyone else. The bell rings for over half an hour non-stop. I later learn that its some chick who decided to wake up the whole village (she did not have a voter's card but wanted to make a change by summoning all). I wake up at 7 and there is no one at home, everyone went to vote. Make uji for the boy and when he's finished taking it the quorum start trickling in. They are so excited, especially the first time voters. I hear that they even got the sick in hospital to come vote and then take them back by ambulance to their hospital beds. I dont know how true this is but it came from the people back from voting.

So here we are, its evening and we have to wait for the results to start coming in as vote counting had to start at 6pm. That was the close of the voting. I cant wait for the end result of this all. I sleep with a smile on my face, ready to face another day.