Chumba cha Nuru kilikuwa kidogo kuliko Mariam alivyokumbuka. Kitanda kimoja, meza nyembamba, shelf ya vitabu vya uhasibu na dirisha lililotazama paa za mabati za Mtaa wa Kichangani.
Mariam alipofika jioni, Nuru alikuwa ameweka sanduku la kadibodi mezani.
“Hili nililipata kwenye kabati la baba.”
“Umefungua?” Mariam aliuliza.
“Ndiyo, lakini sijapanga.”
Mariam akaweka folder yake pembeni.
“Na Elias anajua?”
Nuru alikaza midomo.
“Hajui nimeleta hapa.”
Mariam hakufurahia.
“Nuru.”
“Nilichukua receipts, si title deed.”
“Bado ni documents za estate.”
“Ningeacha pale, zingetoweka.”
Mariam alimwangalia kwa muda.
“Usifanye kitu kwa ajili yangu ambacho hutaki kuandika kesho.”
Nuru akavuta pumzi.
“Fine. Nitaandika kwamba nimechukua temporary custody ya box kwa ajili ya sorting, na nitarudisha.”
“Hiyo ni bora.”
Nuru akachukua notebook na kuandika tarehe, saa, source ya box na contents preliminary.
“Umeridhika?”
“Si lazima uniridhishe. Nataka record ikutoshe wewe pia.”
Walifungua box.
Juu kulikuwa na risiti za zamani za fuel, service ya gari, school fees, kodi za vibanda na manunuzi ya hardware. Chini kulikuwa na notebook ndogo ya Hamisi yenye kurasa zilizojikunja pembeni.
Nuru akasema, “Baba alikuwa anaandika vibaya.”
Mariam akatabasamu kidogo.
“Alikuwa anaamini akili yake ndiyo ledger.”
“Na sasa tunalipa interest ya hiyo tabia.”
Mariam akamwangalia. “Usiseme hivyo mbele ya Saada.”
Nuru akacheka mara moja, kisha ukimya ukarudi.
Walianza kupanga.
HOUSE IMPROVEMENTS. WORKSHOP. TENANT INCOME. FAMILY EXPENSES. HAMISI PERSONAL. MARIAM PERSONAL. UNKNOWN.
Nuru aliingiza line moja baada ya nyingine kwenye spreadsheet.
Risiti ya cement—tarehe ililingana na extension ya mbele.
Mariam akasema, “Hiyo nilinunua nusu, Hamisi nusu.”
“Proof?”
“Nina transfer ya supplier sehemu yangu.”
“Na ya baba?”
“Cash, labda.”
Nuru akaandika: Mariam contribution verified; Hamisi contribution unverified but plausible by testimony.
Mariam akasema, “Usiandike plausible kama fact.”
“Ni note, si conclusion.”
“Basi weka testimony only.”
Nuru akabadilisha.
Baadaye walipata receipt ya bati iliyolingana na M-Pesa printout ya Mariam. Hiyo iliingia HOUSE IMPROVEMENT.
Kisha invoice ya overlock machine.
“Deposit yako,” Nuru alisema.
“Ndiyo.”
“Balance?”
“Workshop ililipa baada ya miezi miwili.”
“Workshop account ilikuwa ya nani?”
“Business turnover. Sio yangu peke yangu.”
Nuru akasimama kidogo.
“Kwa hiyo hata hii si simple.”
“Hakuna simple hapa.”
Nuru alisogeza laptop.
“Unajua kinachonitisha?”
“Nini?”
“Kila mtu anazungumza kama kuna line safi. Baba upande mmoja. Wewe upande mwingine. Lakini receipts zinaonyesha kila kitu kilichanganyika.”
Mariam akasema, “Ndiyo maana sitaki mtu achore line nyingine kwa rangi.”
Nuru alielewa bila kuuliza.
Walifika kwenye tenant receipts. Vibanda viwili vilikuwa vinaleta kodi ndogo kila mwezi. Mara nyingine malipo yaliingia kwa Hamisi, mara nyingine kwa Mariam alipokuwa ndiye aliyekuwepo.
“Elias alisema hiyo rent ilikuwa ya baba,” Nuru alisema.
“Kwa ownership, labda. Lakini operating flow ilikuwa inapitia wote wawili.”
“Na hiyo ina maana gani?”
