Daniel hakulala usiku kabla testimony.
Alikaa workshop, akakata wood moja vibaya mara tatu. Apprentice wake akamwambia aende home.
Home gani?
Kwa Mama Ruth, alikuwa mwana aliyepaswa kulinda familia.
Kwa Nyambura, alikuwa mume aliyelinda kila mtu isipokuwa yeye.
Kwa watoto, alikuwa baba anayekuja Sunday na receipt.
Kwenye maisha ya kawaida, Daniel alijiona mtu mzuri kwa sababu hakutaka ugomvi. Sasa kila document ilionyesha peace yake ilikuwa na payer.
Asubuhi, Mama Ruth alimwekea chai.
“Usiseme kitu kitamfunga Samuel.”
“Aliforge.”
“Ni brother yako.”
“Na women wengine?”
“Nyambura amewavuta.”
Daniel akasema:
“Mill si yake peke yake.”
Mama Ruth alitupa kijiko.
“Unaongea kama yeye.”
Samuel aliingia.
“Lender akirudisha loan, farm inaenda.”
“Pesa ulipeleka wapi?”
“Business.”
“Gari?”
“Gari ya deliveries.”
“Wedding debt ya Esther?”
“Family.”
Daniel akamwangalia.
Kila kitu Samuel alitaka kulinda kiliitwa family.
Kila kitu Nyambura alidai kiliitwa greed.
Mama Ruth akashika mkono wa Daniel.
“Baba yako angefanya nini?”
Daniel alijua answer ambayo Mama anataka.
Lakini alikumbuka baba yake akiwa mgonjwa, Nyambura akibeba milk, vet, food na accounts.
Baba yake hakuwahi kusema shamba itakuwa yake. Aliacha Mama Ruth na sons waamue.
Silence ilikuwa inheritance pia.
Session ya pili ilianza saa nne.
Daniel aliapishwa kusema ukweli.
Beatrice akauliza:
“Uliona Samuel akitafuta usar? loan ya mill?”
“Nilienda naye Gathogo.”
“Kwa nini?”
“Mama alisema niangalie valuation.”
“Ulijua chama ina owners wanne?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Ulijua collateral haiwezi kutolewa bila wao?”
“Nilidhani Samuel atatafuta consent.”
“Ulimwambia Nyambura?”
“Hapana.”
“Kwa nini?”
“Mama alisema atazuia loan na farm ilikuwa na debt.”
“Kwa hiyo ulijua akijua, angekataa.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Na ulikaa kimya ili process iendelee mpaka point gani?”
Daniel akashusha kichwa.
“Sikujua ataforge signature.”
“Hilo si swali. Ulikaa kimya kwa nini?”
“Nilitaka family ipate chance.”
“Kwa kutumia asset ya wengine.”
Daniel akasema:
“Ndiyo.”
Room ilikaa kimya.
Samuel akamtukana.
Chair akamzuia.
Beatrice akaenda 1984.
“Wakati wa division, ulijua Nyambura’s dairy and coffee labour haikuwa kwenye asset list?”
“Ndio.”
“Ulijua debt iliwekwa lower shamba wakati fertilizer ilitumika upper?”
“Nilijua kuna dispute.”
“Ulisema nini?”
“Nilimwambia sign, tutazungumza baadaye.”
“Ulikuwa na plan ya written compensation?”
“Hapana.”
“Uliwahi kufanya compensation baadaye?”
“Hapana.”
“Kwa nini?”
Daniel alitazama Nyambura.
“Aliendelea kufanya kazi. Tulikuwa busy.”
Nyambura alihisi sentence hiyo kama stone.
Aliendelea kufanya kazi.
Kwa hiyo injustice ilipotea kwa sababu victim hakuacha.
Beatrice akauliza kuhusu school.
“Ulikubali Wairimu aache year kusaidia Esther?”
“Kwanza nilifikiri temporary.”
“Ulibadilisha baada?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Kwa sababu?”
“Nyambura alikataa na teacher alisema effect.”
“Kwa nini hukujua effect kabla?”
Daniel akasema:
“Nilikuwa naona family need kwanza.”
Nyambura’s lawyer hakujaribu kumfanya monster. Aliweka pattern.
- Family request. - Daniel silence. - Nyambura labour or sacrifice. - Promise ya later. - No written correction.
Lender lawyer akauliza Daniel kama Nyambura na yeye bado married.
