Mti wa avocado ulikuwa uleule.
Kivuli chake kilifunika meza, lakini hakikutosha kufunika uso wa Mama Ruth.
“Daniel,” alisema, “mke wako ameingiwa na nini?”
Daniel alitazama Nyambura kana kwamba ameamka na lugha nyingine.
“Nyambura, tulia. Hii ni agreement tu. Tunaweza kuandika copy nyingine.”
“Copy nyingine ya injustice?”
Samuel akacheka.
“Ati injustice? Wewe umeingia hapa kwa ndoa. Shamba ni ya baba yetu.”
“Na kahawa ilijipalilia?”
Samuel akakunja uso.
Nyambura alisimama.
Familia ilikuwa imekusanyika baada mwisho wa siku arobaini za maombolezo. Wazee wawili, uncle wa Mama Ruth, Esther, Daniel, Samuel na wake zao. Kila mtu alitaka mgawanyo uishe haraka ili chakula kitolewe.
Nyambura alijua haraka yao.
Haraka haraka haina baraka, lakini haraka ya watu wenye nguvu mara nyingi huleta baraka kwao.
Mama Ruth akasema:
“Assets zimesomwa. Samuel anachukua upper shamba kwa sababu anajua coffee. Daniel anachukua lower shamba kwa sababu ana workshop. Cow mmoja kila side. Shop inabaki kwa Samuel kwa sababu ndiye yuko karibu na market.”
“Cow mmoja kila side?” Nyambura akauliza. “Samuel anapata cows watatu.”
“Wawili ni wa Mama.”
“Wataishi kwa shed ya Samuel na milk itaenda account gani?”
Mama Ruth akapiga meza.
“Usinihoji kama mtoto.”
“Basi nihoji kama mtu aliyefanya milking saa kumi na moja kila asubuhi kwa miaka kumi.”
Mzee mmoja akakohoa.
“Mambo ya wanawake tusilete sana kwenye title.”
Nyambura akamgeukia.
“Milk haikuwa ya wanawake wakati cooperative cheque iliingia.”
Daniel akasema, “Nyambura, please.”
Akamwangalia.
“Umesoma debt list?”
Daniel akachukua paper nyingine.
Lower shamba ilikuwa na cooperative loan ya fertilizer na arrears za veterinary.
Upper shamba haikuwa na debt.
“Kwa nini debt iko upande wetu?” Nyambura akauliza.
Samuel akasema fertilizer ilitumika lower side.
“Fertilizer receipts ziko kwa coffee block ya upper side.”
“Unajua aje?”
“Kwa sababu mimi ndiye nilichukua sacks kutoka cooperative.”
Mama Ruth akasema receipts hazipo.
Nyambura akafungua kiondo chake.
Kwenye maisha ya kwanza, alijua angeleta food kwa meeting na kuweka old papers chini ya cloth ili zisilowe.
Hakukumbuka kwa sababu ya magic ya exact detail.
Alikumbuka kwa sababu miaka mingi baadaye Mama Ruth alisema:
“Ulikuwa na receipts kwenye kiondo, lakini hukutoa. Uliona family peace muhimu.”
Nyambura akatoa bundle iliyofungwa na thread.
Dairy delivery slips.
Coffee cooperative weight notes.
Harambee contribution notebook.
Vet invoices.
Esther akasema, “Uliiba records za Mama?”
“Niliziandika.”
Receipt nyingi zilikuwa na signature ya clerk na thumb ya Nyambura kwa sababu yeye ndiye aliyepeleka milk.
Mmoja wa wazee akachukua.
“Kiasi hiki ni kikubwa.”
Nyambura akasema:
“Miaka mitatu, milk ya cows wanne ilienda cooperative. Kila mwezi, Mama Ruth alichukua household amount. Balance ilitumika kununua mabati ya shop na coffee seedlings.”
Samuel akasema, “Hiyo ni family money.”
“Basi shop pia ni family asset, si yako.”
Kimya kikaingia.
Daniel alichukua receipt.
“Kwa nini sijawahi kuona?”
“Kwa sababu kila nilipojaribu kuongea, ulisema Mama anajua.”
Mama Ruth akasema:
“Nilitumia kwa wote. Ulikula hapa? Watoto wako walikula?”
Nyambura alihisi maisha ya kwanza yakisimama karibu naye.
Same words. Same trap.
