Mteja wa kwanza alimrudishia Nasma invoice bila hata kuifungua vizuri.
Kwenye kona ya juu kulikuwa na maandishi ya kalamu nyekundu:
**TUTALIPA BAADA YA WEEKEND.**
Ilikuwa note ileile aliyokuwa ameiona wiki iliyopita.
Na wiki iliyotangulia.
“Bwana Lameck,” Nasma alisema, “hii ni mara ya tatu.”
Mmiliki wa duka la viungo na bidhaa za jumla akainua mikono kana kwamba anajisalimisha.
“Nasma, mimi sikatai deni.”
“Lakini hulipi.”
“Ninasubiri malipo yangu pia.”
Soko la Kasawe lilikuwa limejaa kelele za asubuhi: magunia yakiburuzwa, watu wakipigana bei, mikokoteni ikisukumwa kwenye njia nyembamba na wauzaji wakitangaza bidhaa zao kwa sauti kubwa kuliko majirani zao. Harufu ya karafuu, samaki waliokaushwa na mafuta ya kupikia ilichanganyika kwenye hewa.
Nasma alisimama mbele ya counter ya Lameck akiwa na folder la invoices mkononi.
“Hii amount ndiyo tuliyopanga kutumia kufunga sehemu ya payroll.”
Lameck akamtazama kwa pole.
“Pole tena kwa Mama yako.”
“Asante.”
“Ndio maana sitaki kukuzungusha. Lakini nikikulipa full leo, mimi siwezi kuchukua stock ya kesho.”
“Unaweza kulipa kiasi gani?”
“Thirty.”
“Asilimia thelathini?”
“Ndiyo.”
“Nusu.”
“Thirty-five.”
Nasma alitaka kusema aache utani.
Lakini alikuwa amejifunza kitu siku chache zilizopita: hasira haiingizi pesa kwenye account.
“Forty leo,” alisema. “Thirty baada ya siku tatu. Balance wiki ijayo.”
Lameck akakataa kwa kichwa.
“Nitashindwa.”
“Nikikata supply, utapata stock wapi?”
“Utanikatia kweli?”
Nasma akanyamaza.
Hilo ndilo tatizo. Alikuwa anakaribia kutumia tishio ambalo halikuwa na uhakika kama angeweza kulitekeleza. KVK ilihitaji customer huyo karibu sawa na customer alivyohitaji KVK.
Akarudisha invoice mezani.
“Sawa. Sitatishia kitu ambacho sijaamua.”
Lameck akamtazama kwa mshangao.
“Thirty-five leo,” Nasma alisema. “Thirty ndani ya siku nne. Balance kwa date tunayoandika hapa. Ukichelewa, order inayofuata inaingia cash-on-delivery mpaka debt ishuke.”
Lameck akakaa kimya, akafanya hesabu kwenye calculator yake.
“Thirty-five na twenty-five.”
“Thirty-five na thirty.”
“Twenty-eight.”
Nasma akacheka kwa mara ya kwanza tangu asubuhi.
“Una-negotiation ya kilo mbili hata kwenye invoice.”
“Ndiyo maana bado niko sokoni.”
Hatimaye walikubaliana thirty-five leo na thirty ndani ya siku nne, balance ikawa na tarehe maalum. Lameck akatoa partial payment na kusaini revised schedule.
Nasma alipokea receipt.
Haikufunga payroll.
Lakini ilikuwa pesa halisi.
Alipotoka dukani, Yusuf alikuwa ameegesha van karibu na loading bay.
“Ulipata?”
“Sehemu.”
“Sehemu gani?”
“Asilimia thelathini na tano.”
Yusuf akakunja uso. “Unamwacha akushikilie pesa zetu.”
“Pesa yetu iko kwenye biashara yake mpaka alipe.”
“Ndiyo maana unatakiwa kuwa hard.”
“Nenda kwa customer wa pili. Uwe hard kwa akili.”
Yusuf akachukua folder yake.
“Nitajua.”
“Usitoe discount bila kuandika.”
“Nasma.”
“Na usim-threaten ku-stop account bila kujua impact.”
“Nilisema nitajua.”
Walitengana.
