You can Never Lose What is Yours

The streets were busy as usual. People milled about the streets. Some were in a hurry- perhaps they were eager to get home. Others were in groups laughing loudly, seemingly without a care in the world, a number of couples passed by, holding hands, looking all lovey-dovey. "Mtaachana tu..." said Beatrice to no one in particular. I laughed at that statement remembering how she had said that of the last relationship I was in, and true to her words, we parted ways. 

Beatrice and I were standing on Ngimana Street in front of Noinu Wichnor House. We were waiting for akina Mwash to come back. They had gone to the candy shop to buy snacks. Why they couldn't wait to buy them from the canteen in school was beyond me. And why we didn't just go as a group is another story altogether. They had left us with their bags, so we looked like we were travelling. And considering it was a Friday morning, I guess, a curious onlooker would have concluded that we were indeed travelling. But in essence, those bags just contained laptops, notebooks and pens.For the bourgeouis among us, there were pencil pouches. Ahem! We were going for a discussion. Law school; whoever told us to get in forgot to tell us about the stress that comes before the money. Anyway, there we were; two young ladies enjoying the warm sun, discussing everything and anything, then out of nowhere a group of four ladies comes and relieves us of the bags we were carrying.

It was like a bad dream. Everything was in slow motion. Those ladies even had the audacity to open the bags while we watched and stole our friends' valuables. I tried to shout at the guard across from us to come and help us, but he seemed to be glued to the spot. Even the Kenyans who passed by just seemed too busy that day, and were minding their own business. It's funny that occurs, when you require just the opposite to happen. I had my laptop in my backpack, and it somehow escaped the eyes of these thieves. Clearly, our screams were not helping and the young ladies made a run for it. Now, I don't know why when I was being robbed I did not have strength to fight, but when those ladies ran away, it is like I had allowed the heart-shaped herb to restore the powers of the Bleck Penther. [You must read that in Zuri's voice. If you didn't go back and re-read it. Lol] I ran after those ladies, past buildings, across a highway, into alleys, and just before one of them got into their hideout, I got hold of her.

Lo and behold! Their hideout was near the Police Station. Interesting. I thought. How lucky can a girl get? All I needed to do is get a Police Officer to threaten these young ladies and the stolen items would be recovered. Or so I thought. Little did I know that even in my dreams, I would face the incompetence prowess of the investigations of the Kenyan Police. I went in and found a Police Officer. I told him what transpired, pointed to the lady who was now trying to break free by attempting to bite me, and the guy told me to go next door, where I would get a form to fill and would get assistance. I was quite puzzled, because, he was all the assistance I needed, but because I have never before been in a Police Station, I sighed and did as I was told. Next door, I saw a familiar face. Thank God! Things seemed to be looking up for me. It was my boss for a couple of months as I interned at an NGO. He showed me what to do, so I left the suspect with him, as I proceeded to yet another wooden structure, where I was told I would find a Police Officer to help me. Mind you, time is not on my side, whatever hope I had of getting the stolen items is going, but still, I proceeded.

In this room, I saw a retired Police Officer who I had met at a conference. With him was a senior advocate. As much as I was delighted to meet the senior counsel, I had bigger fish to fry. I told this old friend, well, he's old, but that's not the point, of my predicament. He knew what to do. Just when he was going to go and do that intimidation thing the Police usually do, I saw the suspect I had apprehended joining a group which had formed a semi-circle. My former boss was walking towards us. Turns out that little girl, yes, she was little, managed to sneeze and somehow bite my boss, and thus got away. Just before I could reach the group of thieves, they were dismissed and went on their way. They zoomed past me, and when I looked ahead, I saw my family; aunties, uncles, parents. They were the ones who had gathered these crooks together, yet they had not recovered the stolen items. I just broke down and cried. I got a panic attack, even. 

"Wait...wait...wait...eti whaaaat? Mariam, you broke down and cried?" asked Sarah. She had been a good sport, listening to my story, and just when it was ending is when she chose to disrupt. "Yes, I cried. I can't explain why I cried, it was a dream, si you let me finish so that I can tell you why I have told you all this. "Haya basi...go ahead. Don't let me stop you." said Sarah. I stuck my tongue out at her and then continued.

I am bawling out. I can't breathe. I would have landed a Hollywood role, or at least a Naija one with the way my knees dramatically touched the ground, as I was heaving. Beatrice came out of nowhere and tried to comfort me, but I was inconsolable. I said it was all my fault. I should have done more, been more vigilant. I was to blame. Then I woke up. And the first thing that came into my mind was Ken, and how he wasn't meant to be mine, and I should just let him go.

"Chic... you got all that from a dream. Now you're being dramatic!" said Sarah, sipping on her lemonade. We were at Pepinos. I had called for an emergency meeting because of this revelation. I would have ignored it, were it not for the fact that we were praying for this guy to be the One, and now out of nowhere, I had had this dream. It couldn't be just coincidence. "How else would you explain my stuff not getting stolen, but those in my possession were?" I quipped. "You can never lose that which is rightly yours."

"Aaaaiii!!! But still...so you woke up thinking about Ken, and then what?" asked a disbelieving Sarah. "You don't understand. I woke up with him in my mind, then I felt a sense of peace, a calm that even though Ken isn't my husband, it's okay. That he isn't mine, wasn't mine to begin with, and I should not be afraid to let him go. Even you know I have never had a dream like that. I believe God spoke to me through this dream." I said, flustered that she was not seeing my point. I knew it was crazy, but surely it had to mean something. The dream was a bit off from the revelation, but what were the odds of it being true? 

"Anyway, I shall not make any rash decisions. You just know that this happened, na tukiachana I shall just say I told you so." I said laughing.