Usiku uliposhuka, compound ya Mtaa wa Mbuyu ilikuwa na mwanga wa kawaida kwenye nyumba kuu, lakini workshop ilikuwa nyeusi kabisa.
Mariam aliona tofauti hiyo kabla hata hajafika gate.
Taa ya veranda ya nyumba kuu ilikuwa inawaka. Friji ndani ilikuwa ikitoa sauti yake ya kawaida. Kwenye kibanda kimoja cha kodi, redio ndogo ilikuwa ikicheza muziki wa taratibu.
Workshop pekee ilikuwa gizani.
Pendo alikuwa tayari amesimama karibu na mlango, mikono ikiwa kiunoni.
“Mama, hii si kawaida.”
“Usiguse kitu.”
“Mimi nimefika nikakuta meter imezimika.”
“Main breaker?”
“Sijui. Elias alisema tusifungue bila yeye.”
Mariam alitoa simu yake na kupiga picha ya meter kutoka mbali. Screen ilikuwa nyeusi. Hakukuwa na indicator.
“Elias yuko wapi?”
“Ndani.”
Mariam alimpigia.
Alichukua baada ya ring nne.
“Ndiyo?”
“Workshop haina umeme.”
“Na mimi nifanye nini?”
“Uje tuangalie mbele ya wote.”
“Kesho.”
“Stock iko ndani na school batch inahitaji finishing.”
“Mariam—”
“Sitafungua bila wewe. Njoo.”
Dakika kumi baadaye, Elias alitoka na key. Uso wake ulikuwa wa mtu aliyekuwa amechoka na kila mazungumzo kuwa evidence session.
“Leo tena?”
Mariam akasema, “Leo umeme.”
“Nimekataa frontage proposal kwa sasa, kama ulivyotaka.”
“Hilo ni jambo tofauti.”
Elias akafungua outer padlock, lakini hakutoa key ya inner grill mara moja.
“Tunatafuta nini?”
“Sababu ya meter kuzima na stock status.”
Pendo akasema, “Na sample batch.”
Elias akamwangalia. “Usiingie kwenye family matter.”
Pendo akajibu, “Mshahara wangu uko ndani ya family matter sasa.”
Mariam akamzuia kwa macho.
“Fungua.”
Elias akafungua grill.
Walipoingia, harufu ya kitambaa, mafuta ya mashine na vumbi ilimkuta Mariam kama kitu cha zamani kilichobaki pale kumngojea. Kwa sekunde chache, alihisi Hamisi angeweza kutoka upande wa nyuma na kuuliza kwa nini wameingia gizani.
Hakutokea.
Pendo alitumia torch ya simu kuonyesha sub-meter.
“Angalia.”
Main switch ya workshop ilikuwa chini.
Elias akasema, “Labda ilitrip.”
Mariam hakugusa.
“Kwa nini nyumba kuu iko sawa?”
“Ni circuits tofauti.”
“Najua. Nataka kujua hii ilishuka kwa nini.”
Pendo akasema, “Jana ilikuwa juu.”
Elias akamgeukia. “Ulikuwa humu jana?”
“Kwa supervised access ya kuchukua sample.”
“Na ulitoka saa ngapi?”
Mariam akasema, “Tunaweza kujua kwa log.”
Alitoa daftari aliloanza baada ya lockout. Kulikuwa na entry ya jana: Mariam, Pendo, Elias present; entry 10:05, exit 10:32; breaker status not checked.
“Kwa hiyo hatujui ilikuwa juu tulipotoka,” Elias alisema.
Pendo akajibu, “Lakini lights zilikuwa zinawaka.”
“Hilo linathibitisha ilikuwa juu wakati huo. Si baada.”
Mariam akasema, “Sawa. Tusiruke.”
Aliandika: workshop power off on arrival; main house power on; sub-meter breaker found down; cause unknown.
Elias akamwangalia.
“Cause unknown?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Unaweza pia kuandika hujui kama mtu aliizima.”
“Hicho ndicho unknown.”
Pendo alipumua kwa nguvu.
“Lakini nani angeingia?”
“Usiulize kama accusation,” Mariam alisema. “Kwanza locks.”
Walipiga picha ya outer padlock, grill lock na side window. Hakukuwa na alama ya kuvunjwa. Inner latch ilikuwa kawaida.
Elias akasema, “Sasa?”
“Tunawasha breaker mbele yetu.”
Akaivaa glove ya mpira ambayo ilikuwa kwenye toolbox na kuinua switch.
Taa moja ikawaka.
Mashine ya overlock ikatoa beep fupi.
Hakuna fuse iliyokatika.
Pendo akasema, “Kwa hiyo mtu aliizima.”
