Jumatatu asubuhi, Mama Pendo hakuwasha line ya packing.
Alisimama nje ya mlango wa production akiwa amekunja mikono kifuani, na workers saba walikuwa wamejipanga karibu naye bila apron, bila gloves na bila haraka ya kuingia ndani.
Nasma alipofika saa mbili kasoro dakika kumi, aliona tatizo kabla hajafungua gate.
“Kwa nini hamjaingia?” aliuliza.
Mama Pendo akamwangalia moja kwa moja.
“Kwa sababu watu hawajui kama wanaingia kufanya kazi au kusubiri familia yenu iamue kama kampuni bado ipo.”
Hakuna aliyesema neno baada yake.
Nasma akafungua gate.
“Ndani kwanza.”
Worker mmoja, Hamisi, akatikisa kichwa. “Dada Nasma, naomba niseme. Jana jioni nilisikia mashine zinataka kuuzwa.”
“Mashine hazijauzwa.”
“Lakini zinataka kuuzwa?”
Nasma alijua jibu la haraka lingekuwa rahisi: *hapana, hakuna kitu kinauzwa.*
Lakini hilo halikuwa fact.
Mjomba Rashid tayari alikuwa ametaja kwamba mali lazima ihesabiwe. Hakukuwa na family decision. Hakukuwa na buyer. Hakukuwa na sale.
“Family haijafanya uamuzi wa sale,” alisema. “Leo hakuna asset inayotoka. Leo tuna order ya restaurant inayotakiwa kuanza.”
Mama Pendo akamuuliza, “Na mshahara?”
Hilo ndilo swali lililowafanya workers wengine wote wainue macho.
Nasma akavuta pumzi.
“Mshahara uko ndani ya siku tano.”
“Ndiyo tunajua,” Mama Pendo alisema. “Tunachotaka kujua ni kama pesa ipo.”
Yusuf aliingia gate wakati huo, akiwa na keys za van mkononi.
“Morning,” alisema, kisha akaona watu walivyosimama. “Nini tena?”
Mama Pendo hakumjibu. Alikuwa bado anamtazama Nasma.
Nasma akasema, “Tunahitaji kuangalia cash kabla sijawapa promise.”
Worker mmoja akacheka kwa uchungu. “Hiyo ndiyo answer?”
“Ndio answer ya sasa. Saa nne nitawaambia amount ya kwanza na balance date.”
“Amount ya kwanza?” Hamisi akauliza.
Mama Pendo akageuza kichwa kwa Nasma. “Kwa hiyo payroll yote haipo?”
Nasma hakutaka kujificha nyuma ya neno *accounting*.
“Hatujui bado.”
Yusuf akaingia. “Lakini unaanza line.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Kwa watu ambao hujui kama utawalipa?”
Nasma akamwangalia.
“Kwa order ambayo ikifa, tutakuwa na pesa kidogo zaidi ya kuwalipa.”
Mama Pendo akasema, “Basi tusifanye mjadala hapa gate. Tuone numbers.”
Waliingia.
Factory floor ilikuwa imekaa kimya kwa siku kadhaa. Grinder ya kwanza ilikuwa bado na tape aliyoweka Saada mwezi uliopita kwenye switch, maandishi yake yakiwa yamefifia: **CHEKI BELT KABLA YA SHIFT**.
Mama Pendo aligusa tape hiyo kwa kidole, akageuka na kuanza kupanga workers.
“Nasma, workers 17 wote hawahitajiki leo.”
“Najua.”
“Packing line moja. Grinder moja. Mixer moja. Cleaning team ya chini.”
Yusuf akasema, “Na deliveries?”
“Van moja leo,” Nasma alisema. “Wewe na Baraka mtaenda accounts mbili baada ya drop.”
Yusuf akamwangalia. “Accounts?”
“Wateja wanaotudai.”
“Umepanga tayari?”
“Nimeona list ya pending payments.”
Yusuf akacheka kidogo. “Sasa unaanza kutupangia wote?”
Mama Pendo akapiga meza kwa kalamu.
“Jamani, kama mtataka kugombana kuhusu nani boss, fanyeni baada ya mixer kuwaka. Sisi hapa tuna kazi.”
