Nasma alimwona Bwana Othman kwa mara ya kwanza akiwa ameinama nyuma ya grinder ya kwanza na simu yake ikiwa karibu kabisa na plate ya serial number.
Alisimama mlangoni mwa machine room.
“Samahani,” alisema.
Othman akanyanyuka.
Alikuwa mwanaume wa karibu miaka hamsini, shati jeupe mikono imekunjwa, viatu visivyoonekana kama vya mtu aliyekuja kusimama kwenye unga wa pilipili. Pembeni yake alikuwa Mjomba Rashid. Yusuf alikuwa karibu na mixer.
Othman akatabasamu.
“Ah, wewe ndiye Nasma.”
“Ndio. Na wewe ndiye Bwana Othman?”
“Tumeshazungumziwa.”
“Si na mimi.”
Tabasamu lake lilipungua kidogo.
Rashid akaingilia. “Nasma, usianze vibaya. Amekuja kuangalia tu.”
Nasma akasogea ndani.
“Kuangalia nini exactly?”
“Machines, hali yake, setup.”
“Kwa valuation?”
Othman akasema, “Kwa preliminary sense ya market.”
“Nani amekupa permission kupiga picha ya serial plate?”
Rashid akasema, “Hiyo ni detail ya kawaida.”
Nasma hakumwangalia.
“Bwana Othman?”
Othman akaweka simu mfukoni.
“Kama hamtaki picha, hakuna shida.”
“Hatukukubaliana picha, serial capture au offer inspection.”
Yusuf akasema, “Lakini valuation inahitaji details.”
“Independent valuation ndiyo tulikubaliana.”
Rashid akavuta pumzi.
“Huyu hajaja kusaini sale.”
“Basi iwe rahisi. Hakuna photos. Hakuna serial numbers. Hakuna inspection inayozuia production. Na purpose ya visit iwe wazi.”
Othman akatazama grinder.
“Mimi ni buyer wa equipment, si valuer wa neutral. Kama hilo ndilo swali.”
Machine room ilinyamaza.
Hata Yusuf aligeuka kumwangalia Rashid.
Nasma akasema, “Asante. Sasa tuna fact.”
Rashid akakaza taya.
“Nimesema buyer kwa maana anaelewa market.”
“Ndio. Lakini buyer anayepima asset yake anataka kununua.”
Othman akacheka kidogo.
“Hapo hujakosea.”
Mama Pendo alitokea mlangoni.
“Line isisimame zaidi ya dakika tano,” alisema. “Order inaenda packing saa nne.”
Nasma akatikisa kichwa.
“Bwana Othman, unaweza kuona machines kwa macho ukiwa nje ya safety line. Hakuna plate photos. Hakuna kufungua covers. Kama unataka kutoa market range, unaweza kufanya hivyo bila kuzuia production.”
Rashid akasema, “Unafanya kila kitu kigumu makusudi.”
Nasma akamwangalia sasa.
“Mjomba, workers wawili walikosa shift kwa sababu walidhani machines zinachukuliwa. Huyu ni buyer, sio neutral valuer. Hiyo tofauti ingejulikana jana, hatungeanza na rumor.”
Yusuf akasema, “Lakini information tunayohitaji bado ni price.”
“Ndio. Tupate price. Lakini tusiiite valuation ya neutral.”
Othman akatembea karibu na grinder ya pili bila kugusa.
“Hii ya kwanza ni better condition?” akauliza.
Nasma akasema, “Operationally ndiyo main unit. Ya pili ina heat issue kwenye long continuous batches.”
Yusuf akamwangalia. “Usimpe negotiating weakness zote.”
Othman akatabasamu.
“Mdogo wako ana biashara moyoni.”
Nasma akasema, “Na mimi sitadanganya condition ili nipate price ya juu ambayo baadaye inageuka dispute.”
Walitembea mpaka sealing machines.
Othman akauliza age, throughput na availability ya parts. Nasma alijibu pale alipojua, na alipokuwa hajui alisema hajui. Mama Pendo aliendelea kusimamia line bila kuingia kwenye family debate.
Baada ya dakika ishirini, Othman akaomba wakae kwenye office.
