Thought tide

PART 2:  Into the Theatre, Out with a Daughter. Don't scream. Don't shout. Just breathe. Walk a lot during pregnancy. Hemorrhoids? Don't dare constipate! Those nipples, first baby latch—you will call your mother! You know SIM 2 could give way? Jesus! Your hooha could tear—and girl, the sewing back. 😳 My headspace as I approached labor... Reality... Contractions, ever so intense, so close. Let me tell you, Maina—wueh! When they say teach your child the right path, and they will not deviate from it when they grow up ...they were right. The number of times I called God, Jesus, and all His angels. I recall one prenatal check-up—I was a bit body-conscious. My doctor, sensing this, casually told me, " Shyness will disappear at childbirth. " Look, the way I was pacing in the labor room, my  bottom on display🤭 (BTW, what is it with those open gowns at the back?) Mum whispering to Njeri at some point. No one warned me this pain goes to the brain. I had the...

Part 1:  A Journey Through the Unexpected. A huge swimming pool, a wide-flowing river, and at some point, an ocean. I was in all three — no floater, no attempt to stay on the surface, no panic, no sinking... yet I can’t swim. Those were the images from my recurring dreams, slightly over a decade ago.

  So… the Children Who Wanted to Be Managers—How’s That Going? In my first serious job at a local bank, all I remember is my first manager . Sharp—both in dressing and thinking. Only three staff drove to the office: him, his assistant, and one other person. The rest of us? On foot or by matatu. We were the makers; he and his assistant, the checkers. Ooh, must be nice! That title— manager —was prestigious. At my entry interview, Faith from HR asked me, "Where do you see yourself five years from now?" Imagine me, fresh and blunt, saying: “I want to be a mum.” 🙆🏽‍♀️ Who says that in a bank job interview?! 😏 Well, five years later—I was a mum. Kusema na kutenda! 😂 If they had asked me the same question after I landed the graduate clerk position, I’d probably have said: “I want to be a manager.” Because after a few years observing how powerful these fellas were, that became the dream. Some used their power well. Some, of course, abused it. Like the one w...

A couple of years ago, on an evening walk home, this guy walking from the opposite direction stops and asks with genuine concern, "Are you seriously talking and laughing by yourself?" My mind had a buffet of responses: – Isn’t this a free country with freedom of speech? – Can’t I enjoy my own conversations? – Also, sir, how is this your business? But I simply nodded. He stared at me from head to toe, trying to detect what exactly was off . Fast forward to today. Afternoon. I pass by my bank, hoping to get a short-term loan. I walk up to a lady behind an unnamed desk, not even sure that’s where I needed to be. She was sharply dressed—minimal makeup, perfectly done sisterlocks, glasses completing the corporate slay. Meanwhile, me? In brown boots and a pink fleece jacket. Sun shining. I looked... questionably weather-aware. 😏 In my defence, I left the house early and it was kind of drizzly. Still. She glances at my account briefly and breaks it to me: I don’t quali...

All-Time Question: What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? At seven years old, I believed big buses symbolized power. Ownership wasn’t quite clear to my little mind, but ultimately, I wanted to be a bus driver. That, to me, was the dream. (Quick shoutout to the mathree driver who got me home today cos your playlist,🔥. But kindly, maybe less of the off-road stunts and random overtaking? Life has enough turbulence already. We’re out here trying to get home not looking for stomach ulcers and heart attacks.) Back to dreams. When I was eight, my father took us to the A.S.K. Showground. His main excitement? Grade 1 Friesian cows. Mine? The loud, booming music that filled the air. Honestly, I think it was the first time I heard music that loud and that good. There was this guy behind a "big wired table" (now I know—DJ decks), and he looked like the happiest, most carefree person on earth. Just like that, I dropped my driver ambitions and decided I wanted to be a DJ. Quick ...