Jumanne asubuhi Musa alifika kwenye kiosk ya nyuma bila mafundi, bila Halima na bila Rashid.
Alifika na notebook, tape measure na copies mbili tu: sketch ya sale agreement na list ya disclosure aliyompa Rashid jana. Alisimama nje mpaka Mariam amalize kuwasha jiko la mkaa. Harufu ya mafuta ya kupikia, chai ya tangawizi na maandazi ilijaa njia nyembamba ya nyuma.
Mariam alipomwona, hakumkaribisha mara moja.
“Leo umeleta kamba?” aliuliza.
“Hapana.”
“Surveyor?”
“Hapana.”
“Rashid?”
“Hapana.”
“Basi unataka nini?”
“Uniambie unachodai exact. Si plot yote kama hujasema plot yote. Si title kama hujasema title.”
Mariam alimtazama kwa muda mrefu, kisha akaonyesha kiti cha plastiki nje ya kiosk.
“Kaa hapo kwanza.”
Musa akakaa.
Wateja wawili wa asubuhi walifika kununua chai na chapati. Mariam aliwahudumia bila kuzungumza kuhusu deal. Musa aliona biashara yenyewe kwa macho: thermos, jiko, shelf ya sukari, tray za maandazi, ndoo ya maji na daftari la madeni ya wateja. Hii haikuwa store tupu iliyosubiri kuondolewa. Ilikuwa unit ndogo ya uchumi wa familia.
Baada ya wateja kuondoka, Mariam akasema, “Unataka kusikia kama lawyer au buyer?”
“Buyer anayejua akifunga bila kusikia, atalipa mara mbili.”
Mariam akatabasamu kidogo.
“Basi andika.”
Akaanza na miaka kumi na moja ya matumizi ya sehemu ya nyuma. Mwanzoni kulikuwa na jiko la muda na roof ndogo. Baadaye waliongeza cement floor, ukuta mmoja, bati na counter. Rashid wakati huo alikuwa anafanya biashara mbele. Mariam alisema baadhi ya improvements zililipwa kutoka kwenye biashara yake ya chakula, nyingine kutoka household money.
“Una proof gani?” Musa akauliza.
“Si kila kitu. Lakini nina receipts kadhaa, supplier entries na watu waliolipwa.”
“Na claim yako ni ownership ya rear strip?”
Mariam akatikisa kichwa polepole. “Usinipe neno kabla sijalipa mtu wa sheria. Ninachosema ni hii: huwezi kuuza front na back kama history yake ni sawa. Hapa nimeweka pesa. Hapa nimefanya biashara. Hapa access yangu inapita.”
“Unataka kubaki kiosk?”
“Ndiyo, kama deal inaendelea.”
“Na kama structure iko ndani ya title ya Rashid?”
“Hiyo ndiyo mnachopaswa kutatua. Mimi sitasema title ni fake.”
Musa akaandika sentensi hiyo.
Mariam akamwangalia. “Usinisaidie kushinda Rashid. Andika tu kile ambacho nimeweka hapa.”
“Ndiyo nafanya.”
Akauliza kuhusu access. Mariam akaonyesha njia nyembamba iliyotoka side lane hadi kiosk. Musa akapima kwa hatua kwanza, kisha akaomba ruhusa kutumia tape.
“Pima.”
Upana wake haukuwa mkubwa. Kama Musa angeweka workshop entrance kama alivyopanga, pikipiki mbili zikisimama pembeni zingefunga njia. Hiyo ndiyo detail ambayo sketch ya karakana yake haikuwa imehesabu.
“Wateja wako wanaingia hapa?”
“Asubuhi wengi wanakuja kwa miguu. Supplier anakuja na pikipiki. Gas na unga vinaingia hapa.”
“Na rear gate?”
“Hii ndiyo njia.”
Musa akaonyesha sketch. “Kama front commercial strip inabaki kwangu, na hii rear strip inahitaji access, tunaweza kuwa na shared lane.”
Mariam akasema, “Usichore solution kabla facts.”
Musa akacheka. “Sawa. Nimezoea machines. Nikiona space nataka kupanga.”
“Ardhi si engine.”
“Hilo nimeanza kuelewa.”
