Rahma alimwangalia Mariam juu ya miwani yake, kisha akaifunga daftari la mikopo bila haraka.
“Kwa sasa ni cash only.”
Ghala lake lilikuwa na harufu ya kitambaa kipya, karatasi ya vifungashio na vumbi la lori. Rolls za poplin zilikuwa zimepangwa hadi juu ya ukuta, na Pendo alikuwa amesimama karibu na mizani, akitazama roll ya bluu waliyoihitaji kwa batch ya shule iliyobaki.
Mariam hakujifanya hakusikia.
“Kwa order hii tu?”
“Kwa account yako yote mpaka nijue workshop itabaki wazi.”
“Workshop iko open chini ya temporary order.”
Rahma akatikisa kichwa. “Temporary ndiyo neno linalonifanya niwe cash only.”
Pendo akafungua mdomo, lakini Mariam akainua mkono kidogo.
“Na history yangu ya payment?”
“Nzuri.”
“Late days?”
“Chache.”
“Balance yangu?”
Rahma akataja kiasi.
Mariam akaiandika.
“Basi tuanze na facts. Workshop haijafungwa. Ina access ya saa zilizowekwa. Estate inventory imeamriwa ndani ya siku saba. Nina order ya school iliyopunguzwa lakini haijafutwa. Nina deposits mbili za wateja wa sherehe. Nina supplier balance hii.”
Rahma akamwangalia.
“Na kesho officer akibadilisha order?”
“Sijui.”
“Na settlement ikisema uondoe biashara?”
“Sijui.”
“Ndiyo sababu yangu.”
Mariam alijua Rahma hakuwa adui. Ghala lilikuwa biashara. Rolls zikienda kwa credit zisiporudi kwa pesa, huruma haingelipa wholesaler.
“Ni kiasi gani cha cash unataka kwa roll moja?”
Rahma akataja.
Mariam akafanya hesabu haraka. Akinunua roll nzima kwa cash, angekosa fedha ya mishahara na transport. Akichukua nusu, angeweza kutimiza batch ndogo lakini margin ingeshuka kwa sababu bei ya partial roll ilikuwa juu.
Pendo akasema, “Tunaweza kupanga production kwa sizes kwanza. Tuchukue blue ya shirts na grey kidogo, tukamilishe wanafunzi waliopo kwenye list ya kwanza.”
Rahma akamwangalia. “Wewe ndiyo apprentice?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Unaongea kama manager.”
“Kwa sababu machine haijui estate.”
Rahma akatabasamu kidogo.
Mariam akafungua temporary access order na kuweka copy mezani.
“Sitaki unipe thirty-day credit ya zamani. Nipe batch credit ndogo. Siku saba. Kiasi kinacholingana na order ambazo tayari zina deposit.”
Rahma akasema, “Na collateral?”
“Payment history yangu. Order copies. Na partial cash leo.”
“Hiyo si collateral.”
“Ni evidence ya cash flow.”
“Evidence si pesa.”
“Lakini rumor pia si fact.”
Rahma akaegemea nyuma.
“Watu wanasema watoto wa Hamisi wamekufungia nje.”
“Walifunga. Sasa kuna temporary access.”
“Wanasema workshop itaenda kwa pharmacy.”
“Hakuna lease signed.”
“Wanasema umeenda legal clinic.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Wateja wakisikia hivyo?”
“Ndiyo maana sitaki kuficha.”
Rahma akapiga kidole kwenye daftari.
“Biashara huwa inapenda mtu anayesema kila kitu kiko sawa.”
“Mpaka siku ambako hakiko sawa.”
Pendo alikuwa ametoa production sheet. Aliiweka mezani.
“Order ya shule imepunguzwa kutoka mia moja kwenda sitini kwa sasa. Tumefikisha sample. Batch ya kwanza kumi na mbili imekubaliwa. Tukipata material leo, tunaweza kufanya ishirini ndani ya siku mbili kwa saa za access tulizopewa.”
Rahma akasoma.
“Na machine time?”
