Ijumaa saa tatu na dakika hamsini, Mariam na Tunu walikuwa tayari wamesimama chini ya Block C.
Tunu aliangalia juu mpaka shingo ikachoka. Block ilikuwa na balconies ndogo, kuta za rangi ya mchanga na grills nyeusi. Baadhi ya madirisha yalikuwa na mapazia tayari. Mengine yalikuwa tupu. Gari la fundi lilikuwa limeegeshwa karibu na entrance, na upande wa pembeni kulikuwa na mifuko ya cement ambayo haikuwa imeondolewa baada ya repairs za mwisho.
“Third floor,” Tunu alisema.
“Ndiyo.”
“Tutapandisha mashine kwa stairs?”
“Usianze.”
“Lift inafanya?”
“Mariamu wa jana angeuliza baada ya kuhamia. Mariam wa leo atauliza kabla.”
Tunu akamwangalia. “Wewe mwenyewe unajiita versions?”
Mariam hakujibu. Alikuwa akijaribu kutabasamu bila kujipa ruhusa ya kushangilia mapema.
Rukia alifika akiwa na technician aliyeitwa Peter na clipboard yenye SNAG INSPECTION / C-308. Hakukuwa na balloons, picha za handover wala mtu wa sales. Mariam alipenda hivyo.
“Ready?” Rukia akauliza.
“Ready kuona. Sio ready kusaini mpaka tuone.”
Peter akatikisa kichwa. “Fair.”
Walipanda stairs kwa sababu lift ilikuwa inafanya testing cycle na haijafunguliwa rasmi kwa residents. Tunu alipofika floor ya tatu alikimbilia balcony kabla Mariam hajamzuia.
“Mama.”
Mariam akaenda kwake.
Kutoka balcony waliweza kuona barabara ya bus inayopita kuelekea upande wa shule. Haikuwa route ile ile ya Mto Mdogo, lakini ilikuwa fupi kuliko safari ya kutoka kwa Salma na bedsitter. Tunu alishika railing kwa mikono miwili.
“Bus ya asubuhi inapita pale?”
Rukia alisema, “Route 4 na 4B. Stop iko karibu na gate.”
Tunu hakusema kitu kwa sekunde kadhaa. Aligeuza uso pembeni kana kwamba upepo ulikuwa umemwingia machoni.
Mariam hakumgusa mara moja. Relief nayo ilikuwa kitu cha kupewa nafasi.
“Tuangalie ndani,” alisema hatimaye.
Unit ilikuwa na sitting room ndogo, bedrooms mbili, kitchen yenye counter fupi na corner karibu na window ambayo Mariam aliiona mara moja kama sehemu ya sewing table. Tape measure yake ikatoka kwenye handbag bila kufikiri.
Tunu akacheka. “Hata nyumba bado hujapokea, unampima.”
“Ndio maana tape measure ipo.”
Mariam alipima corner. Meza yake ndogo ingeweza kuingia bila kuzuia dirisha. Mashine kubwa ingehitaji kusogezwa kidogo wakati wa wageni, lakini ilikuwa possible.
Peter akaanza checklist.
Walls: acceptable. Tiles: acceptable. Windows: opening and locking. Electrical sockets: test. Water: test. Bedroom locks: test. Meter numbers: record.
Kitchen tap ilipoturniwa, maji yalitoka kwa nguvu sekunde tatu kisha pressure ikashuka.
Peter akasema, “Building pressure inastabilize. Itakuwa sawa baada ya occupancy.”
Mariam akamwangalia. “Andika weak pressure.”
“Ni normal commissioning.”
“Basi andika commissioning pressure weak.”
Peter akatazama Rukia.
Rukia akasema, “Andika observation.”
Peter akaandika.
Walifika bedroom ya pili. Lock ilikataa kuzunguka vizuri. Tunu alijaribu mara mbili.
“Inashika.”
Peter akachukua key. “Hii ni alignment tu. Nita-spray na ku-adjust baadaye.”
Mariam alisema, “Andika.”
Peter akavuta pumzi. “Mama, tunaweza fix leo jioni.”
“Vizuri. Uki-fix leo jioni, tomorrow record itaonyesha fixed. Leo record ionyeshe inashika.”
Tunu alisimama nyuma yake akiwa kimya.
Rukia akasema, “Add bedroom-two lock alignment snag.”
Peter akaandika.
Mariam hakutaka kuwa difficult kwa sababu ya performance. Alikuwa amejifunza tofauti kati ya kusumbua na kuweka record. Alipokagua socket ya sitting room na ikafanya kazi, alisema acceptable. Window moja ilikuwa na scratch ndogo kwenye frame ambayo haikuathiri matumizi; hakuiweka snag.
Tunu akauliza, “Hii scratch je?”
“Cosmetic. Naweza kuishi nayo.”