Nasma akaenda kwa mgahawa mdogo karibu na stendi ya magari. Mmiliki wake, Mama Zuwena, alikuwa anapanga viti wakati Nasma alipofika.
“Nasma, leo siwezi.”
“Umeniona tu.”
“Nimeona folder.”
“Nataka kujua plan.”
Mama Zuwena akamkaribisha akae.
“Saada alikuwa ananipa siku saba za ziada bila kunifokea.”
Nasma alihisi jina la mama likitumika tena kama sarafu.
“Na baada ya siku saba?”
“Nalipa.”
“Hii imefika siku kumi na moja.”
Mama Zuwena akavuta pumzi.
“Last month nilipoteza event order kubwa. Mtu aliyekuwa anipe deposit hakufanya.”
“Ninaelewa.”
“Kwa hiyo…”
“Lakini workers wangu hawalipwi na kuelewa.”
Mama Zuwena akamwangalia.
“Nini unataka?”
“Payment schedule. Leo hata 25%. Siku tatu nyingine. Balance kwa date ambayo unajua unaweza.”
“Na supply?”
“Unaendelea kama schedule inafuatwa.”
Mama Zuwena akamwaga chai kwenye vikombe viwili.
“Nasma, mama yako alikuwa akijua biashara ni watu.”
“Ndio.”
“Usibadilishe kila kitu kuwa numbers.”
Nasma akashika kikombe.
“Na sitaki kila kitu kibaki hisia mpaka payroll ifike.”
Mama Zuwena akatabasamu kidogo.
“Saada angekukasirikia sentence hiyo.”
“Angekasirika halafu angeniuliza amount.”
Wote wakacheka, halafu ukimya mdogo ukaingia.
Mama Zuwena akalipa sehemu na kuweka tarehe ya balance.
Nasma alitoka akiwa na receipt ya pili.
Saa saba, Yusuf hakupokea simu yake.
Saa saba na nusu, alituma ujumbe mmoja:
**Niko kwa Mtoni Foods. Nitasimulia.**
Nasma hakupenda maneno mawili ya mwisho.
Alifika huko mwenyewe baada ya dakika ishirini.
Mtoni Foods ilikuwa restaurant supplier mkubwa zaidi kuliko wateja waliotangulia. Wao walichukua cartons nyingi za mchanganyiko wa pilipili, tangawizi na seasoning kwa kitchens tatu.
Nasma alipofika, alimkuta Yusuf amesimama mbele ya desk ya manager, Bwana Chacha.
“Siwezi kuelewa,” Yusuf alikuwa akisema. “Mmekaa na invoice yetu wiki mbili halafu mnatuambia mnasubiri quality review?”
Chacha akajibu, “Quality na delivery reliability.”
“Hamjawahi kurudisha product.”
“Hatukusema product yote ni mbaya.”
“Basi lipeni.”
Nasma akaingia.
“Yusuf.”
Yusuf akageuka.
“Dada, hawa sasa wameleta story nyingine.”
Chacha akamsalimia Nasma kwa heshima.
“Pole sana kwa Mama Saada.”
“Asante. Naomba tuanze na facts.”
Yusuf akavuta pumzi kwa nguvu.
Chacha akatoa delivery records.
“Batches mbili za mwezi uliopita zilichelewa. Moja siku mbili, moja siku nne.”
Nasma akajua hilo.
Saada alikuwa anaingia hospitali mara kwa mara. Nasma alikuwa akijaribu kuendesha floor na kwenda nyumbani usiku. Orders chache ziliteleza.
“Na quality?”
“Batch moja ilikuwa na color inconsistent. Hatukureject, lakini kitchen yetu ilicomplain.”
“Report?”
Chacha akatoa email iliyochapishwa.
Nasma hakuwahi kuiona.
“Imetumwa kwa nani?”
“Saada na general office.”
Yusuf akasema, “Mama alikuwa mgonjwa.”
“Najua,” Chacha alisema. “Ndiyo maana hatuku-escalate.”
Nasma akamuuliza, “Invoice yetu imeshikwa kwa sababu hiyo?”
“Partly. Pia tumepunguza volume.”
“Kwa kiasi gani?”
