On the evening of the fifth day, Mzee Juma Koro called Tunu to the courtyard behind the units. The courtyard held a water tank leaking from its lower pipe, two sacks of discarded cartons and a bench tenants used after raising their shutters. Juma sat at the end of the bench with his receipt book on the table.
Amina arrived a few minutes later carrying a copy of the lease. Tunu had not asked her to come, but Amina said, “You said you needed someone to read the words before you signed.”
Juma opened the receipt book. “I did not call you to sign today. I called you because the market is full of words.”
Tunu saw another paper beneath the book. It carried today’s date and the informal heading *fourteen-day notice draft*.
“What is that?”
“A draft. I have not given it to you as a notice.”
“But you printed it.”
“I printed it because the building loan does not care whether the news is a rumor. If the unit is empty, I still pay.”
Tunu sat. “I have not been closed. I have been given twenty-one days to show compliance.”
Juma looked at Amina, then at Tunu. “You are certain?”
Tunu took out the case receipt. Juma held it without folding it. Amina leaned closer to read the date.
“This shows the application was received,” Juma said. “It does not show approval.”
“I am not claiming approval. I am saying there is no reason to evict me because of people’s messages.”
Juma tapped his receipt book. “Faraji asked whether your unit would be free.”
Tunu was not surprised. “What did you say?”
“I told him it has a tenant.”
“Then why make a draft?”
Juma was silent for a moment. “Because I am your landlord, not your friend. I want rent certainty. I have collected from you for years, but if you run out of cash and do not get approval, the building carries the risk.”
The words scratched at Tunu, but they were not hatred. Juma was naming something she had written in the cashbook: risk was moving from one place to another.
“Do you want another deposit?” Tunu asked.
“I want to know I will receive rent.”
“Another deposit takes money from the shop before I know whether the supplier will give me stock.”
“And if I wait without a plan, I lose a month.”
Amina opened the lease. “There is a written-extension clause. If both sides agree, they can set a short period with conditions.”
Juma pointed at her. “Conditions are the problem. People promise with their mouths.”
Tunu took out her pen. “Then put it on paper. I will give you a status update every seven days. I will open the shop for the period allowed and continue paying rent on the date. Do not put an eviction notice in place for thirty days from today, unless the office issues a written order or rent is missed.”
“And if the application is refused?”
“We will meet that day and look at the next step. I cannot promise an answer that has not been issued.”
Juma paused. “Without another deposit?”
“Without a new deposit. I will give you a copy of the case receipt, current rent receipts and written updates.”
“Who should I give those to?”
“Keep them for your record. Do not give them to Faraji or the corridor.”
Juma looked at Amina. “Are you a witness?”
Amina replied, “I am her neighbour. I will not be the shop owner or the guarantor of your risk.”
“I have not asked.”
“I am saying it early so we do not confuse things.”
Tunu and Juma wrote five points on a blank receipt-book page. Tunu asked him to add the starting date and expiry date. Juma wanted to write *subject to landlord discretion*. Tunu asked what that meant. They changed the sentence to: “Either party may request a meeting if official status changes; no unilateral early exit based on rumor.”
“That language is long,” Juma said.
“Your risk is long.”
Amina read it again. “Add that a status update does not mean the tenant has hidden information.”
Juma looked at her. “Where did you see that?”
“I saw how a rumor changes words.”
They signed the page in front of one another. Juma gave Tunu a copy marked with his receipt-book reference. Tunu put it in the old green folder, away from the current case receipt.
“I will send the first update on Friday,” Tunu said.
“And rent?”
“It will arrive before the date.”
Juma closed the receipt book. “Do not misunderstand me, Tunu. I do not want to evict you. I also do not want to be stuck with you.”
Tunu stood. “You do not want to evict me; you do not want to be stuck with me. Then let us write that risk down instead of threatening each other with a rumor.”
Before they reached the veranda, Juma called them back. He closed the receipt book and said, “Faraji asked the price of your unit yesterday.”
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