“Overlock ndani. Straight stitch moja ndani. Tuna backup ya Mama Chiku kwa emergency.”
“Mshahara?”
Mariam akasema, “Pendo atalipwa kwa batch, si mwisho wa mwezi kwa sasa.”
Pendo akamwangalia. Walikuwa wamezungumza, lakini kusema mbele ya supplier kulifanya ukweli uwe mgumu zaidi.
Rahma akasema, “Huo ni mfumo wa survival.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Na unataka niingie ndani yake?”
“Nataka uingie kwa kiwango unachoweza kupima.”
Rahma akaomba statement ya miezi sita. Mariam alikuwa nayo. Walipitia line kwa line: order payments, supplier transfers, deposits, cash withdrawals. Mariam hakuficha mwezi ambao Hamisi alikuwa hospitalini na payment ilichelewa siku tisa.
“Kwa nini hii ilichelewa?”
“Hospitali. Nililipa baada ya school deposit.”
Rahma akaandika note.
“Na hii?”
“Client alibadilisha size batch.”
“Proof?”
“WhatsApp order.”
Rahma akatabasamu. “Umeanza kuja na file kwa kila kitu.”
“Lock ilinifundisha.”
Baada ya dakika ishirini, Rahma akatoa proposal yake.
Half cash kwa material ya kwanza. Seven-day credit kwa kiasi kidogo. No new balance mpaka installment ya kwanza ifungwe. Daily production update kwa order ya shule, si kwa sababu Rahma alitaka kusimamia workshop, bali kwa sababu credit ilikuwa sasa imefungwa kwenye order halisi.
Mariam akasoma masharti mara mbili.
“Rate?”
“Same as wholesale. Sitakupandishia kwa sababu ya rumor.”
“Na delivery fee?”
“Unalipa.”
“Fair.”
Pendo akasema, “Tunaweza kuchukua wenyewe kwa pikipiki mbili.”
Rahma akasema, “Msichafue roll.”
Mariam akasaini order ndogo, si promissory note kubwa. Alihisi tofauti. Miaka iliyopita, supplier credit ilikuwa kitu kilichotegemea uhusiano wa Hamisi, jina la compound, na tabia ya kawaida ya kulipa. Sasa kila shilingi ilipaswa kusimama peke yake.
Njiani kurudi workshop, Pendo akasema, “Tumepata kidogo.”
“Kidogo kinacholipika.”
“Lakini margin?”
“Ndogo.”
“Na mishahara?”
“Tutalipa batch kwa batch mpaka mambo yatulie.”
Pendo akakaa kimya.
Mariam akamwangalia. “Ukiona unaweza kupata kazi nyingine yenye uhakika, usijisikie umefungwa hapa.”
Pendo akakasirika.
“Usiniambie hivyo kama unataka niondoke.”
“Sikutaki uondoke. Sitaki livelihood yako iwe hostage ya loyalty.”
Pendo akavuta pumzi na kuangalia mbele.
“Basi nipatie schedule.”
Walipofika workshop, temporary access log ilikuwa kwenye meza. Elias hakuwepo. Nuru alikuwa amesaini kuwa alifungua mlango saa mbili asubuhi. Mariam akaandika receipt ya material mpya, akatenganisha stock iliyokuwa estate-disputed na stock mpya iliyonunuliwa baada ya order.
Hiyo distinction ilimfurahisha kwa namna ya ajabu.
Biashara ilikuwa inaanza kujitenga na neema ya familia.
Jioni, walikuwa wamekata shirts kumi na sita. Pendo alisoma production board.
“Kesho tukimaliza collars, tunaweza kuwahi.”
Simu ya Mariam ikaita.
Rahma.
“Umesahau copy ya receipt,” alisema.
“Nitarudi kesho.”
“Si hiyo tu.”
Mariam akasimama.
“Kuna school nyingine imenipigia. Wanasema wanatafuta supplier wa December uniforms. Wameuliza kama workshop yako itakuwa bado inafanya kazi.”
Mariam hakujibu haraka.
Rahma says another school is asking whether Mariam can guarantee December delivery.
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