Leila alikataa kupanda basi.
Conductor alikuwa tayari ameshika mlango, akisema, “Chuo! Chuo! Tunaondoka!” lakini Leila alibaki pembeni ya stendi akiwa na fee notice mkononi.
Nasma alikuwa na mkoba wake begani. Yusuf alikuwa amesimama karibu na van ya KVK ambayo walikuwa wameegesha upande wa pili wa barabara.
“Leila, basi linaondoka,” Nasma alisema.
“Liende.”
“Una class saa ngapi?”
“Hilo si swali langu.”
Yusuf akasema, “Sasa nini?”
Leila akawatazama wote wawili.
“Msizungumzie ada yangu kama mimi sipo.”
Nasma akasita.
“Hatufanyi hivyo.”
“Jana kwenye daftari mlisema education support. Wiki nzima kila family meeting mtu amesema ‘Leila ana ada’. Mjomba amesema tunaweza kuuza asset kwa sababu ada yangu inakuja. Wewe umesema business lazima iishi ili ada yangu ilipwe. Yusuf amesema distribution ikitoka tunaweza kufunga fees. Nani ameniuliza exact kiasi ninachohitaji sasa?”
Hakuna aliyejibu.
Leila akainua notice.
“Ndiyo.”
Conductor akapiga mlango wa basi.
“Mnakuja au hamji?”
Leila akatikisa kichwa.
Basi likaondoka, likiwaacha kwenye moshi wa dizeli.
Nasma akasema, “Sawa. Tuongee.”
“Si hapa njiani kama emergency nyingine.”
“Kuna café pale.”
“Siwezi kulipa café.”
“Nitalipa.”
Leila akamwangalia kwa ukali.
Nasma akajirekebisha. “Company haitalipa. Mimi nitalipa chai.”
Yusuf akacheka kidogo.
Leila hakutabasamu, lakini alitembea nao mpaka kibanda cha chai karibu na stendi.
Walikaa kwenye benchi la mbao.
Leila akaweka fee notice mezani.
“Full semester amount ndiyo hii,” alisema.
Yusuf akavuta karatasi karibu.
“Ndio. Hii ndiyo tuliyokuwa tunasema.”
Leila akaonyesha mstari wa chini.
“Lakini registration inaweza kufanyika kwa partial minimum hii. Balance ndani ya wiki mbili baada ya registration.”
Nasma akainama.
Minimum ilikuwa ndogo sana kuliko full amount ambayo wote walikuwa wakitumia kama crisis number.
“Kwa nini hukuambia?”
Leila akacheka bila furaha.
“Kwa sababu hamkuuliza.”
Nasma alikaa kimya.
Yusuf akasema, “Still, balance itakuja.”
“Ndio. Lakini hamhitaji kubomoa grinder leo ili nipande basi.”
“Hatukusema hivyo.”
“Mjomba alisema sale inaweza kutatua fees.”
“Mjomba amesema vitu vingi.”
“Na wewe umekuwa upande wake kwenye urgency.”
Yusuf akakaza taya.
Leila akaendelea, “Mimi sitaki kuwa sababu ya mtu kuuza, wala sababu ya mtu kukataa kuuza. Ada yangu ni need yangu. Si price yangu.”
Nasma akajisikia vibaya zaidi kwa sababu sentensi hiyo ililenga moja kwa moja tabia yake ya kumlinda Leila bila kumshirikisha.
“Fair,” alisema.
Leila akamwangalia. “Usiseme fair tu.”
“Nifanye nini?”
“Usiseme tena ‘nitakulipia’ kama decision yako. Niambie options.”
Nasma akaegemea nyuma.
“Sawa. Option one: minimum registration kutoka family support pot ikiwa tunakubaliana family support ni category tofauti na inheritance distribution.”
Yusuf akauliza, “Family support pot gani?”
“Hatujaanzisha formal. Ndio maana nasema option.”
“Option two?” Leila akauliza.
“Short-term personal contribution from siblings ambao wanaweza, recorded, si company expense. Option three: chuo kikubali installment schedule bila full registration upfront, ikiwa unaweza ku-negotiate.”
Leila akasema, “Nimeuliza tayari. Wamesema minimum hiyo haitabadilika, balance inaweza kuwa installment mbili.”
Yusuf akasema, “Hiyo ungetuambia.”
Leila akamgeukia.
“Na wewe deposit ya gari ungetuambia mapema.”
Yusuf akafunga mdomo.
Nasma akajua kuna kitu.
“Yusuf?”
Yusuf akaangalia barabarani.
Leila akasema, “Sema.”
Yusuf akatoa receipt ya deposit kutoka wallet.
Ilikuwa imekunjwa zaidi kuliko mara ya mwisho.
“Niliwaambia seller kwamba nitakuwa na balance baada ya mazishi.”
Nasma akasikia sentensi vizuri, lakini alitaka asiwe amesikia.
“Baada ya mazishi?”
“Ndio.”
“Kwa msingi gani?”
Yusuf akainua mabega kwa hasira.
“Nilijua company ina assets. Nilidhani tutakaa, tutajua shares, na kila mtu atapata cash ya kuanzia.”
“Bila sisi kukubaliana?”
“Ndio. Sikuwa nime-sign kwa niaba yenu.”
“Lakini uli-promise pesa ambayo hukujua ipo.”
“Ndiyo.”
