Truck ndogo ya Othman ilifika kabla shift ya kwanza haijamaliza kuandaa line.
Haikuwa truck kubwa ya kubeba grinder nzima, lakini ilikuwa na straps, trolley na wanaume wawili waliovaa overalls za kijivu.
Mama Pendo ndiye aliyemwona kwanza.
Alitoka kwenye packing room, akafuta mikono kwenye apron, kisha akasimama langoni.
“Nasma.”
Sauti yake haikuwa kubwa.
Haikuhitaji kuwa.
Nasma alitoka ofisini akiwa na production sheet mkononi.
Alipoiona truck, tumbo lake lilibana.
Rashid alikuwa amesimama karibu na Othman.
Yusuf alikuwa upande wa pili wa gate.
Hakuna mtu aliyekuwa anapiga kelele bado.
Hilo ndilo lilifanya scene ionekane hatari zaidi.
Othman akainua mkono kwa salamu.
“Asubuhi.”
Nasma akajibu, “Asubuhi.”
Rashid akaanza.
“Tumekuja kumaliza tulipoishia.”
Nasma hakutazama truck tena.
“Tumefanya family pilot jana usiku.”
Rashid akatikisa kichwa.
“Nimeisikia.”
“Core assets hazitauzwa kwa siku sitini bila sibling review.”
“Na mimi siku-sign.”
“Ni kweli.”
Othman akaingilia kwa sauti ya biashara.
“Mimi sitaki kuingia kwenye family argument. Niko hapa kwa sababu offer yetu ilikuwa valid mpaka leo.”
Akaonyesha folder.
“Tunahitaji inspection final, deposit, halafu pickup schedule.”
Mama Pendo alisimama kimya nyuma ya Nasma.
Workers wawili walitoka machine room na kujifanya wanaangalia belts.
Nasma alijua dakika chache zijazo zingesambaa kiwandani kabla hata yeye hajafunga sentensi.
Rashid akasema, “Offer hii inaweza kulipa supplier, balance ya workers, kutoa share ya watoto na Yusuf anaweza hata kuendelea na gari lake.”
Yusuf akavuta pumzi.
Nasma alimwangalia.
Plan ilikuwa wazi: suspicion ya miezi hii ilikuwa kwamba Nasma ndiye anayesema “hapana” kwa kila sale.
Kama yeye ndiye angejibu leo, pilot yao ingekuwa paper iliyotumiwa na mtu yuleyule kuendelea kutawala.
Nasma akasema, “Yusuf.”
Rashid akageuka kwake.
“Kwa nini unamwita?”
“Kwa sababu amesaini.”
Yusuf alikaa kimya kwa sekunde mbili.
Othman akafungua folder.
“Ninaweza kuonyesha amount tena.”
Yusuf akasema, “Nimeiona.”
“Basi unajua si ndogo.”
“Ndio.”
“Na unajua offer hii inaweza isiwepo wiki ijayo.”
“Ndio.”
Rashid akasogea karibu.
“Yusuf, usijifanye hujui future yako iko kwenye hii decision.”
Yusuf akatoka mfukoni na kutoa receipt ya deposit ya gari lake.
Aliitazama.
Nasma hakuwahi kuona paper hiyo ikionekana ndogo hivyo.
Siku za nyuma ilikuwa countdown.
Leo ilikuwa test.
Yusuf akaiweka ndani tena.
“Tulisaini no-sale pilot ya siku sitini.”
Rashid akasema, “Kwa sababu Nasma aliwaweka mezani mpaka mkasaini.”
Yusuf akatikisa kichwa.
“Leila alibadilisha terms. Mimi nilibadilisha terms. Kito aliweka yake. Nasma alikubali threshold.”
“Lakini mwisho ni yale aliyotaka yeye.”
“Si yote.”
Rashid akamwangalia kwa hasira.
“Unataka kuniambia unakataa cash ambayo inaweza kukutoa kwenye kusubiri?”
Yusuf akageuka kwa Othman.
“Hatuna sale leo.”
Othman hakubadilisha uso.
“Final?”
Yusuf akaangalia Nasma.
Kwa reflex, Nasma alitaka kusema, *final*.
Hakusema.
Yusuf akarudi kwa Othman.
“Final chini ya pilot yetu.”
Rashid akachukua hatua moja mbele.
“Usiseme ‘yetu’ kama hujui kitu unachopoteza.”
Yusuf akasema, “Najua.”
“Deposit yako?”
“Najua.”
“Future yako ya logistics?”
“Najua.”
“Basi unachagua company juu ya future yako.”
Yusuf alikaza taya.
“Sijachagua Nasma. Nimechagua rule niliyosaini.”
