1 AT MY MUMS` PLACE

Irine is a 20 year old girl living with her mother in an old grass-thatched two-room house where the kitchen and sitting room is in one room and the bedroom for her mum at a slum here in Eldoret Kenya. These slums are congested such that when the neighbor's stretches their arms one may proceed to the other house.She had friends Njeri and Mwaniki in the village whom they used to keep her company all along. They grew up as street children because every time you could find them in the litter disposal area trying to look for something to eat because life was really hard surviving with that old granny in the house. For that long period, she grew up knowing that the granny is her real biological mother and she also treated her as her daughter. It's a chilly morning she woke up from her bed; stones raised to a certain level covered with grass and animal skin (Ngozi) which she used to sleep on with ragged finished clothes sewed together used as a blanket.

She woke up trying to call out 'mum…' 'Mum…' nobody answered she puts on her torn shoes, her big thumbs could peep and tell her good morning as well. She knelt prayed the morning prayers ready for a new day. She went to her mother's room and mum was not there, she took a cup of water and washed her face with the little water she got from the pot. She went outside to find out where her mum had gone. Outside she found her friends as usual (niaje Njeri and Mwaniki) this is the local language they always use in the village for teenagers like her meaning good morning. Then she asked them have you seen my mother? They told her they hadn't seen her.

She didn`t worry much since her mum was well when they slept yester night and she hopefully knew maybe she had gone to fetch water since they used to fetch water from a far place and one needed to wake up early to get the water because the borehole could dry up any time of the day. As they were still talking with her friend's, from a distance she could see her mum. She saw her coming with a pot of water on her head. She ran and helped her carry the pot back home. As they were coming she noticed that mum started developing some cough, it didn't bother her and she thought maybe it's just a morning cold.

They arrived home and started by lighting the jiko this is a source of heat using charcoal they used to cook food. She prepared some strong tea and she welcomed mum for the breakfast. They always used the ugali left the previous night as a snack in the morning. They had their breakfast as her mom encouraged her how she ought to be strong in this world. "My daughter I know this world is not good at all nobody is fair to anyone please when I will leave you since I am growing old just know that this world is not good please do not trust anyone." For a moment there was silence in the house then she asked her mum why she was telling her all those things that time. Then her mum told her never mind it was just a piece of advice from the elderly granny. She never bothered because she was just a child but she considered it and told mom that she had heard what she was told. She went out to pick some tree branches which they used as a broom to clean the house.

You could imagine how their house looked like. Up in the roof sooth were all over making their decorated ceiling board black. She did her daily house chores and left her mum in the house to hang out with her friends. As usual, they went to the litter disposal area and picked out some plastics and metals which they used to sell as a scrub to get something so that as the day ended they had some little money her friends also were total orphans they were living as street children she was the provider to them. Sometimes her and her mother could invite them for dinner or lunch, the good thing is that they worked hard to make sure by the end of the day they had eaten and left with little money for the next day's budget. Irine came back home with a bag of flour for the dinner and some kales they used to call Sukuma. "Hello mum Hodii" Hodii means can I come in in the African language she whispered as she approached the door to their house many people were coming back to their homes from their daily chores. Mum welcomed her opened the door for her. She had boiled some water to cook Ugali.

She started by chopping the vegetables as mum cooked the Ugali. It was now late in the evening mum told her to bring the lamp koroboi from the kitchen to the sitting room. That was a bottle where paraffin is filled inside and a wick is dipped and lighten it was used as a source of light. She did as she was told and they were now in the sitting room where they call it her bedroom since she used to sleep there. They ate dinner people were moving outside, dogs barking, drunkard people making lots of noise. It was not a conducive place to live but what could they have done? They had no other option. After taking their supper mom read some bible verses and gave her words of encouragement she told her to pray and they rested in their beds.

A new dawn has come, Irine woke up earlier this day. She took the pot and went to the borehole. She wanted to surprise her mum, so she came faster cleaned the house and started preparing breakfast. She boiled mum some water so that when she wakes up she will find it in the bathroom to take a shower. All was ready when she called out "Mum Surprise wake up and see what your daughter has done today" no response! She called out again louder "Mum!" Mother seemed not to wake up. It was almost 10 o`clock and mum hadn't woken up. For a moment she was shocked, she had to go to her bed to wake her up physically. "Mum wakes up it's almost eleven o'clock!" as she shook her, mum didn't respond butterflies started flying in her stomach her mum was cold, her eyes were closed and nothing seemed functioning. For once she screamed making the sooth in their roof vibrate and fall. Neighbors from all over ran to their house.