“Ndiyo.”
“Kwa customary understanding, assets acquired during marriage zinaweza kuwa household?”
Beatrice akapinga broad legal conclusion.
Chair akaruhuusu factual answer.
Daniel alisema:
“Maybe. Lakini mill share haikununuliwa na pesa yetu peke yetu. Chama members walitoa. Na Nyambura alikuwa anaishi separate, business yake iki-record income.”
Lender lawyer akauliza kama Daniel ali-benefit na Nyambura business.
“Girls fees na food sometimes.”
“Kwa hiyo household benefit.”
Daniel akasema:
“Benefit si ownership ya whole asset.”
Nyambura alimtazama.
Hiyo ilikuwa sentence ambayo angehitaji miaka mingi kusema.
Mama Ruth alianza kulia.
“Daniel, unapeleka brother yako jail.”
Daniel akageuka kwake.
“Mama, Samuel alisign jina la mtu mwingine.”
“Kwa sababu family ina debt!”
“Debt haifanyi signature iwe yake.”
Samuel alisimama na kutoka. Police officer alimfuata kwa sababu alitakiwa kubaki.
Testimony ilimalizika.
Nje ya hall, Daniel alimfuata Nyambura.
“Nimesema ukweli.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Haikuwa easy.”
“Kwangu pia haikuwa easy kuishi uongo huo.”
Daniel akasema:
“Unaweza kuona nimejaribu?”
“Ninaona leo umefanya kitu sahihi.”
“Na sisi?”
Nyambura akasema:
“Usitumie testimony kama ticket ya marriage.”
Daniel aliumia.
“Nilifikiri—”
“Hapo ndiyo problem. Kila hatua yako ya responsibility unataka iwe investment ya kunirudisha.”
“Si hivyo.”
“Basi ifanye hata kama sirudi.”
Daniel akakubali polepole.
Huo ulikuwa mtihani wa kwanza wa kweli.
Kusema ukweli bila guarantee ya kupata wife kama reward.
Baada testimony, Wairimu alikataa kuzungumza na Daniel kwa wiki moja.
Daniel alifika Sunday na books mbili.
“Ni za school.”
Wairimu akachukua bila kusema asante.
Nyambura hakumlazimisha.
Daniel akauliza:
“Amekasirika kwa sababu nimesema truth?”
“Amekasirika kwa sababu uliijua before.”
Daniel akakaa nje ya room.
Baadaye Wairimu alikuja.
“Baba, kwa nini hukumpigia Mama?”
Daniel akasema:
“Niliogopa family itavunjika.”
“Na sisi tulikuwa nini?”
Swali hilo halikuwa la court. Halikuwa na lawyer wa kumsaidia.
Daniel akasema:
“Nilifanya kama kutosema ni neutral. Haikuwa.”
Wairimu akalia.
“Grandma alinipiga na wewe ulisema please.”
Daniel alifumba macho.
“Ndio.”
“Utanipiga nikisema sitaki kwenda home?”
“Hapana.”
“Utanilazimisha?”
“Hapana.”
“Then write.”
Daniel akatazama Nyambura.
Nyambura hakumfundisha sentence hiyo siku hiyo. Wairimu alikuwa amejifunza mwenyewe.
Daniel aliandika:
**Wairimu na Mumbi hawatalazimishwa kuishi Kiambu au kuacha shule kwa family request. Visits zitapangwa na mama yao na watoto.**
Akasaini.
Wairimu akasoma.
“Okay.”
Hakumkumbatia.
Daniel alijifunza responsibility inaweza kupokelewa bila affection.
Siku hiyo ndiyo alianza kuwa baba tofauti, si kwa sababu court ilimsifu, bali kwa sababu mtoto wake alimwomba promise yake iwe na ink.
Daniel aliporudi workshop, alitengeneza box ndogo ya kuhifadhi documents za watoto. Hakuandika “family papers”. Aliandika majina yao mawili.
Wairimu.
Mumbi.
Alipeleka Sunday iliyofuata.
“Kwa certificates, receipts na letters,” alisema.
Nyambura akauliza, “Key?”
“Moja kwako. Moja kwa Wairimu akiwa mkubwa.”
Daniel hakuchukua key ya tatu.
Alikuwa anaanza kuelewa kwamba kulinda kitu hakumaanishi lazima awe mwenye access yake.