Mariam hakumwuliza Elias tena kuhusu “mtu anayelipa zaidi.”
Asubuhi iliyofuata, alienda sokoni peke yake.
Hakutaka kumfuata agent kama mmiliki wa estate. Hakutaka kujifanya ana mamlaka ambayo hajapewa. Alitaka kujua tu bei ya frontage katika Mtaa wa Mbuyu na kama kulikuwa na proposal ambayo ingeweza kuthibitishwa bila kuiba siri ya mtu.
Kito alifanya kazi ya kutafuta wapangaji wa maduka madogo, pharmacies, salons na biashara za huduma. Alikutana na Mariam kwenye café ndogo karibu na stand ya daladala.
“Mariam Jengo?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Nimewahi kukuona kwenye workshop.”
“Inawezekana.”
Kito akaketi. “Ulisema unataka market estimate.”
“Kwa frontage yenye workshop room na duka mbili, karibu na main road.”
“Size?”
Mariam akataja approximate measurements bila kutaja address kwanza.
Kito akafungua notebook yake.
“Kwa eneo hilo, rent inaweza kuwa kati ya kiasi hiki na hiki. Pharmacy au mobile-money chain inaweza kulipa zaidi kama ina frontage safi na parking kidogo.”
“Advance?”
“Kwa kawaida miezi sita. Wengine wanaomba kumi na mbili kama wanatoa fit-out.”
Mariam aliandika.
Hakutaka namba moja pekee. Aliomba Kito aeleze standard fee, agent commission, deposit handling na gharama za msingi za kuandaa lease. Hilo lilikuwa muhimu kwake kwa sababu familia ingeweza kutumia gross figure kama kichwa cha habari na kuficha kile ambacho kingebaki mkononi baada ya fees. Kito akamchorea mfano kwenye tissue ya café: monthly rent, six-month advance, commission, basic legal preparation, net to landlord.
“Na kama landlord bado hajamaliza estate issues?”
Kito akamwangalia.
“Hilo si jambo la kawaida kuuliza kwa market estimate.”
“Ni muhimu kwangu.”
“Unaongea kuhusu compound ya Hamisi?”
Mariam hakujibu mara moja.
“Ndiyo.”
Kito akafunga notebook kidogo.
“Elias alikuja kwangu.”
Mariam alihisi tumbo likikaza, lakini sauti yake ikabaki sawa.
“Alikuja kama nini?”
“Kama mwanafamilia anayechunguza options.”
“Alisema ameshaidhinishwa kukodisha?”
“Hapana.”
“Alisaini chochote?”
“Hapana.”
“Ulimpa nini?”
“Proposal ya kawaida. Market rent, possible advance, tenant profile.”
Mariam akatikisa kichwa.
“Na tenant?”
Kito akasema, “Sitakupa jina la mtu kama huna authority.”
“Sitaki jina.”
“Hilo ni vizuri.”
“Naweza kujua kama proposal ilikuwa kwa pharmacy?”
Kito alifikiria.
“Public offer yetu ilikuwa kwa commercial health-retail category. Zaidi ya hapo sitasema.”
Mariam aliheshimu mpaka huo.
“Na hakuna lease iliyosainiwa?”
“Hakuna kupitia mimi.”
“Deposit?”
“Hakuna.”
“Advance iliyopendekezwa?”
Kito alifungua karatasi nyingine.
“Naweza kukuonyesha range ya proposal yetu kwa frontage hiyo bila details za client.”
“Ndiyo.”
Akaonyesha.
Mariam alisoma namba mara mbili.
Ilikuwa kubwa.
Kubwa kiasi kwamba alielewa kwa nini Elias alikuwa na haraka.
Lakini hakutaka kuandika “Elias anataka pesa.” Hilo lilikuwa hitimisho, si fact.
Akauliza, “Proposal hii ilitumwa lini?”
Kito akataja tarehe.
Siku moja baada ya mazishi.
Mariam aliweka kalamu mezani.
“Aliwasiliana na wewe kabla?”
“Wiki mbili kabla Hamisi hajafa. Aliuliza market only.”
Mariam akamtazama.
“Kabla?”
“Ndiyo. Hamisi alikuwa hospitalini wakati huo, si ndiyo?”
“Ndiyo.”
Kito akasema, “Lakini tena—market inquiry si lease.”
“Naelewa.”
“Usitumie maneno yangu kusema deal ilifungwa.”
“Sitatumia.”
