Karatasi nne zilikuwa zimepangwa mezani kabla Nasma hajafika nyumbani.
Mashine mbili za kusaga.
Mixer moja.
Sealing machines mbili.
Delivery van.
Stock ya ghala.
Chini ya kila item kulikuwa na nafasi tupu ya kuandika thamani.
Mjomba Rashid alikuwa amekaa upande mmoja wa meza akiwa na kalamu ya bluu. Yusuf alikuwa karibu naye. Leila alikuwa ametulia, mikono chini ya kidevu. Kito alikula wali kimya, akijifanya hakuna mtu anayepanga bei ya mahali ambapo mama yao alitumia miaka mingi kujenga maisha.
Nasma aliweka mkoba wake kwenye kiti.
“Hii ni nini?”
Rashid akamsogezea karatasi.
“List ya vitu vinavyoweza kuonekana. Kabla kila kitu hakijachanganyika.”
“Kwa nini leo?”
“Kwa sababu leo ndiyo siku ambayo watu bado wanakumbuka kila kitu kiko wapi.”
Yusuf akasema, “Na kwa sababu tusipoweka mapema, kila decision ya biashara itaonekana kama mtu anahamisha value.”
Nasma akamtazama.
Jana alikuwa amekusanya receivables kwa kampuni. Leo alikuwa amekaa upande wa mjomba.
“Hamna valuation,” Nasma alisema.
“Ndiyo maana tunaanza,” Rashid akajibu. “Mashine ziangaliwe. Van iangaliwe. Stock ipimwe. Kila mtoto ajue sehemu yake kabla mtu hajaanza kusema lazima kila kitu kikae kiwandani.”
Kito akainua kichwa.
“Sehemu yangu ni mashine gani?”
Hakuna aliyejibu.
Leila akasema, “Kito, maliza kula.”
Rashid akashusha sauti. “Sio hivyo. Tunazungumzia value.”
“Basi value yangu ni grinder?” Kito akauliza tena.
Nasma alitaka kucheka, lakini hakuna kitu kilikuwa cha kuchekesha.
Yusuf akamwambia, “Hatutagawana mashine kila mtu moja.”
“Basi mnafanya nini?”
Rashid akasema, “Tunaakikisha kila mtu anatendewa sawa.”
Kito akatazama karatasi. “Sawa ni nini?”
Leila akasimama.
“Njoo, nikupe chai.”
Kito akachukua sahani yake na kuondoka naye mpaka jikoni.
Nasma akakaa.
“Mjomba, hakuna mtu anayekataa valuation.”
Rashid akainua eyebrow. “Wewe umeanza kukataa kabla sijamaliza.”
“Nakataa sale ya haraka kabla hatujui company inaishi kwa nini.”
“Nani amesema sale?”
Nasma akaonyesha column iliyoandikwa **likely buyer price**.
“Hii si list ya kumbukumbu tu.”
Rashid akasogeza kiti.
“Nasma, usifanye kila swali liwe attack. Dada yangu amekufa. Hakuna will inayosema wewe endelea miaka mitano kisha wengine waombe faida. Hakuna document inayosema Yusuf asubiri mpaka utakapokuwa ready.”
“Nimesema siku kumi na nne, si miaka mitano.”
Yusuf akacheka kwa ukali. “Hata hizo siku kumi na nne hujazisema mpaka sasa.”
Nasma akamwangalia.
“Nilitaka cash map kwanza.”
“Exactly. Kila kitu lazima kipitie process yako kwanza.”
“Kwa sababu supplier yuko ndani ya siku tatu, payroll ndani ya siku tano na stock account haifanani.”
Rashid akasema, “Na hiyo ndiyo sababu zaidi ya kuhesabu mali. Kama biashara ina shida, kuuza sehemu ya asset inaweza kuwa njia ya kuzuia kila kitu kisife.”
“Mashine ikiuza, order inayotegemea mashine hiyo inafanya nini?”
“Tunauza nini ndiyo valuation itatuambia.”
“Valuation haitatuambia operational dependency.”
Yusuf akapiga meza kwa kidole.
“Na operations hazipaswi kuwa sababu ya kutofanya valuation milele.”
