Santa Claus ?

I know it has been a while since I posted anything. Life happened and/or is happening. Of late though, I have been having this urge to just tell my stories. Interestingly, I get very specific stories highlighted in my memory to tell. 

Do you know that week/ season between christmas day and New Year's? ..... this story is set in one of the years when I was single and living alone and it was that time of the year. I decide to go to town to do some shopping just for fun. I remember I was just buying comfort food and things that would pick-me-up. I put my small shopping in my bagpack and I was enjoying a stroll in the empty streets of Nairobi city. 

I was deep in my thoughts walking towards the stage where I would take a matatu. As I was strolling and enjoying my solitude, I noticed a really posh car. The car seemed to be doing a stroll with me, honking and strolling. I wish my knowledge of cars was that good, I admit I lack in this,  otherwise, I would have given you a better description of the car; I just remember it was either black or navy blue and its windows were rolled down.  

First instinct is to actually bend and see which ones of my friends has God blessed like this? Nop, I don't know this person. I look again, because well, I may have forgotten the face, it could be a client, or someone who knows me from somewhere, I did not want to be rude 😇. The second peep confirms that I actually do not know this person. Unlike me though, the car is forced to move because other drivers are not strolling with their cars in town. The driver takes off and to my amazement in a few minutes the car is strolling next to me again. The car honks and the windows are still down and the driver is trying to talk to me this time. 

Since I don't want to miss out, remember there is nothing i am doing with my life,  I bend to listen in. 

Driver: Can I take you home?

Me: No, thank you. I am going to take a matatu for that.

The car does another round. Let me paint the picture for you . I am walking from  the then Nakumatt Lifestyle, I am walking towards Odeon. At that moment I was walking towards Kenyatta Avenue. Do you now get the picture of how the car was quickly doing rounds after Kenyatta avenue, goes down to Nation Centre and somehow comes back and finds me walking up towards Kenyatta Avenue. 

Another round. 

Driver: Let me take you home

Me: No, thank you. Why though? 

Driver: Let me be that matatu. You will pay me.

Me; Are you sure? 

Driver : Yes. Where are you going?

Me: Waiyaki way 

Driver: Get in, I will take you.

He has to speed off again because cars are honking. He goes round and comes back again. 

This time, I am incined to give in. I do a quick text to a friend of mine who understands my crazy. 

I ask him though, "Are you a serial killer?" He assures me he isn't. Not that I took his word for it but oh well! 

I jump in this dreamy car. He relaxes now and starts driving towards Waiyaki Way. 

He does most of the talking. Tells me about his family, He is a father of 4 girls, they are all over the world. I am busy not listening because I am trying to figure out his angle. He talks about how he doen't have someone to talk to and he was just out taking a drive. 

He then asks me where I live, I mention a name he has never heard and its his time to panic. he even asks, where is that. I ask him how far he has gone on Waiyaki Way. He says ABC Place. Talk about people from different worlds. He didn't know Kangemi, Waruku, Thiong'o, kabete, Uthiru.... Anyway, he asks me whether I have had dinner. I tell him that's what I have in my bag and I am going to relish it when I get to the house. 

He decides to stop at Oil Libya just before ABC place. I figure this guy will either dump me  or ask for his 'pay' there. He enters the mini-shop and after a few minutes comes out with a large pizza and the biggest ice cream they have. He passes them on to me when he comes back and says that's my dinner. 

Of course, I am now excited because.. food! He asks me to give him directions from there. I am the one doing the talking here and there because, Waiyaki way surely, there are no directions to give, just go straight LOL! Anyway, this guy drops me  at Uthiru junction because if he were to go any further he wouldn't figure out his way back to the highway. See what i was talking about? 

Then he gave me his number, didn't ask for mine. I appreciated him and thanked God I made it home alive with hot food. My week of nothingness was MADE! 

I did get to experience a black santa! Why did i tell this story?  Because if you have lived in this Nairobi, you also have issues believing this story to be true and all there was.