Mariam akajikumbusha kwamba hasira yake haikuwa ushahidi. Ilikuwa rahisi sana kuchukua tarehe ya inquiry na kuifanya kuwa hukumu ya Elias. Lakini Hamisi alikuwa hospitalini, frontage ilikuwa asset ya familia, na kuuliza market price peke yake haikuthibitisha nia ya kumfukuza. Akaweka tarehe kwenye notebook chini ya heading PROPOSAL TIMELINE, si MOTIVE.
Kito akafungua term sheet ya mfano. “Hii ndiyo document niliyompa. Inaonyesha rent, advance, fit-out period, na kwamba agreement ni subject to owner authority and document review.”
Mariam alisoma mstari huo kwa makini.
SUBJECT TO OWNERSHIP / ESTATE AUTHORITY CONFIRMATION.
“Hii ndiyo muhimu,” alisema.
Kito akatikisa kichwa. “Kwa sababu bila authority hakuna tenant mwenye akili ataweka advance kubwa.”
“Kwa hiyo pressure inaweza kuwa kupata authority haraka.”
Kito akamwangalia. “Hilo ni interpretation yako. Mimi naweza kusema tu proposal ilikuwa na advance kubwa na haikusainiwa.”
Mariam akatabasamu kidogo.
“Fair.”
Aliomba copy ya public rate sheet, si private proposal. Kito alimpa. Kwa sehemu ya Elias proposal, alimruhusu kuandika namba na tarehe lakini hakumpa client details.
Mariam akaandika kwenye notebook:
FACT: Elias requested commercial frontage proposal. FACT: no lease signed through Kito. FACT: proposed structure included multi-month advance. FACT: authority confirmation required. UNKNOWN: final tenant identity. UNKNOWN: whether other agents approached.
Kito akasema, “Unajenga file?”
“Najaribu kutojenga rumor.”
“Familia zenu zimekuwa nzito siku hizi.”
Mariam akamwangalia. “Familia huwa nyepesi mpaka pesa na ardhi ziingie kwenye sentensi moja.”
Kito hakubisha.
Baada ya café, Mariam alitembea mpaka frontage ya compound bila kuingia ndani. Kutoka barabarani, aliona jinsi workshop ilivyokuwa valuable kwa biashara: mlango mkubwa, eneo la signboard, nafasi ya pikipiki mbili na foot traffic ya shule.
Miaka mingi aliiona kama sehemu ya kushona.
Elias aliiona kama rent stream.
Hakuna kati yao aliyekuwa lazima awe muongo kwa kuona tofauti hizo. Tatizo lilikuwa nani angeamua kabla estate haijahesabiwa.
Akiwa amesimama upande wa pili wa barabara, aliona Bibi Saada akitoka kwenye compound na mtu asiyejulikana. Hakupiga picha. Hakumfuata. Hakutaka faili lake libadilike kuwa tabia ya kupeleleza watu. Aliandika tu jambo ambalo angeweza kuthibitisha mwenyewe: frontage ina commercial value kubwa kuliko workshop earnings za mwezi mmoja, na access yake kwa biashara ya Mariam ilikuwa hivyo hivyo asset yenye cash-flow, si chumba tupu.
Simu yake ikaita.
Ni Pendo.
“Mama, school wamekubali sample.”
Mariam akasimama.
“Wamesema nini?”
“Wamekupa siku mbili za batch ya kwanza. Lakini wanataka confirmation leo.”
“Tutathibitisha kile tunaweza.”
“Na kitambaa?”
“Bado ndani.”
“Kwa hiyo?”
“Nitaomba supervised access rasmi.”
Pendo akasema, “Elias atakataa.”
“Basi refusal nayo iwe record.”
Mariam alifunga simu na kurudi kwa Kito kwa sababu alikumbuka swali moja.
“Kito.”
Akasimama mlangoni.
“Ndiyo?”
“Advance hiyo—ni gross kabla commission?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Na landlord angepata kiasi gani baada ya fee?”
Kito akachukua calculator.
Akapunguza commission, basic legal preparation na deposit handling.
Kiasi kilichobaki kilimfanya Mariam anyamaze.
Kisha akamuomba Kito aandike pembeni standard fee ya soko kwa aina hiyo ya frontage, ili namba ya proposed advance isiwe floating figure bila comparator. Kito akaandika rate ya kawaida, kisha range ya proposal aliyokuwa ametoa. Mariam akalinganisha mistari hiyo miwili. Tofauti ilikuwa kubwa kuliko alivyotarajia.
“Unaweza kuniandikia tu advance iliyopendekezwa?”
“Bila client name?”
“Bila.”
Kito akachukua kalamu, akaandika namba kwenye karatasi na kuweka tarehe ya proposal.
Mariam aliitazama.
Kito writes the proposed advance; Mariam recognizes it is almost double the standard fee.
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