Food inabadilishwa kuwa salary.
Roof inabadilishwa kuwa ownership share.
Being allowed to live in family home inabadilishwa kuwa debt ya milele.
“Ndio, tulikula,” Nyambura alisema. “Na tulifanya kazi. Sasa tutahesabu vyote.”
Esther akacheka.
“Utaweka bei ya kupika?”
“Ukiuza food kwa market, unaweka. Kwa nini hapa iwe invisible?”
Samuel akasimama.
“Huyu anataka kugawana shamba na sons.”
“Nataka asset list iwe complete. Land, cows, coffee shares, shop, debts, milk income, loans na labour agreements.”
“Labour agreement gani? Wewe ni wife.”
Nyambura akasema:
“Marriage certificate si payslip.”
Wazee walihamaki kidogo. Mmoja alificha tabasamu.
Mama Ruth akamwambia Daniel amzuie mke wake.
Daniel alisimama karibu na Nyambura.
“Tuende ndani tuongee.”
“Hapana. Agreement ilikuwa public hapa. Jibu liwe hapa.”
“Unataka nini exactly?”
Nyambura alijua.
Kwenye maisha ya kwanza, alitaka kila kitu lakini hakujua namna ya kusema bila kuonekana greedy.
Sasa alisema kwa points:
“Moja: hakuna signature leo.
Mbili: asset inventory ifanywe na cooperative clerk na witness asiye family.
Tatu: debts ziambatane na asset iliyozitumia.
Nne: lower shamba isipimwe kama sawa na upper bila valuation.
Tano: school fees za Wairimu na Mumbi ziandikwe obligation ya Daniel na mimi, si kitu kinachoweza kutolewa kwa family request.
Sita: records zote zipigwe copy.”
Mama Ruth akasema:
“Na wewe ni nani kuleta rules?”
“Person ambaye thumb yake inahitajika.”
Daniel akasema:
“Nyambura, tukifanya hivi, family itatuchukia.”
“Family ilinipenda lini? Wakati nilikuwa naleta milk?”
Mama Ruth akapiga kifua.
“Nilikupokea bila dowry yote kulipwa!”
Daniel alikosa pumzi.
Nyambura alijua hiyo pia. Dowry balance ilikuwa weapon ambayo ilitolewa kila alipoongea.
Akatoa notebook nyingine.
“Daniel alilipa goats mbili na cash. Baba yangu alikubali balance iwe paid baada harvest. Harvest ya 1977, milk cheque ya miezi sita ilipelekwa kwa Mama Ruth, kisha yeye alituma balance kwa baba yangu. Hii receipt.”
Mama Ruth alinyamaza.
Daniel akachukua.
“Ni kweli?”
Mama Ruth akasema:
“Nilishughulikia. So what?”
“Kwa hiyo dowry haijabaki,” Nyambura alisema. “Usitumie debt iliyolipwa kuninyamazisha.”
Samuel akamwambia Daniel:
“Ukimuacha aendelee, kesho wives wote watakuja na accounts.”
Nyambura akasema:
“Good.”
Mzee mmoja aligonga fimbo chini.
“Tusifanye kelele. Records zina maswali. Meeting iahirishwe siku saba.”
Mama Ruth akasema hapana.
Mzee mwingine akasema:
“Agreement iliyochanwa haiwezi kusainiwa. Na thumb haichukuliwi kwa nguvu.”
Daniel alitazama Mama Ruth, kisha Nyambura.
“Siku saba,” alisema kwa sauti ndogo.
Nyambura akamwona.
Hakuwa amemchagua.
Alikuwa amechagua delay.
Lakini delay safari hii ilikuwa yake kutumia.
Nyambura alikunja receipts kwa uangalifu.
Mama Ruth akasema:
“Ukiondoka na records, utaona.”
Nyambura akajibu:
“Original zitabaki kwa witness. Mimi nachukua copies.”
“Umejifunza wapi hizi tabia?”
Nyambura alikumbuka hospitali ya 2007.
“Kwa gharama kubwa.”
Baada meeting, wanawake walienda jikoni. Esther alitaka Nyambura apike mukimo kwa wageni.
Nyambura akasema:
“Leo nilikuja meeting. Sikuja catering.”
Esther alimtazama kama amepigwa.
“Food itatoka wapi?”
Nyambura akachukua watoto wake.
“Hilo liingie pia kwenye asset inventory.”