“Usiniulize mimi. Tutamwuliza Tunu.”
Nuru akatikisa kichwa.
Mariam alifungua notebook ndogo ya Hamisi.
Kurasa nyingi zilikuwa shorthand yake.
MABATI — 460. FUNDI — 120. SCHOOL — 85. MARIAM MACHINE — balance July. TENANT B — owes 2 weeks.
Nuru alisoma kwa sauti.
“Baba alikuwa na system, ilikuwa tu mbaya.”
“Usimpe credit nyingi.”
Walicheka kidogo.
Kisha Nuru akawa serious.
“Auntie, nimezungumza na Elias.”
Mariam hakuuliza kwanza.
“Anasema unamzunguka.”
“Kwa sababu nilizungumza na Kito?”
“Na kwa sababu sasa kila kitu kinaenda kwenye files.”
“Na wewe?”
Nuru akakaa kimya.
“Nilikuwa nafikiri anafanya vibaya kwa sababu ya control. Sasa naona anaogopa kitu.”
Mariam aliangalia spreadsheet.
“Hilo ni lake kukuambia.”
Nuru alimwangalia.
“Unajua?”
Mariam hakutaka kusema uongo.
“Ninajua baadhi ya sababu za pressure yake.”
“Na huwezi kuniambia?”
“Si yangu.”
Nuru aliumia.
“Mimi ni dada yake.”
“Ndiyo. Ndiyo maana akitaka kukuambia, aseme yeye.”
“Lakini estate inaathirika.”
“Ndiyo. Tutajadili decision. Sio aibu yake yote.”
Nuru akafunga laptop kidogo.
“Unaendelea kumlinda hata amekufungia nje.”
“Simlindi dhidi ya consequence. Namlinda dhidi ya humiliation isiyohitajika.”
“Na yeye anakulinda?”
“Hilo si sharti la mimi kufanya kilicho sawa.”
Nuru hakujibu.
Baadaye, walirudi kwenye receipts.
Kulikuwa na tax slip ya biashara, purchase ya industrial table, na karatasi ya mkopo wa zamani ambao tayari ulikuwa umefungwa. Nuru alisisitiza kila item iwe linked na source.
“Sitaki kuwa witness wa story,” alisema. “Nataka kuwa witness wa records nilizoshika.”
Mariam akamwangalia.
“Huo ndiyo msimamo mzuri.”
“Elias atanichukia.”
“Labda.”
“Saada atasema nimegeuka.”
“Labda.”
“Na wewe?”
“Sitakuomba useme kitu usichokiona.”
Nuru akafungua notebook ya Hamisi tena.
Karibu mwisho kulikuwa na page yenye heading: MBELE.
Chini yake:
paa mpya. gate. room extension. sewing side.
Nuru akasema, “Hii inaonekana kama list ya improvements.”
Mariam akasogea karibu.
Kulikuwa na lines mbili zilizofutwa, kisha moja iliyoandikwa kwa kalamu nyeusi, tofauti na pages nyingine.
Nuru aliisoma polepole.
“Chumba cha mbele—mtaji wa Mariam, tusichanganye na kodi.”
Mariam hakusema kitu.
“Unajua aliandika lini?” Nuru aliuliza.
“Hapana.”
“Lakini handwriting ni yake.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Na hii inaweza kusaidia sana.”
Mariam akasema, “Piga picha. Lakini box irudi na original ibaki kwenye inventory.”
Nuru akatikisa kichwa.
Alichukua picha mbili, moja ya page nzima na moja ya line. Kisha akaandika reference number kwenye spreadsheet.
“Sitaitumia kusema baba alikupa nyumba,” Nuru alisema.
“Usifanye.”
“Itasema tu alitenganisha workshop capital na rent.”
“Hilo linatosha.”
Nuru alishika notebook kwa muda mrefu. Uso wake ulikuwa umebadilika; si kwa sababu alikuwa amechagua upande wa Mariam, bali kwa sababu baba yake mwenyewe alikuwa ameacha sentensi ambayo haikufuata mstari rahisi wa “watoto dhidi ya mjane.”
Nuru akavuta pumzi na kusoma tena line ile, sasa kama mtu anayejua baada ya hapo hawezi kujifanya hajawahi kuiona.
Hamisi’s line reads, “Chumba cha mbele—mtaji wa Mariam, tusichanganye na kodi.”
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