Gari la shule lilifika kwenye compound bila taarifa saa tatu na dakika arobaini asubuhi.
Mariam alikuwa bado kwenye veranda ya Mama Chiku akimalizia cuffs mbili alipomwona Pendo akikimbia kutoka barabarani.
“Mama! Wamekuja.”
“Nani?”
“School.”
Mariam alisimama haraka kiasi cha kiti kuanguka nyuma yake.
Gari jeupe lenye nembo ya Kijani Bay Primary lilikuwa limesimama nje ya gate ya Mtaa wa Mbuyu. Mwanaume aliyevaa shati la kijivu na mwanamke mwenye clipboard walikuwa wameshuka. Pendo aliwatambua kama procurement representative na matron wa shule.
“Walipiga simu?” Mariam aliuliza.
“Wamesema walikuwa karibu na wakaamua kuona production.”
Mariam alifumba macho kwa sekunde moja.
“Sample?”
“Ipo.”
“Batch?”
“Nusu iko ndani.”
Hapo ndipo tatizo lilikuwa.
Mariam alienda gate akiwa amebeba sample mbili zilizokamilika. Elias alikuwa nyumbani siku hiyo; pikipiki yake ilikuwa upande wa nyumba kuu.
Procurement representative, Bwana Kaseke, alimsalimia bila tabasamu nyingi.
“Bi Mariam, tulitaka kuona sample na work progress.”
“Nina sample.”
“Acha tuingie workshop.”
Mariam alihisi koo likikauka.
“Kuna access arrangement ambayo bado haijakamilika.”
Kaseke akamwangalia.
“Bado?”
“Nina request rasmi ya temporary access leo.”
“Lakini order yetu si temporary.”
“Najua.”
Matron akachukua sample na kuangalia stitching.
“Hii iko sawa,” alisema. “Lakini production capacity tunahitaji kuona.”
Mariam akasema, “Naweza kuwaonyesha stock list, production sheet na equipment records. Workshop yenyewe inahitaji key holder.”
Kaseke akauliza, “Key iko kwa nani?”
Mariam hakutaka kusema “mtoto wa mume wangu ambaye ananifukuza.”
“Kwa estate representative wa familia.”
Pendo aliangalia chini.
Mariam alienda kwenye nyumba kuu na kumuita Elias.
Alitoka baada ya dakika kadhaa.
Alipoona wageni wa shule, uso wake ukabadilika.
“Hawa ni nani?”
“Client.”
Kaseke akajitambulisha.
“Tuna order ya uniform. Tunahitaji kuona production.”
Elias akasema, “Workshop ni sehemu ya estate dispute.”
Mariam akasema, “Ninaomba supervised access ya dakika ishirini. Wewe uwepo. Hakuna machine itatoka. Tunaonyesha stock na order progress.”
Elias akatikisa kichwa.
“Hapana.”
Kaseke alimtazama mmoja, kisha mwingine.
“Tatizo ni nini hasa?”
Mariam akajibu kabla Elias hajaanza.
“Ownership na access ya estate bado vinapangwa. Business orders zangu ziko ndani. Nimeomba interim arrangement.”
Elias akasema, “Hajasema workshop room ni ya baba yangu.”
Mariam akamwangalia.
“Nimesema ni estate dispute.”
Kaseke akainua mkono.
“Mimi sitaki kuamua family issue. Nataka kujua kama order yangu inaweza kutolewa.”
Mariam akasema, “Ndiyo, kwa access inayodhibitiwa.”
Elias akajibu, “Huwezi kuahidi access ambayo huna.”
Pendo akavuta pumzi kwa hasira.
Mariam hakutaka aingilie.
“Elias, dakika ishirini mbele ya witnesses.”
“Hapana.”
“Why?”
“Kwa sababu kila tukio moja unaligeuza precedent.”
“Na kila refusal moja inaua biashara.”
“Biashara si estate.”
“Lakini iko ndani ya estate.”
“Hilo ni tatizo lako.”
Kaseke alisogeza clipboard yake.
“Mariam, sample quality ni nzuri. Lakini supply risk iko juu.”
“Naelewa.”
“Committee ilikuwa imekubali batch ya kwanza kwa sababu ulisema una access path.”
“Nina hearing ya temporary access.”