Nasma hakutaka kumpa Mama Pendo mzigo wa family argument.
“Fair,” alisema.
Wakapitia attendance sheet.
Overtime ya kawaida ya packing ikaondolewa. Workers wawili waliokuwa wanakuja kwa second shift wakaambiwa wasubiri confirmation. Maintenance role moja ikaachwa kwa sababu grinder ilikuwa imekaa idle. Cleaning na safety roles hazikuguswa.
Hamisi akauliza, “Kwa nini overtime ikatwe kwanza?”
“Kwa sababu order ya leo inaweza kukamilika bila overtime,” Nasma alisema. “Na sitaki kukata mtu wa safety ili kuokoa pesa.”
Mama Pendo akatikisa kichwa.
Workers wakaanza kuvaa aprons.
Sauti ya grinder ya kwanza ilipoanza, Nasma alihisi kama kitu kilikuwa kimerudi hai. Si kwa amani. Kwa lazima.
Alienda kwenye office ndogo na cash box, receipts, mobile collection records na notebook ya payroll.
Khalfan hakupatikana uso kwa uso; alikuwa kwa client mwingine. Aliwapa dakika kumi kwa simu.
“Nasma,” alisema, “usianze na question ya ‘company ina pesa ngapi’. Anza na ‘cash ipi inaweza kutumika leo’.”
“Cash box, mobile collection, bank balance ya operational account.”
“Na deposits za customers ambazo zimefungwa kwa orders?”
“Hazipaswi kuguswa.”
“Good.”
Walipomaliza kuhesabu, Nasma alikaa kimya.
Yusuf, aliyekuwa ameingia ofisini baada ya loading, akauliza, “Ni mbaya kiasi gani?”
Nasma akamgeuzia karatasi.
Cash available haikufika payroll yote.
“Lakini hii receivables?” Yusuf akaonyesha column nyingine.
“Wateja wawili wakilipa, balance ya payroll inafungwa.”
“Basi wapigie.”
“Nimepiga. Mmoja ameahidi Ijumaa mara mbili tayari.”
Yusuf akavuta kiti.
“Na supplier?”
“Sudi ana invoice yake.”
“Kwa hiyo ukilipa workers, unamsukuma Sudi.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Na usipowalipa?”
“Line inaweza kusimama.”
Yusuf akasugua uso.
“Company hii ina assets nyingi. Hii inawezekanaje?”
Nasma hakumjibu kwa sababu hakuwa na full answer bado.
Saa nne, aliwaita workers kwenye sehemu ya packing.
Hakutaka kuwapa speech.
Alibandika karatasi kwenye whiteboard.
**Payroll due: Ijumaa.**
**Available guaranteed payment: 70% ya payroll kwa tarehe.**
**Balance target: ndani ya siku 3 baada ya tarehe ya payroll, kupitia collections mbili.**
Mama Pendo alisoma mara mbili.
“Target?”
“Ndiyo,” Nasma alisema. “Sitaki kuiita guarantee kabla pesa haijaingia.”
Hamisi akauliza, “Kwa nini sio payroll yote?”
“Kwa sababu cash tuliyonayo haifiki.”
Worker mwingine akasema, “Kampuni haina pesa?”
Nasma akatikisa kichwa. “Kampuni ina stock, machines, orders na receivables. Leo cash inayoweza kutumika ni hii.”
“Na familia?”
“Family haitachukua distribution kabla payroll hii na supplier pressure kuonekana vizuri.”
Yusuf, aliyekuwa amesimama nyuma, akanyanyua macho.
Hiyo ilikuwa sentensi mpya hata kwake.
Mama Pendo akauliza, “Hiyo decision ya family?”
Nasma akasema, “Hiyo ni operational position yangu kwa siku hizi tatu. Sitatoa cash ya biashara kama family distribution wakati wages ziko due.”
Yusuf akaingia mbele.
“Unaona?” alisema. “Hapo ndiyo problem. Unasema si owner, lakini unaamua cash gani family haiwezi kugusa.”
Workers wakatulia.
Nasma hakutaka argument hiyo ifanyike mbele yao.
Lakini tayari ilikuwa imefika.
“Yusuf, hii si wakati.”