Nasma alitaka kumshambulia.
Kisha akakumbuka payroll promise yake ya 70% kabla full reconciliation.
Akalazimika kunyamaza.
Yusuf akamwangalia na akajua pia.
“Usiseme,” alisema.
“Sisemi.”
“Kwa sababu wewe pia uliahidi cash kabla map.”
“Ndio.”
Leila akawatazama wote wawili.
“Mnafanana kuliko mnavyopenda.”
Yusuf akacheka kwa uchungu.
“Usianze kuwa philosopher.”
“Hamjanilipa bado, naweza.”
Kwa mara ya kwanza tension ililegea kidogo.
Nasma akachukua fee notice na receipt ya Yusuf akaziweka sambamba.
“Hizi ni needs mbili tofauti,” alisema. “Ada yako haiwezi kuwa justification ya liquidation. Deposit yako haiwezi kuwa guarantee ya distribution. Lakini zote zinapaswa kuonekana kwenye family council kama real costs.”
Yusuf akasema, “Na kama council inasema company haiwezi kutoa?”
“Basi unajua huwezi kutegemea company cash.”
“Na napoteza deposit.”
“Ndio.”
Yusuf akamwangalia kwa hasira.
Nasma akaendelea kabla hajazungumza.
“Na hilo ni loss halisi. Sitaita selfish. Lakini hatuwezi kubadili private promise kuwa debt ya siblings wote.”
Yusuf akakunja receipt mkononi.
“Nimeelewa.”
Leila akasema, “Nataka needs list.”
“Nini?” Nasma akauliza.
“Kila mmoja aandike minimum yake na deadline. Sio watu wengine kumsemea.”
Yusuf akasema, “Kito ataandika nini?”
“Shule, transport, basic things. Na ikiwa hana special need, aweke hivyo.”
“Naye ana miaka kumi na nne.”
“Bado maisha yake yanaathiriwa.”
Nasma akatikisa kichwa.
“Good.”
Leila akamwangalia.
“Na wewe?”
“Mimi?”
“Need yako ni nini?”
Nasma hakujua.
Kwa siku zote tangu mazishi, alikuwa ameandika supplier, payroll, stock, customer, workers, Yusuf, Leila, Kito.
Hakuwa amejiweka kwenye list.
“Sijui.”
Leila akasema, “Basi usijifanye wewe ndiyo mtu asiyehitaji kitu. Hiyo ndiyo inakufanya baadaye useme umebeba kila mtu.”
Nasma alihisi maneno ya daftari la Saada yakirudi: *hubeba kila kitu, halafu anaeleza baada ya solution.*
“Nitaandika,” alisema.
Yusuf akasema, “Need yako itakuwa ‘control less’?”
Nasma akampiga kwa fee notice.
Wote watatu wakacheka kidogo.
Simu ya Leila ikaita. Kito.
Aliweka speaker.
“Mbona hujafika chuo?” Kito akauliza.
“Wamenichelewesha.”
“Nasma?”
“Wote wawili.”
Kito akasema, “Msiuze kiwanda kwa sababu ya ada yake.”
Leila akafumba macho.
“Unaona?” alisema. “Hata Kito ameambiwa.”
Nasma akamuuliza Kito, “Nani amekuambia tunaweza kuuza kwa ada?”
“Kila mtu anaongea.”
Yusuf akasema, “Rumor system ya family ni efficient sana.”
Nasma akamwambia Kito, “Hakuna decision ya kuuza kwa sababu ya ada ya Leila. Umesikia?”
“Ndio.”
“Na hakuna decision ya kutouza kwa sababu ya Leila.”
“Basi mnaamua kwa nini?”
Leila akasema, “Tutakuambia kwenye council.”
Kito akacheka. “Sasa na mimi niko council?”
“Ndio,” Leila alisema.
“Basi nataka juice.”
Call ikaisha kwa wote wakicheka.
Basi lingine lilifika.
Leila akasimama.
“Safari hii napanda.”
Nasma akampa fee notice.
“Utani-send details za registration account?”
Leila akasimama.
“Kwa option gani?”
Nasma akaelewa.
“Tutakubaliana kwanza. Sitafanya payment kimya halafu nikakuambia nimekusaidia.”
Leila akatikisa kichwa.
“Good.”
Yusuf akasema, “Na mimi?”
“Nini?”
“Deposit.”
Nasma akamwangalia.
“Council itaona exact amount, deadline na consequence. Hakuna mtu atakuita greedy kwa kuisema. Lakini hakuna mtu pia ataitwa mwizi kwa kutoweza kuitoa company cash.”
Yusuf akatazama receipt yake.
Basi likapiga honi.
Leila akaingia.
Kabla mlango haujafungwa, akasema kwa sauti kubwa, “Msibomoe kitu mkisema mmefanya kwa ajili yangu, halafu mniulize niwashukuru.”
Watu wawili ndani ya basi wakageuka kumtazama.
Nasma na Yusuf wakabaki stendi wakiwa wameaibika kidogo.
Walitembea kimya kurudi van.
Yusuf alipofungua mlango, hakupanda mara moja.
Aliinyoosha receipt yake kwa Nasma.
“Shika copy. Iingie kwenye needs list.”
Nasma akaipokea.
Yusuf akasema, “Nilishasema nitakuwa na pesa. Sikuwa na haki ya kusema hivyo.”
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