Nasma alihisi uchovu wa siku mbili ukipanda shingoni.
“Sijasema milele.”
“Umesema tusubiri.”
“Ndiyo.”
“Na wakati tunasubiri, funguo ziko kwako.”
Sentensi ilikaa mezani.
Nasma hakujibu mara moja.
Yusuf akasogeza karatasi karibu naye.
“Kila siku unayosema tusubiri ni siku ambayo wewe ndiye unashika funguo.”
Leila alikuwa amerudi mlangoni bila wao kugundua. Kito hakuwepo.
“Yusuf,” alisema, “hiyo si fair.”
“Kwa nini? Si fact?”
Leila akakaa. “Nasma amefanya kazi kiwandani miaka sita. Of course anajua funguo.”
“Na hiyo knowledge ndiyo inaweza kuwa power.”
Nasma akasema, “Ndio. Inaweza.”
Wote wakamwangalia.
“Ndiyo maana nataka numbers ziwe shared,” aliendelea. “Sitaki mniamini kwa sababu mimi ndiye nilikuwa na Mama kila siku kiwandani.”
Rashid akasema, “Basi usiogope valuation.”
“Siogopi valuation. Naogopa valuation ikageuzwa sale kabla cash map haijaonyesha machine ipi ni revenue engine na ipi ni idle.”
Akaichukua karatasi ya grinder ya kwanza.
“Hii grinder ina bei.”
Hakuna aliyebisha.
“Lakini grinder hii pia inafanya batch ya pilipili ambayo restaurant mbili zinachukua kila wiki. Ukiiuza leo kwa cash, kesho unaweza kuwa na pesa mezani na order ambayo haiwezi kutengenezwa.”
Rashid akasema, “Tunabaki na grinder ya pili.”
“Ya pili inapasha joto faster na haiwezi kubeba continuous batch kama ya kwanza. Replacement bearing yake tulikuwa tuna-order.”
Yusuf akasema, “Hiyo ndiyo detail ambayo sisi hatujui.”
“Basi ndio maana nataka audit.”
“Na wewe ndiyo source ya detail.”
“Hapana. Maintenance records zipo.”
“Kwa hiyo leta records.”
Nasma akatikisa kichwa. “Nitaleta.”
Rashid akabadilisha karatasi.
“Van?”
Yusuf akasogea mbele.
“Van inaweza kuuzwa. Tunaweza kukodi delivery.”
Nasma akamwangalia. “Na margin?”
“Tutahesabu.”
“Na route ya market ambayo rental driver hatangoja collection?”
“Tutahesabu.”
Nasma akatabasamu kidogo. “Sawa. Hapo sasa tunazungumza.”
Yusuf hakutabasamu.
Akaingiza mkono mfukoni na kutoa receipt iliyokunjwa.
“Nina kitu pia cha kuhesabu.”
Nasma akaipokea.
Ilikuwa deposit ya gari la second-hand.
“Umeweka deposit?”
“Wiki iliyopita.”
“Kwa nini hukuniambia?”
“Kwa sababu pesa ni yangu.”
“Unataka kufanya nini na gari?”
“Delivery business.”
Rashid alikuwa kimya, lakini Nasma aliona kwenye uso wake kwamba tayari alijua.
Yusuf akaendelea. “Nimekuwa sales runner na driver hapa miaka. Najua routes, small shops, watu wanaohitaji delivery. Nimepata gari ambalo naweza kuanza nalo.”
“Na balance?”
“Ndani ya wiki mbili.”
“Ukipitwa?”
“Deposit inakufa.”
Nasma akatazama amount.
Haikuwa pesa ndogo kwa Yusuf.
“Ndiyo maana unataka distribution sasa.”
“Ndiyo maana sitaki neno ‘subiri’ lisilo na mwisho.”
Nasma alirudisha receipt.
“Lakini company cash si automatically deposit yako.”
“Sijasema automatically.”
“Unasema mali igawanywe.”
“Nasema haki yangu ijulikane.”
“Na ikiwa haki yako kwenye value haiwezi kutolewa cash leo bila kuharibu source ya income ya Leila na Kito?”
Yusuf akasimama kidogo.
“Hapo ndipo mnapenda kunitisha. Kila kitu kinawekwa kwenye watoto.”