“Lini?”
“Leo.”
Elias akamwangalia kwa mshangao.
“Hearing gani?”
“Community dispute office. Notice yako itafika.”
“Unaenda huko bila kuniambia?”
“Nilikuwa nataka kukuambia asubuhi. School imefika kwanza.”
Elias akacheka kwa hasira.
“Hii ndiyo unaita family?”
Mariam akasema, “Family haijazuia order kufika gate.”
Matron wa shule alirudisha sample.
“Tunataka solution, si ugomvi.”
Mariam akasema, “Na mimi.”
Kaseke aliuliza, “Unaweza deliver units ngapi bila workshop?”
Mariam akaangalia Pendo.
“Kumi na mbili ndani ya siku mbili. Zaidi yake inahitaji stock na machine access.”
“Original order ni mia moja.”
“Najua.”
“Committee inaweza kupunguza allocation na kumpa supplier mwingine sehemu.”
Mariam alihisi neno hilo kama kukatwa kwa mshahara wa miezi.
“Usifute yote.”
“Sijafuta. Lakini shule haiwezi kubeba risk yote.”
“Naomba mpaka mwisho wa leo baada ya interim hearing.”
Kaseke akafikiria.
“Sawa. Tutashikilia cancellation. Lakini allocation ya kwanza inapungua hadi units arobaini. Ukipata access na production proof, tunaweza review salio.”
Pendo akafumba macho kwa sekunde.
Mariam akasema, “Asante.”
Haikuwa shukrani ya furaha. Ilikuwa shukrani ya mtu aliyepoteza asilimia sitini lakini hajapoteza kila kitu.
Kaseke akaandika kwenye clipboard.
Elias akasema, “Unaandika nini?”
“Site visit. Sample accepted. Workshop access unavailable during visit. Supplier allocation temporarily reduced pending capacity verification.”
Mariam aliangalia Elias.
Kwa mara ya kwanza harm haikuwa tu kwenye daftari lake. Ilikuwa imerekodiwa na mtu ambaye hakuwa na stake kwenye familia.
Kaseke aliomba signature ya Mariam kuthibitisha visit.
Aliisoma kabla ya kusaini.
Elias akasema, “Hii inaonekana kama mimi nimezuia contract.”
Kaseke akamjibu, “Sijaandika jina lako.”
“Lakini umeandika access unavailable.”
“Kwa sababu unavailable.”
Mariam hakusema kitu.
Baada ya wageni kurudi kwenye gari, Pendo alimwambia Elias kwa sauti ya chini, “Hiyo ndiyo mshahara wangu.”
Elias akamwangalia.
“Sitaki kuzungumza na employee kuhusu estate.”
“Estate inazungumza na mimi kila siku.”
Mariam akasema, “Pendo, enough.”
Pendo akageuka na kuondoka upande wa veranda.
Mariam akabaki na Elias karibu na gate.
“Leo saa nane hearing.”
“Sitakuja.”
“Ni choice yako.”
“Na ukipata order?”
“Nitafuata terms zake.”
“Na kama zinasema ufungue?”
“Basi tufungue kwa rules.”
Elias akatoa key ya workshop mfukoni na kuizungusha kwenye kidole.
Mariam aliiona.
“Dakika ishirini zilizopita ungeweza kuzuia reduction ya contract.”
“Na kesho ungeleta mteja mwingine. Keshokutwa supplier. Halafu estate ingekuwa workshop yako kwa sababu umeweka witnesses.”
“Ndiyo maana nimeomba written temporary arrangement.”
“Unataka kila kitu kiwe karatasi.”
“Kwa sasa, ndiyo.”
Elias akakaza mkono kwenye key.
Mariam akasema, “Usifanye hii iwe juu ya nani anaweza kushika chuma kidogo mfukoni.”
“Kwa nini? Ulianza kwa kusema key yako haifanyi kazi.”
“Na leo ninaomba process.”
Elias akamkaribia hatua moja.
“Order yako haibadilishi nyumba ya baba kuwa yako.”
“Sijasema hivyo.”
“Basi acha kunifanya mimi ni guard wa biashara yako.”
“Fungua dakika ishirini.”
Elias akaingiza key ndani ya mfuko wa suruali.
“Order yako si amri kwa estate.”
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