Asubuhi iliyofuata, jina la binti huyo lilikuwa trending Mombasa.
**BINTI WA UONGO AONDOKA SHEREHE BAADA YA DNA.**
**FAMILIA YA MBARAK YAMPATA MRITHI HALISI.**
**JE, TRUST YA WASICHANA ILITUMIWA NA ASIYE WA FAMILIA?**
Hakuna article iliyosema binti huyo alikuwa na miezi mitatu alipoletwa nyumbani. Hakuna iliyouliza nani aliharibu records hospitalini.
Picha iliyotumiwa zaidi ilikuwa uso wake wakati Leila anamkumbatia Mariam.
Ilionekana kama wivu.
Guest wing ilikuwa chini karibu na pool. binti huyo alilala bila kubadilisha gauni.
Saa kumi na moja alfajiri, alikwenda juu kuchukua dawa.
Key card haikufanya kazi.
Security light ikawa nyekundu.
Akasikia hatua ndani.
Mlango ulifunguliwa na house manager, Bi. Saada.
“Pole, mtoto.”
“Room yangu imefungwa?”
“Mr. Idris alisema hakuna mtu kuingia bila inventory.”
“Nguo na dawa ni zangu.”
Bi.
Saada akatazama camera ya korido.
“Nimeambiwa nisifungue.”
binti huyo akapiga Idris.
Alijibu baada call ya tatu.
“Tunafanya asset separation.”
“Medicine zangu ni asset ya group?”
“Usifanye drama.
Nurse wa family atakuletea.”
“Nurse hajui prescriptions zangu.”
“Text Omar.”
“Kwa nini wewe ndiye umefunga key?”
“Kwa sababu jana ulijaribu kuchukua report.”
“Nilisoma report.”
“Exactly.”
Akatupa simu kitandani, akavuta pumzi, kisha akampigia Omar.
Omar alifika akiwa na laptop na expression ya lawyer ambaye tayari ameamua conversation ni file.
“Dawa gani?”
binti huyo akataja majina.
“Why are you on all that?”
“Kwa sababu nina autoimmune kidney condition.”
Omar alisimama.
“Since when?”
“Miaka miwili.”
“Family doctor hajatuambia.”
“Nilimwomba asiseme.
Nilikuwa stable.”
“Kwa nini ulificha?”
“Kwa sababu kila problem yangu hugeuka meeting.”
Omar akasema ataruhusu Bi. Saada achukue dawa mbele ya security.
“Na medical insurance?”
“Bado iko active mpaka legal review.”
“Usiweke health yangu kwenye legal review.”
“binti huyo, kila benefit ilikuwa family scheme.”
“Nilifanya kazi full-time kwenye trust.”
“Bila employment contract.”
Sentensi hiyo ilitoka haraka, lakini alijuta mara moja.
binti huyo akamwangalia.
“Kwa hiyo miaka saba ya kazi ilikuwa family help?”
“Sijasema hivyo.”
“Umesema bila contract.”
Omar akafunga laptop kidogo.
“Tunajaribu kufanya transition safi.”
“Kitu kilicho safi kwa paper kinaweza kuwa kichafu kwa mtu.”
Idris aliingia akiwa na Leila.
Leila alikuwa amevaa blouse ya binti huyo.
Ya cream yenye embroidery ya samawati kwenye collar.
binti huyo aliitengeneza wakati wa collection yake ya kwanza.
Leila aligundua anaitazama.
“mama yake alisema nguo za room ni family property.”
“Hiyo nilishona.”
“Naweza kuvua.”
Idris akasema, “Hakuna haja. binti huyo ana nguo nyingi.”
“Si kuhusu blouse,” binti huyo alisema.
Leila akakunja mikono.
“Kila kitu hapa kinaonekana kuwa kuhusu wewe.”
“Nimeishi hapa miaka ishirini na nne.”
“Na mimi nimeishi bila hapa miaka ishirini na nne.”
binti huyo hakujibu.
Hilo lilikuwa kweli.
Mariam alionekana mwisho wa korido.
Alikuwa amevaa kanga yenye maneno:
**Damu ni nzito kuliko maji.**
mama yake alichagua kanga hiyo? binti huyo hakujua.
Lakini maneno yalionekana kama taarifa rasmi.
Mariam akamkaribia.
“Nimekuwekea chai.”
“Dawa kwanza.”
Mama yake akaangalia chini.
“Pole kuhusu room.
Leila alilala vibaya. mama yake alisema awe karibu nasi.”
“Na mimi niwe guest.”
“Ni kwa muda.”
“Damu ikipimwa, malezi yanahamishwa ndani ya saa moja?”
Mariam akashika mkono wake.
“Usinifanye nichague.”
binti huyo akauvuta polepole.
“Umeshachagua.
Unataka tu nisilitaje.”