Mama Pendo aligeuza uso kidogo, kama mtu anayehakikisha workers wengine wamesikia vizuri.
Rashid hakusema kwa sekunde kadhaa.
Othman akafunga folder nusu.
“Nataka kuwa fair. Mkinikataa leo, siwezi guarantee amount hii tena.”
Yusuf akasema, “Naelewa.”
“Replacement market inabadilika. Buyer mwingine anaweza kuchukua cash yangu.”
“Nimekuelewa.”
Othman akamwangalia Nasma.
“Na wewe?”
Nasma akasema, “Yusuf amejibu.”
Othman akakunja uso kwa mshangao mdogo.
Rashid akacheka bila furaha.
“Unafurahia hii.”
Nasma akamwangalia.
“Hapana.”
“Umepata ulichohitaji. Yusuf sasa anasema language yako.”
Yusuf akasema, “Mjomba.”
Rashid hakumwangalia.
Nasma akasema, “Kama ningekuwa nataka control, ningejibu mimi.”
Rashid akakaa kimya.
Othman akatoa karatasi moja kutoka folder.
“Nilikuja na deposit form. Sitatumia.”
Akaipasua katikati, si kwa drama, bali kwa sababu haikuwa na kazi tena.
“Na inspection?”
“Hakuna.”
Othman akaashiria watu wake.
Wanaume wawili wakarudisha trolley kwenye truck.
Mama Pendo akasema, “Basi production irudi.”
Nasma akamwangalia.
“Endeleeni.”
Mama Pendo akageuka na kuingia ndani.
Sekunde chache baadaye grinder ikaanza tena.
Sauti yake nzito ilijaza machine room.
Rashid alitazama jengo lote kana kwamba machine hiyo ilikuwa inamjibu yeye.
“Unaamini hii line itawapa yale buyer angeweza kuwapa leo?”
Nasma akasema, “Sijui.”
“Hilo ndilo tatizo.”
“Lakini sasa tutapata answer ndani ya rule ambayo sisi tumeamua.”
“Na ikishindwa?”
“Tutakaa review date na facts.”
Rashid akageuka kwa Yusuf.
“Na gari lako?”
Yusuf alitazama ground.
“Seller amenipa siku chache zaidi kwa sababu nilimwambia ukweli.”
“Na akiuza kwa mtu mwingine?”
“Basi nitapoteza deposit.”
Rashid akafungua mikono.
“Unaona? Huu ndio usawa wa Nasma. Wewe unapoteza pesa, yeye anabaki na keys.”
Yusuf akavuta funguo za van ya KVK mfukoni.
Akazishikilia.
“Hizi keys si company.”
Rashid akasema, “Usifanye philosophy.”
“Ndio tulikosea tangu mwanzo. Tuliona key tukadhani ownership. Machine tukadhani cash. Mama akisema kitu tukadhani law.”
Nasma alimtazama Yusuf.
Hakuwa akimtetea.
Alikuwa akitetea process ambayo ingemzuia yeye pia.
Othman aliingia kwenye truck.
Kabla hajafunga mlango, akasema, “Sina ugomvi na nyinyi. Lakini offer nimeifunga.”
Yusuf akakubali kwa kichwa.
Truck ikaanza kutoka.
Rashid aliifuata kwa macho mpaka ikafika kona ya barabara.
Nasma alihisi kitu kikubwa kimeondoka, si truck tu.
Fallback yao ya haraka.
Kisingizio chao cha kusema, *tukishindwa, tuna buyer.*
Sasa hawakuwa naye.
Mara truck ilipotoweka, phone ya Yusuf ilitetemeka.
Seller wa gari.
Yusuf aliangalia screen, lakini hakupokea.
Nasma akauliza, “Kwa nini?”
“Nitajibu baadaye.”
“Usianze kubeba kimya.”
Yusuf akatabasamu kwa uchovu.
“Umeshaiba ugonjwa huo wote?”
“Bado nina mabaki.”
Yusuf akapokea call kabla haijakatika.
Alienda pembeni.
Nasma hakumsikiliza kwa makusudi.
Rashid alisimama peke yake karibu na gate.
“Mama yenu angefanya nini?” akauliza.
Nasma akasema, “Hatutaweza kujua.”
“Hilo daftari?”
“Lina maswali.”
Rashid akatikisa kichwa.
“Mnatumia uncertainty kama dini mpya.”
“Hapana. Tunatumia evidence kabla ya decision.”
Rashid akatazama grinder kupitia mlango wazi.
“Basi sawa.”
Nasma akamwangalia.
Rashid akasema kwa sauti ya chini, “Sasa hamna buyer wa kulaumu. Biashara yenu lazima ijibu yenyewe.”
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