Chacha hakujibu mara moja.
Yusuf akaweka mikono mezani. “Hii ni excuse.”
Nasma akasema, “Yusuf, kaa.”
“Usiniambie kaa mbele yao.”
“Basi simama. Lakini tusipoteze customer kwa sababu tunataka kushinda sentence.”
Yusuf alinyamaza, uso ukikaza.
Nasma akamgeukia Chacha.
“Mtalipa nini leo?”
“Forty percent.”
“Na balance?”
“Tukipokea corrective sample na next delivery kwa date.”
“Date gani?”
Chacha akasema.
Nasma akaandika.
“Na volume?”
“Hiyo itategemea sample.”
Yusuf akaingilia, “Kwa hiyo mnashikilia pesa ya delivered goods mpaka tupate order mpya?”
Chacha akatikisa kichwa. “Hapana. Forty leo. Balance ya old invoice ndani ya siku tano ikiwa reconciliation haionyeshi discrepancy. Order mpya ni separate.”
Nasma akasema, “Andika hiyo.”
Chacha akaandika.
Walipokuwa wanatoka, Yusuf alifungua van kwa nguvu.
“Uliwaacha sana.”
“Nimepata forty leo na written balance date.”
“Wametugeuzia quality issue.”
“Na issue ipo.”
“Wangeweza kusema mapema.”
“Ndio. Lakini sisi pia tulichelewa.”
Yusuf akacheka bila furaha.
“Kila place tunaenda, unaona reason ya upande wao.”
“Ninaona reason inayobadilisha cash.”
“Unataka kusema mimi karibu nipoteze customer?”
“Nataka kusema ukitishia kabla hujajua leverage, unaweza kupoteza relationship inayotengeneza pesa.”
Yusuf akafunga mlango wa van.
“Na wewe ukiwa soft sana, watu wanakula pesa yetu.”
“Ndiyo maana tunahitaji terms, sio sauti kubwa.”
Walisafiri kimya kwa dakika kadhaa.
Kabla hawajarudi KVK, Nasma akauliza, “Uliwaambia nini kabla sijafika?”
“Nilisema tukikosa payment tunareview supply.”
“Good. Hiyo ni true.”
Yusuf akamtazama.
“Ulinisubiri nikosee?”
“Hapana.”
“Basi kwa nini ulifika?”
“Kwa sababu hukupokea simu na ulisema ‘nitasimulia’.”
Yusuf akacheka kidogo. “Fair.”
Nasma akampa revised collection form.
“Kesho wewe mwenyewe uta-confirm schedule na Chacha. Sitapiga nyuma yako.”
“Unaamini?”
“Nataka system isitegemee mimi.”
Yusuf akakaa kimya.
Jioni, waliporudi kiwandani, Nasma aliweka receipts zote mezani.
Cash ilikuwa imeongezeka.
Lakini si vya kutosha.
Payroll balance bado ilikuwa na gap.
Supplier invoice bado ilikuwa pale.
Na sasa walikuwa na problem nyingine: customer mkubwa alikuwa amepunguza orders.
Khalfan aliingia baada ya saa moja na kuangalia papers.
“Collections zimesaidia,” alisema.
“Lakini?” Nasma akauliza.
“Lakini kama Mtoni Foods wamepunguza volume, receivables si tatizo lote. Revenue yenyewe imeshuka.”
Yusuf akakaa chini.
“Ni temporary.”
“Labda,” Khalfan alisema. “Lakini lazima tuone trend.”
Nasma alikumbuka namna familia ilivyokuwa imezungumza kuhusu mashine, van na stock kama box la thamani linalosubiri kugawanywa.
Hakuna aliyekuwa ameuliza customer aliyekuwa akiweka orders hizo kila mwezi bado anachukua kiasi gani.
Kesho yake Nasma alirudi Mtoni Foods peke yake kupeleka sample schedule.
Bwana Chacha alifungua ledger ya orders mbele yake.
Akaweka kidole kwenye line ya miezi mitatu iliyopita.
“Kabla ya Mama yako kuugua, nilichukua cartons sitini. Mwezi uliopita nilichukua kumi na mbili.”
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