Rashid alionekana kuridhika. Yusuf alikuwa makini.
Othman akatoa karatasi iliyokunjwa kutoka folder yake.
“Nimeona enough kutoa range.”
Nasma akasema, “Range ya nini?”
“Grinder zote mbili, mixer na sealing machines.”
“Package offer?”
“Ndio.”
Rashid akasema, “Sikiliza kwanza.”
Othman akataja amount.
Yusuf aliinama mbele.
Nasma hakusema kitu.
Amount hiyo ilikuwa chini kuliko replacement cost ambayo angeitarajia kwa equipment mpya. Lakini ilikuwa kubwa kuliko gap ya cash ambayo walikuwa wakibishania kwa siku kadhaa. Ilikuwa pesa inayoweza kufunga supplier, payroll, ada ya Leila, deposit ya Yusuf—na bado kubaki kitu.
Hiyo ndiyo ilifanya offer iwe hatari.
Si kwa sababu ilikuwa ndogo.
Kwa sababu ilikuwa large enough kuonekana kama solution.
Yusuf akauliza, “Payment timeline?”
Othman akasema, “Tukikubaliana inspection kamili na ownership documents, naweza kutoa deposit ndani ya masaa ishirini na nne. Balance baada ya collection.”
Nasma akamuangalia Yusuf.
“Deposit yako ya gari ni siku ngapi?”
Yusuf hakufurahia swali hilo mbele ya Othman.
“Sio relevant kwa buyer.”
“Ni relevant kwa family pressure.”
Rashid akasema, “Nasma, usitumie personal need ya Yusuf kumfanya aonekane selfish.”
“Sifanyi hivyo.”
Othman akainua mikono. “Mambo ya family si yangu.”
“Exactly,” Nasma akasema. “Na ndiyo maana hatufanyi decision hapa.”
Othman akakaa nyuma.
“Offer range nimeleta. Mnaweza kuitumia kama market signal.”
Yusuf akauliza, “Unaweza kununua machine moja tu?”
Nasma akageuka.
“Yusuf.”
“Ninauliza data.”
Othman akasema, “Inawezekana. Lakini package ndiyo inanipa efficiency ya transport na resale.”
“Grinder moja?”
Othman akataja range ndogo.
Yusuf akafanya hesabu haraka kichwani.
Nasma alijua anachohesabu.
Deposit ya gari.
Supplier.
Cash ya kugawana.
Rashid akasema, “Unaona? Hatuzungumzi kufunga kampuni. Tunaweza kuuza asset moja isiyo critical.”
Nasma akauliza, “Ipi si critical?”
“Ndiyo tunapaswa kujua.”
“Buyer ndiye atatuambia?”
“Hapana. Operations itatuambia.”
“Basi ndio maana tunahitaji independent valuation plus dependency map.”
Rashid akapiga meza kwa kidole.
“Kila process yako inaishia kwenye wewe kusema bado.”
Nasma akavuta pumzi.
“Basi tuweke process ambayo haihitaji mimi kusema mwisho.”
Kimya kilikaa.
Yusuf akamwangalia.
Nasma akaendelea.
“Family ichague valuer ambaye si buyer. Khalfan atoe accounts. Mama Pendo atoe machine-use schedule. Mimi nitaonyesha production dependencies. Yusuf alete market alternatives na rental costs. Leila apate copy ya summary. Kisha decision iwe ya council, si yangu.”
Rashid akasema, “Na hii offer?”
“Ikae mezani kama offer. Si valuation.”
Othman akatikisa kichwa. “Hilo ni sahihi.”
Rashid akamwangalia kwa kukasirika kidogo.
Othman akacheka. “Mimi nataka kununua kwa bei nzuri kwangu. Sitajifanya neutral.”
Yusuf akauliza, “Offer yako ina validity?”
“Ndio.”
“Nini?”
“Kesho jioni.”
Nasma alihisi room ikibadilika.
Deadline nyingine.
Rashid akasema, “Unaona? Market haisubiri process zenu zote.”
Nasma akajibu, “Na hofu ya deadline haifanyi decision iwe nzuri.”