Mariam akasema, “Au breaker ilishuka bila kuacha damage. Hatuna proof ya nani.”
“Lakini—”
“Pendo.”
Pendo akanyamaza.
Wakaanza stock check.
Roll moja ya blue poplin—ipo. Roll mbili grey—zipo. Buttons—boxes tatu, si nne kama Mariam alikumbuka. Zips—pack moja imefunguliwa. Overlock thread—ipo. Completed samples—mbili.
Elias akasema, “Hapa ndipo naposema memory haitoshi.”
Mariam akatikisa kichwa. “Nakubaliana.”
Pendo akasema, “Box ya buttons inaweza kuwa nilichukua kabla ya funeral.”
“Una receipt ya matumizi?” Mariam aliuliza.
“Production sheet inaweza kuonyesha.”
Wakaenda kwenye shelf ya upande wa mashine kubwa.
Mariam alitafuta daftari la vipimo.
Halikuwepo.
Akatafuta tena.
Shelf ya juu. Drawer ya chini. Chini ya pattern papers. Kwenye plastic crate.
Hakuna.
“Lilikuwa hapa?” Elias aliuliza.
Mariam hakutaka kujibu kwa hisia.
“Last confirmed location?”
Pendo akasema, “Jumatatu. Nililiweka kwenye shelf ya pili baada ya kuandika sizes.”
“Ni nani alikuwa humu?”
“Mimi, Mama Mariam na wewe.”
Elias akakaza uso.
“Unamaanisha nini?”
Pendo akasema, “Nimejibu swali.”
Mariam aliweka mkono mezani.
“Stop. Hakuna mtu anaitwa mwizi bila proof.”
Elias akasema, “Lakini ninyi wawili mnaangalia mimi.”
“Kwa sababu una key,” Pendo alisema.
“Na Mariam alikuwa na key kabla lock kubadilishwa.”
“Lakini sasa hana.”
Mariam akasema, “Hii ndiyo sababu tunahitaji access protocol, si lawama.”
Alifungua page mpya.
ENTRY — two-person witness where possible. POWER STATUS — record on entry and exit. STOCK REMOVAL — item + reason + signature. DOCUMENTS — scan critical books. KEY HOLDERS — listed.
Elias akacheka kwa uchungu. “Nyumba ya baba imekuwa warehouse ya serikali.”
“Kwa sababu kila kitu kinachokosekana kinaanza kuwa accusation.”
“Na wewe unaamini sijachukua daftari?”
“Sijui.”
Hilo lilimuuma zaidi kuliko accusation.
Elias akasema, “Ungeweza kusema hunishuku.”
Mariam akamwangalia.
“Ningekuwa nadanganya kama ningesema hivyo. Lakini suspicion si proof.”
Kimya kilishuka.
Walipitia sehemu ya chini ya cutting table. Walitoa fabric scraps, invoice envelope, broken ruler, receipt ya zamani na spool mbili za uzi.
Hakuna daftari.
Mariam alihisi tumbo lake likikaza. Daftari hilo halikuwa tu sizes. Lilikuwa na customer contacts, deposits, fitting notes, school measurements na order history. Mtu angeweza kuharibu biashara bila kuchukua mashine hata moja.
Pendo akasema, “Tukilipoteza, tutapoteza fittings za harusi mbili.”
“Tutarebuild kutoka messages,” Mariam alisema.
“Na school sizes?”
“Procurement copy.”
“Na private customers?”
“Tutawapigia.”
Elias akasema, “Unaona? Kila kitu kina backup.”
Mariam akamgeukia. “Hapana. Kila kitu kina gharama ya kurebuild.”
Aliandika item missing na last-seen date. Kisha akamwomba Elias asaini kuwa alikuwa present wakati walipogundua.
“Sitaki kusaini kwamba nimeiba.”
“Haijaandika hivyo.”
Elias alisoma line mara mbili.
Observed missing from usual shelf during supervised access. Cause unknown.
Akasaini.
Pendo pia akasaini.
Walipotoka, Mariam alishusha breaker na kuirudisha juu mara moja ili kuhakikisha hailegei. Haikushuka.
Akaandika hiyo pia.
Elias alifunga grill na outer lock.
Mariam akasema, “Kesho tunahitaji copy ya key kwa supervised hours.”
“Hapana.”
“Basi temporary access request itaenda kwa mediator.”
“Fanya unachotaka.”
Pendo alikuwa amerudi ndani sekunde chache kuchungulia shelf moja ya mwisho. Alitoka akiwa mweupe usoni.
Akasogea karibu na Mariam na kusema kwa sauti ya chini,
“Daftari la vipimo halipo.”
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