“Na lock?”
“Lock inanifanya nisiweze kufunga chumba vizuri. Different.”
Rukia akasikia na kuandika note ndogo pembeni.
Walirekodi electricity meter number. Mariam alipiga picha meter reading kwa permission. Water meter nayo ikaandikwa. Service deposit amount ilikuwa kwenye sheet tofauti. Hakukuwa na unexplained top-up.
Mariam akasema, “Na allocation letter?”
Rukia akatoa copy. “C-308. Two-bedroom comparable remedy. Linked to BM-AUD-118 and flagged-row rule.”
“Closure language?”
“Final closure after unconditional handover and appeal acknowledgment.”
“Good.”
Peter akasema, “Sasa mnaweza kusaini inspection.”
Mariam akasoma checkbox. `UNIT ACCEPTABLE FOR HANDOVER` ilikuwa bado blank. Chini yake kulikuwa na `CONDITIONAL — SNAGS LOGGED`.
“Nitasaini conditional.”
Peter akasema, “Mnaweza kuhamia hata leo. Maji yako. Umeme upo.”
Mariam aliangalia Tunu. Bedsitter rent ilikuwa inaisha usiku huo. Kila shilingi ya extra night ilikuwa maumivu. Tunu aliona swali usoni mwa mama yake.
“Tutalala wapi leo?”
Mariam akasema, “Tukirudi bedsitter, tunaongeza night moja.”
“Na hapa?”
“Lock ya bedroom haijakaa sawa. Maji yana pressure issue.”
Tunu akasogea karibu na balcony tena. “Naweza kulala sitting room.”
Mariam alijua angeweza. Wangeweza kuleta godoro, kutumia maji ya bucket, kufunga bedroom moja na kuishi. Hiyo ndiyo temptation ya mwisho: kusema baada ya yote waliyopitia, defect ndogo haiwezi kuwazuia.
Lakini huo ndio ulikuwa mfumo wa “baadaye” waliokuwa wamekimbia muda wote.
“Nimeingoja nyumba hii muda mrefu,” Mariam alisema. “Ndiyo maana sitaki kuanza maisha mapya kwa ‘tutarekebisha baadaye’.”
Tunu alikunjua uso. “One more night?”
“One more night.”
Rukia akasema, “Technician anaweza kufanya lock leo. Water pressure test ifanyike kesho saa mbili. Mkiwa satisfied, handover inakuwa unconditional.”
“Written.”
Peter akacheka kidogo. “Najua. Written.”
Akaandika repair due time. Lock adjustment by 5:00 PM. Water pressure retest Saturday 8:00 AM.
Mariam akasaini conditional inspection. Tunu hakuhitajika kusaini, lakini aliweka initials zake pembeni ya meter readings kwa hiari.
“Unajifunza vibaya,” Mariam alisema.
“Nimelelewa na spreadsheet ya nyumba.”
Walipotoka chumbani, Tunu aligusa ukuta karibu na mlango kwa vidole. “Hii ndiyo yetu?”
Mariam hakupenda kutumia neno “yetu” bila paper, lakini safari hii allocation letter ilikuwa ndani ya folder.
“Imetengwa kwetu chini ya remedy. Handover bado conditional.”
“Unaweza kusema ndiyo kidogo tu?”
Mariam akamwangalia. “Ndiyo. Kidogo.”
Tunu akatabasamu.
Chini ya block, Rukia aliwapa copies mbili za snag list. Mariam akaweka moja kwenye folder, nyingine kwenye envelope ya moving papers. Peter akaenda kutafuta fundi wa lock.
Mariam alipokea simu kutoka Kesi. “Mama Tunu, order U-052 amekuja mapema.”
“Mpe message ya pickup window.”
“Amesema anasafiri.”
“Basi mpe. Balance alipe.”
“Sawa.”
Mariam akakata simu na kutazama building tena. Maisha hayakuwa yamesimama ili nyumba ipatikane. Orders bado. School bado. Rent bado mpaka kesho. Hilo lilifanya C-308 ionekane halisi kuliko sherehe yoyote.
Rukia akasema, “Kuna kitu kingine.”
Akatoa envelope ndogo nyeupe.
Mariam hakuiangalia mara moja. “Hii ni nini?”
“Key ya unit. Kwa sababu assignment iko formal, tunaweza kutoa key under conditional handover. Access ya inspection na supervised moving preparation. Usiku wa leo mnaweza kuamua kutohamia mpaka snag closure.”
“Na tag?”
“Tag ina status.”
Tunu akasogea karibu.
Rukia akafungua envelope na kutoa key moja yenye tag nyeupe. Mariam hakunyoosha mkono haraka. Alisoma kwanza.
Rukia anampa key yenye tag nyeupe: `C-308 / JENGO / CONDITIONAL HANDOVER`.
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