Yusuf akasema, “Lakini inaweza kufanya opportunity ipite.”
“Ndio.”
“Na hiyo ndiyo cost ambayo unakubali sisi tubebe?”
“Hapana. Ndiyo cost tunayopaswa kuandika pamoja.”
Mama Pendo akafungua mlango.
“Line inahitaji grinder ya kwanza sasa.”
Nasma akasimama.
“Bwana Othman, visit imeisha kwa leo.”
Rashid akaonekana kama atasema kitu, lakini Othman tayari alikuwa anakunja karatasi.
Walitoka office na kurudi machine room.
Operator akawasha grinder. Sauti yake nzito ikajaza eneo.
Nasma alimtazama Othman akiangalia machine ikifanya kazi.
“Hii ndiyo operational dependency ninayosema,” alisema.
Othman akajibu, “Na mimi ndiyo maana ninainunua. Machine inayofanya kazi ndiyo ina market.”
Yusuf akacheka kidogo, lakini Nasma hakufanya hivyo.
Gate ilipofunguliwa kwa Othman kuondoka, worker wawili waliokuwa packing waliangalia kutoka mbali. Rumor ilikuwa sasa imekuwa mtu halisi aliyekuwa ametembea ndani ya kiwanda.
Nasma akamwambia Mama Pendo, “Update ya leo: buyer visited; no sale signed; independent valuation process inaanza.”
Mama Pendo akasema, “Watu watataka kujua offer.”
“Offer ni family financial detail, si worker operational notice.”
“Good. Nilikuwa nakupima.”
Nasma akamwangalia kwa mshangao.
Mama Pendo akatabasamu na kurudi line.
Rashid alikuwa nje gate akisubiri usafiri.
Nasma alimfuata.
“Mjomba.”
“Umenidhalilisha mbele ya mtu niliyemleta.”
“Sikutaka.”
“Ulimzuia kupiga picha kama mwizi.”
“Nilizuia information collection ambayo family haikukubaliana.”
“Ni grinder, Nasma.”
“Ni grinder ambayo watu wanafanya kazi nayo na family inabishania kuiuza.”
Rashid akatikisa kichwa.
“Dada yako alijenga hii kampuni kwa kufanya maamuzi, si committees.”
“Na labda ndiyo maana sasa tunatafuta records kwenye vichwa vya watu.”
Rashid aliumia na sentensi hiyo; Nasma aliona.
Hakujua kama alikuwa amevuka mstari.
Rashid akasema chini, “Usitumie kifo chake kushinda hoja.”
Nasma akajibu, “Situmii. Ndiyo ninachojaribu kuzuia sisi wote kufanya.”
Usafiri wake ulifika.
Kabla hajapanda, alisema, “Independent valuer sawa. Lakini market offer hii inaweza isiwepo baada ya kesho.”
“Nimeelewa.”
Yusuf alibaki gate baada ya Rashid kuondoka.
“Unajua amount ile ingenitoa kwenye deposit problem yangu.”
“Ndio.”
“Na ingemaliza supplier.”
“Ndio.”
“Na payroll.”
“Ndio.”
“Basi unawezaje kuiona na kusema tusubiri?”
“Kwa sababu namba kubwa mezani haijaniambia tutatengeneza order ya next month kwa nini.”
Yusuf akasema, “Labda kampuni haitakiwi kuishi kwa gharama yoyote.”
Nasma akamwangalia.
“Labda. Lakini hiyo ni decision ya tofauti na panic sale.”
Yusuf hakujibu.
Jioni, Othman alituma offer kwa email ya KVK.
Khalfan aka-forward kwa family group bila comment.
Nasma aliisoma tena.
Amount hiyo ilikuwa tempting zaidi ikiwa imeandikwa rasmi.
Chini yake kulikuwa na mstari mmoja wa validity.
Kesho saa kumi na mbili jioni.
Saa tano usiku, Othman alimtumia Yusuf ujumbe wa mwisho ambao Yusuf aliwaonyesha wote mezani.
**Offer range remains open until tomorrow evening.**
Othman akakunja karatasi yake na kusema, “Bei hii ipo hadi kesho jioni tu.”
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