Mariam akaingia kiosk na kutoa envelope ya receipts. Musa aliziweka kwa tarehe. Cement. Mabati. Nails. Fundi. Baadhi zilikuwa na jina la Mariam. Nyingine zilikuwa receipts za cash bila jina. Musa akaweka columns:
DATE. ITEM. AMOUNT. NAME/NO NAME. LINK TO STRUCTURE. VERIFICATION NEEDED.
Mariam akauliza, “Hiyo yote lazima?”
“Ukiniambia roof uliilipia, receipt ya bati inaweza kusaidia. Lakini haitathibitisha plot yote.”
“Good.”
Mariam akamwangalia kana kwamba hiyo ndiyo answer aliyotaka kusikia.
Muda mfupi baadaye mwanamke kijana aliingia kutoka nyuma ya nyumba akiwa na apron. Mariam akasema, “Huyu ni Leila, mtoto wangu mkubwa.”
Leila alimwangalia Musa kwa tahadhari.
“Huyu ndiye buyer?”
“Deposit buyer,” Mariam alisema.
Musa akasema, “Final payment bado.”
Leila akaweka bag la unga chini.
“Mama amekuonyesha receipts?”
“Baadhi.”
“Na notebook?”
Mariam akamwangalia haraka. “Iko?”
Leila akasema, “Ipo ndani ya trunk.”
Mariam akakaa kimya.
Musa hakusukuma. “Notebook gani?”
“Ya biashara ya zamani,” Leila alisema. “Mama alikuwa anaandika matumizi makubwa.”
Mariam akasema, “Sijaitumia miaka mingi.”
“Lakini dates zipo.”
Musa akaandika tu: possible contemporaneous notebook.
Mariam akauliza, “Unafikiri hizi receipts zinanifanya owner?”
“Haziniambii hivyo. Zinaniambia contribution history ipo na inahitaji kushughulikiwa kabla deal.”
“Na kama sheria ikisema si ownership?”
“Bado seller alipaswa kuniambia structure na use history kabla ya final payment.”
Mariam akatikisa kichwa.
Walitoka nje na Musa akaanza kuchora sketch yake mwenyewe, si official survey. Front shop. Side lane. Rear kiosk. Drainage. Mango stump. Access path. Akaweka dotted line mahali kamba ya njano ilipopita.
“Claim yako strongest ni hapa?” aliuliza.
Mariam akaonyesha kiosk footprint na lane. “Hapa. Si front shop yako. Sijawahi kuuza shock absorber pale.”
Musa akatabasamu. “Bado si yangu.”
“Umenielewa.”
“Na garden ya mwisho?”
“Hiyo ilikuwa ya household, lakini mimi sisemi yote ibaki kwangu. Nataka reconstruction ifanyike.”
Musa akaona dispute ikibadilika. Siku mbili zilizopita ilikuwa kama ukuta: buyer dhidi ya family. Sasa ilikuwa maeneo tofauti, contributions tofauti, access tofauti. Inaweza kuwa ghali, lakini ilikuwa map-able.
Simu ya Musa ikaita. Halima.
“Uko wapi?”
“Kwa Mariam.”
“Usisaini kitu.”
“Sijasaini.”
“Paulo amejibu?”
“Bado. Namba iliyotuma receipt haijasema ni yeye.”
“Okay. Na Rashid?”
“Anasema atatuma disclosure leo.”
“Usiache hiyo deadline ipotee.”
Musa akakata simu.
Mariam akasema, “Dada yako ndiye boss?”
“Pesa yake ina sauti.”
“Ardhi pia.”
Leila alikuwa amerudi ndani. Dakika chache baadaye alitokea akiwa na notebook ya zamani yenye cover nyeusi, pembe zake zimechanika na kurasa zake zimejaa maandishi ya kalamu za rangi tofauti.
Mariam akaishika kwanza, akaifungua, kisha akamkabidhi Musa aione bila kuichukua kabisa.
Kurasa za mwanzo zilikuwa na mauzo ya chai na chakula. Katikati kulikuwa na entries kubwa zaidi: mifuko ya cement, bati, malipo ya fundi, timber, nails. Musa akaangalia tarehe. Zilianza kabla ya mazungumzo yoyote ya kuuza plot ambayo Rashid alikuwa amemwonyesha.
Leila anatoa notebook yenye entries za cement, bati na fundi—zote kabla Rashid hajaanza kuitangaza plot.
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