Mariam akaanza kulia.
Idris akasema, “Hiyo si fair.”
“Fair ni nini?
Kumwambia mama ameumia, kwa hiyo mimi niondoke kimya?”
Leila akasema, “Mimi sikukuomba uondoke.”
“Lakini umeingia room yangu.”
“Kwa sababu wamenipa!”
“Hilo ndilo ninalosema.
Watu wanaweza kukupa kitu ambacho hawakuwa na haki ya kunyang’anya mwingine.”
Idris akasimama kati yao.
“Enough.
Tunafanya inventory.
Personal items utapata.
Jewellery ya family, documents, devices na designs za kampuni zinabaki.”
“Designs za kampuni?”
“Bahari brand ililipia materials.”
“Mimi nilibuni.”
“Trust ndiyo ilikupa platform.”
binti huyo akacheka.
“Platform?
Nilianza trust nikiwa university.
Baba alikataa budget mpaka school ya kwanza ianze kupata publicity.”
mzee Said alitokea kwenye stairs, tayari kwa meeting.
“Hii kelele ni nini?”
Idris akaeleza.
mzee Said akamwambia binti huyo:
“Chukua personal clothes na dawa.
Usiondoe files.”
“Na design books?”
“Review kwanza.”
“Nina clients nje ya family.”
“Basi copies zitafanywa.”
“Nani anaamua ni yangu?”
“Omar.”
Omar akaonekana kutaka kusema kitu, lakini hakusema.
Bi.
Saada alileta box ya dawa na nguo chache. binti huyo akafungua ndani mbele yao.
Bottle moja ilikuwa imeisha karibu wiki.
“Refill iko insurance.”
Omar akasema atafanya.
mama yake aliingia na envelope.
“Lawyers wako tayari.”
Leila akasema, “Auntie, labda leo si—”
mama yake akamwangalia.
“Utajifunza, mtoto.
Haba na haba hujaza kibaba.
Ukichelewa kuchukua nafasi yako, watu waliokaa humo wataifanya yao tena.”
binti huyo alimwangalia Leila.
“Hiyo ndiyo wanakufundisha?”
Leila akasema kwa hasira, “Usijifanye unanilinda.
Ulipata shule, family, passport, room.
Mimi nilikuwa Voi nikisaidia mama kuuza chips.”
“Mimi sikuiba.”
“Lakini uliishi maisha yangu.”
“Nilikuwa mtoto.”
“Na sasa wewe ni mtu mzima.
Ondoka.”
Maneno yalitoka, yakabaki hewani.
Mariam akasema, “Leila—”
binti huyo akainua mkono.
“Hapana.
Aseme.”
Leila alikuwa anapumua haraka, macho yamejaa machozi.
“Naomba nafasi yangu.”
binti huyo akachukua suitcase kutoka Bi.
Saada.
“Nafasi yako isiwe kaburi langu.”
Akatembea hadi chumbani mara moja chini ya usimamizi wa security.
Kuta zilikuwa na picha za familia, certificate zake, sketches, shell aliyopewa na mzee Said akiwa mtoto.
Leila alisimama mlangoni.
binti huyo akachukua nguo, laptop yake binafsi na medicine files. Akaziacha picha nyingi.
Kwenye drawer alipata envelope ya M-Pesa receipts za vitu vya room: desk, curtains, sewing lamp, shelves.
Akamkabidhi Idris.
“Hizi si group assets.”
Idris akasema hakuna mtu anataka desk yake.
“Jana hakuna mtu alitaka room yangu.”
Alichukua sewing lamp.
Kabla kutoka, aliona label mpya imewekwa kwenye door shelf.
**LEILA.**
Imeprintiwa asubuhi.
Speed ya family ilikuwa ya kushangaza pale walipotaka mtu ajisikie amefutwa.
binti huyo akasimama mbele ya Leila.
“Usiache mama yake akufanye evidence ya kila kitu unachotaka.”
Leila akasema, “Usiache pride ikufanye uone sisi wote wabaya.”
“Pride haikunifungia mlango.”
Akatoka.
Chini, gari lake halikuwapo.
Idris alisema ilikuwa company vehicle.
Driver wa zamani, Rashid, alitaka kumpeleka.
Idris akamzuia.
“Company orders.”
binti huyo akaita taxi kwa simu yake.
Wakati gari lilifika, Bi.
Saada alimkumbatia kwa haraka na kumwekea kanga ndani ya suitcase.
“Usifungue mbele yao.”
binti huyo akakaa nyuma ya taxi.
Gate ikafunguka kwa manual kwa sababu key card yake haikufanya kazi.
Alipotazama nyuma, Mariam alikuwa balcony, akishika railing.
Hakushuka.
Damu ilikuwa nzito kuliko maji, kanga yake ilisema.
Lakini mlango ulikuwa mzito kuliko damu.