Good bye, The festivities

“End year parties”, was all the song playing around as the year drew to a close, telling you that it was already December. Others referred to them as sherehe za Kufunga mwaka. With those who didn’t have them left wondering if they have been thieves all along robbing others, because they heard the company declare a one billion turn-over but its nowhere to be seen. They would have appreciated if they received a little token – say a bar of chocolate.

Holidays are meant to be breath takers, for people to mingle, socialize, network, meet that person you have never spoken to since the year started and many more with so many events happening around the time that rage from baby showers, ruracio’s, weddings, circumcisions, get-togethers…name them.

Over time, things have evolved and December is not like it was back in the days with time giving us this revelation. In the days, we would preserve clothes for the so called December and we would refer them as nguo za christmas. They were well preserved that you wouldn’t want anyone to spoil. Not just clothes, there were also certain foods preserved for the day, to tell you that chapati was the special dish for the day. We also had specific utensils that Mum stored in secret cabinets and were not to be touched, we would refer them to as vyombo vya wageni.

My Dad who then worked in the city would be eagerly awaited as we were assured of some goodies. Packed with him would be biscuits, chocolates, and Christmas clothes. Family gatherings culminated the climax of the holidays with cousins psyched with drama beautifying the occasions.

Revolution and devolution has since happened and everyone now resides in the city. They only exit the city for Ushago only during this time. The travel dynamics differ depending on where one originates. My westerneer friends know how well to do this, usually fully packed they board their old long distance climax buses filling them to the brim, a bus you even wouldn’t want to board because it comes with leaking roofs and sweeps every Omwami residing in the Kawangware slums transferring them to Ingo. Those from the lakeside however board their pricey machinery only to go and pack outside grass thatched houses and wait to receive praises from villagers. Unfortunately, these journeys take upto 3 days because they all converge on the same road that was marked for expansion even before the devil was created, we are not sure when the road will see the light of the day.

On the other hand, the mountaineers have a special way of doing theirs, they get up early on the d – day and lineup their half-baked dudus, on their dualled roads. They return later in the evening or those who try, get to the following day to avoid losing clients for their hardware store located downtown. They are said to carry the country’s economy but they don’t have taste for fancy cars, it is a waste of money, all they prefer is something that gets them to their destination and have the job done.

The festivities are over, we are now on a new year, January is here with us, It is a month with 31days but for majority of us, it has 67 days.

The schools are opening and a folk is reminded of their 3 kids each upgrading to new levels with new requirements. The folk will then remember that insurance dude who tried selling them an education policy back then, and wishing they would have bought it. Well, wishes are not horses, they have to dig their pockets until they hit the rocks below up to the point they locate the water beneath.

The gafment is also reminding them that the team developing the curriculum is not done yet to release the books for the kids because they had gone for a vacation that took longer than usual. The kids will then have to wait for some months before the books are brought to them which will give teachers some time in the staffroom to rethink their career decisions as kids rejoice their absence in class. Also, if your kid happened to have done a national test, please take them back to school, the gafment is still debating on whether to release the results or just throw them away.

At least someone is still trying to put their resolutions down because what they had last year failed to materialize. There are those who will prefer touring the world to buying a plot in Joska. Whichever the case, make your priorities right. I pray that you have a good year and don’t go around loving people you shouldn’t be loving.

Are you still in 2024, please cross over to this other side and remember to switch off the lights as you exit, it’s a sustainability measure that marks you as a responsible human.

Happy New Year 2025.