Experience is the Best Teacher
No matter how long you live as a thief, you will be caught. For a thief has only forty days, as the Swahili people say, "siku za mwizi ni arobaini." There once lived a young man by the name Bongo, bongo. Bongo, bongo was best known as "ford sail" and others referred to him as "man 'tis." I know some of you are troubled "why ford sail and why man 'tis?" Ford sail he was called for he used his two fingers for pick pocketing and man 'tis for he used his arms for breaking doors and windows, strangling his night time clients especially when robbing.
One morning, he was on his usual morning mission. He had tried and tried but his efforts proved futile. He was about to loose hope when he suddenly saw an old man counting his money in the open. On his side was an old-fashioned phoenix bike. Bongo, bongo was very happy that he broke into a song: "I am a poor man! Who needs some money."
He was thus singing when he heard a bus zooming and the conductor was shouting at every direction, "Kakuma-Lodwar!" He turned to see the old man disappearing at the doorway of the bus. Bongo, bongo followed the old man and entered the bus not minding about the destination and expenses of the bus.
He sat next to the old man. By then old man started sleeping since he was pinned so much in the seat by what they call a safety belt. Bongo, bongo was excited once more to see old man sleeping at the early stage of journey. "Sssssssss, Sssssssss" he performed his usual miracles until old man behaved like a sleepyhead. Bongo, bongo got a chance to empty all the pockets with all the money, the only money in the old man's pockets.
My dear ones, pretenders are worst than murderers. He turned to the business of the seat belt that every one else engaged and pretended to be sleeping with rest of the passengers "Ngooongooo" He himself pretended to sleep. After forty-five minutes, the bus had by passed St. Leo high school. The conductor clicked his fingers and asked for money, "pesa, and pesa, pesa. Money, money, money." He stared with the front seats. When he reached the old man, he checked all the pockets in his clothes. "Mm, Mm Mmmm" He was surprised for he discovered he had no money in the pockets. The old man had tried to explain the condition but the conductor ignored him and threw the old man out with his bike and the bus continued.
My beloved ones, the old man was left alone in the forest just because of money. Surely, if money can grow on the trees, old man could have collected all the leaves from all the trees around and gave it to the conductor. The old man thought about what to do at that particular juncture. He said, "Mmmmm today is today. No way out, I have to exercise the powers of my grandfather. Oh no! He can't do this to me". He took the pump and started filling the bike with pressure, "Sisssi Sisssi" What do you think happened to Bongo, bongo in the bus? Hah! Bongo bongo's stomach swelled corresponding to the old man's pumping and he therefore, had to cry in his mother tongue "Wui ou, Wui ou wui ou". The passengers discovered Bongo, bongo's condition and told the driver to stop the bus. The bus stopped and everybody was shocked with Bongo bongo's stomach. The conductor had asked him if he could rush to the nearby bush and at least ordered for called of nature.
My dear friends, I tell you, this is where hell broke the loose. Bongo, bongo moved like a wounded buffalo and tried but unknown powers locked the doors and windows. Bongo, bongo was powerless and stayed in the bus for one hour and half at a stretch. Another woman amongst the passengers said, "We have to go back to the point where we left the old man. I think his remaining should be the cause of the young man's stomach inflation. Please, let's go." The driver was convinced to go to where they left old man, the driver started the engine and "zoom" drove them to the location. When they arrived, he laughed self-consciously and ran a hand through his thick, grey hair and said, "Hah, Hah! So you have come back?" Moved to Bongo, bongo in the bus. Bongo, bongo was relaxing since the pressure was reducing a little bit. Then old man went straight to him and asked for his money and bongo, bongo denied he had it.
Woo! My dear people, old man said, "Young man, you don't want to bring my money? It's okay. Let's see". He moved toward the bicycle with his pump and had started pumping "Isss issss isssss". Bongo, bongo cried, "wui ou, wui ou, wui ou. Sibu, sibu sibu yakui. [Leave him, leave him, friends.]" All the passengers made the linkage between them to agreed, "Give him his money;" some said and others cried, "Wait, wait-wait, don't pump again, we are talking to him". My dear ones what you think was the response? Of course old man went down on his back and waited for them to talk to him as they struggled with this problem until they saw daylight.
Bongo, bongo was brave young man but a foolish one for he was trying to steal somebody's property. No one, not even the first person to walk on the moon, had attracted a so vast talking and listening audience, but bongo, bongo did. He proved incapable of accepting the truth and gave the money to the owner since his mouth was the only striking feature pulling him back in his memories. So everybody should fear and hate such kind of thieves, more than any thing on earth.
This daylong discussion gave old man a license to stretch his legs and hands for hell of it. Everyone stopped grappling with problems for short time and got out of the bus just to see another development from old man. He took his deadly pump, moved to the location of bicycle in silence and resumed the pumping "Isss issss isss issss." Bongo, bongo did not even cry because the pressure was too much for his small stomach. The stomach became useless like wine dashed with water and for this reason, he surrendered the money to old man and the old man laughed "Aaaah aaaah" and removed the pressure "Shiii shiiiu". Bongo, bongo's condition resumed after a lengthy amount of time. He remained pegged on the seat as he promised not to steal ever again.
- Luala T. Abraham