Leila akainua kichwa.
“Usiniweke mimi kwenye sentence yako.”
Yusuf akageuka. “Nimesema Leila na Kito—”
“Nimesikia.”
Leila akachukua fee notice iliyokuwa imewekwa kwenye shelf tangu wiki iliyopita.
“Ada yangu inakuja ndani ya wiki tatu. Najua. Kila mtu anajua. Lakini sitaki kila mtu akisema ‘tusiuze kwa sababu Leila ana ada’ au ‘tuuze kwa sababu Leila ana ada.’ Hiyo inanifanya mimi kuwa sababu ya decision ambayo hamjaniuliza.”
Rashid akasema, “Mwanangu, hakuna anayekutumia.”
“Lakini kila mtu ananitaja.”
Nasma alishusha macho.
Alikuwa amefanya hivyo mwenyewe akilini mara nyingi: *company lazima iishi kwa sababu ya ada ya Leila.*
Leila akamwangalia Nasma.
“Ukilipa ada yangu kutoka company, hiyo ni distribution? Ni expense? Ni support ya family? Nani anaamua?”
Nasma hakuwa na jibu zuri.
Yusuf pia hakuwa nalo.
Rashid akavuta pumzi.
“Hii ndiyo sababu nataka mambo yawekwe wazi mapema.”
Nasma akasema, “Na mimi.”
“Lakini wewe unataka kuendelea kuendesha kwanza.”
“Kwa sababu business inayofanya kazi haiwezi kusimamishwa kama furniture ili tuhesabu.”
Rashid akasema, “Hujui kama inaendelea kufanya kazi kwa profit.”
“Ndio. Ndiyo maana cash map.”
“Na valuation.”
“Independent valuation.”
Rashid akamtazama kwa muda.
“Utaiaccept hata kama inaonyesha sale ya baadhi ya assets ni sensible?”
Nasma alisita.
Hiyo ndiyo point ambayo angeweza kujificha nyuma ya operations.
“Ndiyo,” alisema. “Nitaaccept data. Lakini no sale kabla ya cash map, liabilities, receivables na operational dependency kuonekana.”
Yusuf akauliza, “Timeline?”
Nasma akasema, “Siku kumi na nne. Review date.”
“Na nani anaamua review?”
“Sisi wote.”
Rashid akasema, “Na valuation inaanza ndani ya hizo siku?”
“Baada ya preliminary books na stock audit, ili valuer ajue anachotazama.”
Yusuf akaangalia receipt yake tena.
“Nina siku kumi na nne pia.”
“Umesema wiki mbili.”
“Deposit yangu ina deadline exactly siku kumi na tatu kutoka leo.”
Nasma akahisi clocks mbili zikigongana mbele yake.
Company ilitaka muda.
Yusuf pia alitaka muda.
Na hakuna muda uliokuwa wa bure.
Rashid akaweka kalamu chini.
“Basi valuation plan inaendelea.”
“Ndio.”
“Sale?”
“Frozen mpaka data.”
“Distribution?”
“Frozen mpaka data.”
Yusuf akacheka tena. “Unaona? Neno frozen bado linatoka kwako.”
Nasma akasema, “Basi andika wewe review date.”
Akasogeza kalamu kwake.
Yusuf hakuchukua.
Rashid akachukua list ya machines na kuiweka katikati.
“Kesho tutaanza na stock na debts. Lakini sitakubali family iambiwe baada ya kila decision.”
Nasma akajibu, “Fair.”
Leila akasema, “Na mimi nataka copy ya numbers. Sio summary ya Nasma au Mjomba.”
“Utapata,” Nasma alisema.
“Na Kito?”
Rashid akasema, “Kito ni mtoto.”
Leila akamwangalia. “Ni beneficiary pia.”
Hilo lilileta ukimya mwingine.
Nasma alijua discussion ya siku hiyo haikuwa imefunga chochote. Ilikuwa imefungua kila kitu.
Yusuf akachukua list ya Rashid.
Nasma alifikiri ataweka mezani upande wa katikati.
Badala yake aliisogeza upande wake.
Akainua macho na kusema, “Kwa hili, mimi niko naye.”
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