Imagine attending an event, giving it your best including wiping the plastic chairs with your bum only to be left out when it comes to eating? Thanju's mother stomach never gets full. In her handbag, you will never lack a cup and a plate. She believes that fortune favors the bold.
You will never miss her in the village events either invited or not. She is there to offer stale jokes she has kept recycling since Mau Mau era.
This day, there was a dowry ceremony at Wakaniaru's home. One of his sons married a mhindi lady and they were bringing dowry. As usual, she woke up early and left for the venue. No bathing, no changing her clothing, just alighting her bed, picking up her mug and plate and hitting the road. Unfortunately, along the way she was hit by a motorbike and it disappeared. Luckily, she only had minor injuries. Onlookers demanded she must visit the local health center 10 kilometres away. It happened there were people walking towards the same direction so she had company. Her wish was being let to continue with her plans for the day. It fell on deaf ears.
At the hospital, having been booked, there's no way she could walk away. Also she was in pain. She had a dislocated leg and a shallow cut on her left hand. It took her four hours to be treated. Luckily in our village senior citizens don't pay even a dime at the local health center.
Mama Thanju was drowned in sorrow hoping she won't miss out on the food. She was in so much hurry that she grabbed the bandage out of the health assistant's hand and shot out like a bullet bandaging herself. Along the way, limping, she came across Thinwa who broke her heart. He told her that from his own observation, visitors having arrived a while ago there may be no food left. She didn't mind even if recycling a bone. Half running, half limping, she arrived at the venue. There was a queue at the caterers tent. She joined the queue. When her turn came, she didn't have an invitation card to show. She was asked to wait outside the gate in case some food remains and she will be served.
Greedy people are always lucky. Some very spicy greens that every local man avoided remained. Thanju's mother was invited and served in two enormous plates filled to the brim. She struggled eating amidst coughing and tears flowing down her eyes. Sooner she finished the food, without saying thank you nor waiting the plates to be collected, she left hurriedly down stream to irrigate her throat with water. It was literally burning.
The following day, she was heard screaming from her pit latrine for close to two hours. People who came to her rescue thought the latrine had collapsed with her inside.
You will never miss her in the village events either invited or not. She is there to offer stale jokes she has kept recycling since Mau Mau era.
This day, there was a dowry ceremony at Wakaniaru's home. One of his sons married a mhindi lady and they were bringing dowry. As usual, she woke up early and left for the venue. No bathing, no changing her clothing, just alighting her bed, picking up her mug and plate and hitting the road. Unfortunately, along the way she was hit by a motorbike and it disappeared. Luckily, she only had minor injuries. Onlookers demanded she must visit the local health center 10 kilometres away. It happened there were people walking towards the same direction so she had company. Her wish was being let to continue with her plans for the day. It fell on deaf ears.
At the hospital, having been booked, there's no way she could walk away. Also she was in pain. She had a dislocated leg and a shallow cut on her left hand. It took her four hours to be treated. Luckily in our village senior citizens don't pay even a dime at the local health center.
Mama Thanju was drowned in sorrow hoping she won't miss out on the food. She was in so much hurry that she grabbed the bandage out of the health assistant's hand and shot out like a bullet bandaging herself. Along the way, limping, she came across Thinwa who broke her heart. He told her that from his own observation, visitors having arrived a while ago there may be no food left. She didn't mind even if recycling a bone. Half running, half limping, she arrived at the venue. There was a queue at the caterers tent. She joined the queue. When her turn came, she didn't have an invitation card to show. She was asked to wait outside the gate in case some food remains and she will be served.
Greedy people are always lucky. Some very spicy greens that every local man avoided remained. Thanju's mother was invited and served in two enormous plates filled to the brim. She struggled eating amidst coughing and tears flowing down her eyes. Sooner she finished the food, without saying thank you nor waiting the plates to be collected, she left hurriedly down stream to irrigate her throat with water. It was literally burning.
The following day, she was heard screaming from her pit latrine for close to two hours. People who came to her rescue thought the latrine had collapsed with her inside.