“Exactly. Kila wakati si wakati. Jana supplier. Leo workers. Kesho customer. Mwisho wake wewe ndiye unafanya kila decision kwa sababu tu decision haiwezi kusubiri.”
Mama Pendo akasema, “Yusuf, sisi hatujataka kujua urithi wenu. Tumeuliza mshahara.”
Yusuf akamwangalia, kisha akarudi kwa Nasma.
“Transparency yako hii inawafanya watu wakuone boss tayari.”
Nasma alihisi jibu kali likija.
Akalizuia.
Badala yake alisema, “Fine. Kama sitaki kuwa gatekeeper, basi responsibility isitoke kwangu peke yangu.”
Akaenda ofisini na kurudi na copies mbili za receivables.
Akamkabidhi Yusuf.
“Hizi accounts mbili unazijua kuliko mimi. Ume-deliver kwao miezi. Collect. Usiwatishie. Usiwaahidi discount bila kuandika. Leta kilichoingia na sababu ya kilichobaki.”
Yusuf akatazama papers.
“Unanipa kazi?”
“Nakupa authority ya kufanya collection ndani ya terms hizi.”
“Na nikifanya tofauti?”
“Utaeleza. Kama mimi nikifanya tofauti, nitaeleza pia.”
Mama Pendo akasema, “Hiyo ndiyo maana ya kuwa watu wawili wanaofanya kazi. Sio kila kitu kuwa dada na mdogo.”
Yusuf hakujibu.
Akaweka papers kwenye folder la van.
Nasma akarudi kwa workers.
“Kama collection ya kwanza inaingia mapema, balance date itasogezwa mbele. Kama haijaingia, nitaandika update. Hamtaambiwa ‘subirini tu’.”
Hamisi akauliza, “Na kama sale ya kiwanda inaanza?”
“Hiyo ikibadilika kutoka rumor kuwa decision, mtajulishwa kuhusu impact ya kazi. Sitawaahidi hakuna family discussion. Na sitawaficha operational change.”
Mama Pendo akamwangalia kwa muda, kisha akasema, “Sawa. Washa line.”
Production ikarudi.
Pilipili kavu iliingia grinder, hewa ikaanza kuwasha puani. Mixer ikaanza kuzunguka. Sealing machine ikatoa mlio wake wa kawaida.
Nasma alitembea kati ya stations, akijaribu kutofikiria kwamba kila worker aliyemwona alikuwa na rent, ada, chakula na watu wengine nyuma yake.
Saa sita mchana, order ya kwanza ilikuwa kwenye cartons.
Yusuf alituma message kutoka route.
**Customer 1: amenipa 40%. Balance Ijumaa. Nakwenda wa pili.**
Nasma akajibu:
**Receipt?**
Dakika moja baadaye akatuma picha ya receipt iliyosainiwa.
Nasma akatabasamu kidogo.
Mama Pendo akaona.
“Pesa?”
“Sehemu.”
“Basi leo tumefanya kitu.”
“Sehemu tu.”
“Sehemu ndiyo siku nyingi biashara inaendelea nayo.”
Baadaye, Yusuf akarudi akiwa na uso ambao Nasma hakuweza kusoma.
“Customer wa pili hakulipa.”
“Kwa nini?”
“Anasema delivery mbili zilichelewa wakati Mama alikuwa mgonjwa. Ana order yake nyingine pending na anataka kwanza tu-confirm reliability.”
Nasma akaandika.
“Uligombana naye?”
Yusuf akamkazia macho. “Ulinipa kazi, sio babysitting.”
“Nauliza fact.”
“Hapana. Sikugombana.”
“Good.”
“Usiseme good kama boss.”
Nasma akatabasamu bila furaha. “Sawa.”
Jioni, workers walipoanza kuondoka, whiteboard bado ilikuwa pale.
70% guaranteed.
Balance target.
Hakuna mtu aliyefurahia.
Lakini kila mtu alijua nini kilikuwa promised na nini hakikuwa promised.
Nasma alirudi ofisini kufunga cash box.
Simu yake ikawaka.
Khalfan.
Ujumbe ulikuwa mfupi.
**Nimeona payroll note yako. Usiahidi balance kabla hujaona account ya stock—kuna kitu hakilingani.**
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