My focus on the oncoming taxi was terminated by a gentle pat on my shoulder. "Here, you forgot your cell phone sir." The young man handed me my phone. The same uniformed young man had served me with a cocktail that was going to play as my brunch. My peace was yet again distorted by an annoying vibration of my mobile as I attempted to put it in my empty pockets. My curious sight was met with a +25441... number that lay on its display. I swiped my thumb right and a soothing voice echoed in as I rested the cell phone on my ear.
"Josephine KCB Bank Nairobi, Am I speaking to Kenneth?"
"Yes you are. "
"I call to inform you that you've been appointed Provincial Manager, Thika Province."
I tried to feign a serious face not to be understood by the people who stood at the taxi stage being consoled by the tout to be patient with the sunshine. "The next taxi is a few minutes away," he'd said countless times.
It was hard, I couldn't hold it.
"Th-th-thank you." My lips expanded sidewise to give a huge smile.
"Please pick your appointment letter on Monday at the headquarters in Nairobi. Please send your bank account number on our email for purposes of posting your settlement package as soon as possible."
"Alright madam, thank you"
I had applied at KCB six months ago when I had visited my uncle who works in Nairobi. I'd almost forgotten about that annoying interview I had had at their headquarters.
The lady sat adjacent to me on the huge oval mahogany table that shielded me from her wrath. Thin as my necktie, her skin darker than the jacket I wore that day, her questions vexatious like traffic jam back in Kampala. The memory of her hit me hard after the phone call. I'd left the room swimming in a pool of despair but holding onto a minuscule thread of divine providence.
I ambled back to the restaurant, my jaws itching. I could barely conceal my delight. I sat outside the restaurant and sent my bank details to the KCB Bank email address. I then dashed to the stage and got into the taxi that had just arrived. I was too happy to mind the dirty seats of the taxi, the talkative driver was nagging us with his Barcelona and Messi jazz but I loved his breakneck speed. I couldn't wait to break the news to Sandra, my wife.
"Abavayo E Mutungo" the conductor blared into my ears. I gave him the fare as the driver struggled to find parking. My short journey from the main road to our rented room was animated by the bank alert. "KShs 150,000 has been transferred to your account... "This was about five million Uganda shillings; the settlement package the lady had talked about.
Sunshine flooded my soul as I trod the few steps to the gate.
I unlatched the gate and it was rattling sound announced my arrival. About three women peeked at the gate from the outside of their "mizigo" to ascertain if it was their husbands. To their dismay and to mine, it wasn't their husbands. It was Sandra's husband but Sandra wasn't among them. I made my way to our double room house and Sandra was napping on the black couch, tick tack went the clock that hung adjacent to her beautiful closed eyes. I bent down and pecked Sandra, the rolling of her eyes as she got up was telling that my peck was more irritating than romantic.
"Good news dear." I threw my backpack on the centre table.
"Welcome back, what's the good news?"
I've got a job in Kenya. I've received the first pay and we should be moving to Kenya in about three weeks from now."
Her arms were wrapped around my body and her face on my chest.
"Congratulations my love, I'm proud of you."
The programme of how I was going to take a flight in a week's time to pick my appointment and arrange for my family to move to Kenya was running through my mind as I rested on the couch.
I reached for my diary to start planning for the settlement package I had received, then something hit the roof and I woke up. Sandra swung the door open and walked into the bedroom with a grim face. "Breakfast is ready but there's no sugar and bread."
Lord! All this had been a dream and I was still the broke and unemployed Kenneth!