Panting, "My mother is not waking up!" She was trembling and sweating because she was so afraid of what could have happened to her mum. Father Elkanah the catholic priest of their church used to have a car, her mum was laid in the car, covered with a blanket and she accompanied her with some neighbors to the hospital. They went through the emergency door she could see her mum laid on the stretcher nurses pushing them inside the hospitals. Tears ran down her cheeks as she saw the emergency door being closed. Father Elkanah accompanied them inside the hospital. After some time he came back weeping and she told me, "be strong little girl" She couldn't help as he told her more and more tears fell down her cheeks till her blouse was wet then he hugged her and whispered, "I'm sorry your mother has rested!" for a moment Irine thought she was dreaming she couldn't believe her ears What! She fell on father Elkanah's feet she screamed, cried and rolled down on the floor thinking how and what happened to her lovely mum. Father held her up and told her to be the strong God is always there for her. Her neighbors, her and father Elkanah got into the car and they came back home she was so afraid weak, and depressed, father took her to his house her neighbors went back to their homes. She was now left with Elkanah the father till late in the night when his wife prepared dinner for them she had lost her appetite, she was angry, still crying, she also had a headache her voice had disappeared she was in her world. Father told her to have a little bit of the dinner but she couldn't she told him she was okay and just needed some rest. Those who took dinner took dinner were done. They read some encouragement verses and they prayed it was time to go to bed. She was given a room where she was accompanied by father Elkanah's daughter.

She laid herself in the bed covered herself ready to sleep and the lights were switched off. Everybody was ready to sleep. It was late around midnight, she had not slept. She had no sleep in her eyes and she was awake till then. The door was opened slowly she saw an image of a human being, it looked like a woman in an image of her mom. She was afraid she started shaking and moved towards the wall. Irine was hallucinating she told her "don't be afraid I am your mother. I just wanted to tell you to be strong I am gone but you will live my dear girl God is always there to protect and take good care of you." This were the words she could hear from her hallucination. Then the image was out of sight what! What is going on am I dreaming? She asked herself lots of questions cris crossed her mind she decided to call out Mum…..! In no time father, Elkanah came puzzling "what is it, daughter?" She told him her mother was there some seconds ago. Not really your mum is in hospital she can't be here! But she insisted she saw her. Father knew that her mind was depressed she might have been hallucinating. It was around three o'clock in the morning they had to wake up and went to the sitting room they stayed awake till early the following morning. Elkanah's wife talked to her since that time till morning when she was at least settled up in her mind she had to agree and accept the fact that her mum is dead and she should be strong and move on with life.

Another dawn when Father Elkanah was making a program on how the funeral would be done. They went back to where Irine lived. People gathered there with the making the program on how the burial shall be conducted. People came from different houses. They held a small Harambee this is the small contribution usually done to help someone bereaved. The Harambee was done and some amount of money was raised to gather for the function. Father Elkanah was the programmer and he told the congregation that in the meantime he would take care of the little girl till everything is in place. The event was over when Irine was taken back to father Elkanah's house with his wife. The wife drove her and the daughter back to their home. They left Father behind she was with some elders of the village organizing what and how the funeral program would run. It was almost three days she had stayed eith the family of Elkanah, it was on Wednesday and the funeral day finally came since they lived in slums there was a cemetery where her mother could be buried just some kilometers from the village. She dressed on a black dress ready to be taken to the church for the sermon before burial. They boarded the car direct to the church. Irine was holding the portrait of her mum. Tears were falling on this portrait. She stayed in the front seat with this family as other members gathered in the church. In no time the program began people were singing sorrowful songs people were crying and whenever she could raise her head she always met with a sorrowful face every one was in tears. She took the portrait and place it on the coffin. Her mum's coffin was brought forward to the priest. The coffin was pure white with some golden decoration on the sides it was laid on the table. "Is this my mother laying inside this coffin wouldn't she just wake up that I see her smile again?" This were the question Irine kept asking herself.

The sermon was over and the people were heading to the cemetery people were crying and weeping. They arrived at the grave she could see some men preparing the grill to lay down her mum in the grave. The priest took out his bible and read a verse "Remember You are Dust and to Dust, You Shall Return" she saw her mum being lowered slowly into the grave she was given some soil from a spade she took a handful and poured them to her mum's coffin she couldn't help, she fell on her knees and cried, "mother why have you left me..?" She was taken a distance from the grave people were burying her mom scoops of soil from the spade were used to bury mum. She had to accept the fact that her mum is gone.

At Father Elkanah's home. He treats Her now as a daughter of his, Irine was missing her slum life she had not lived in a house like that where there was electric power, there was Television, a house build cement and concreate where food was brought to a different room called the dining. What! This kind of life was too high for her and she told father that she was missing her home and would wish to go back there to live her own life. Father was shocked to hear that and he begged her to stay and live with them. Irine was somewhat pig headed and told him that she will manage to live by herself. Father, had nothing to do but he promised to be coming frequently to check on her. He gave her some foodstuff to start life with and some little amount of money to sustain her for the time being. She came back home, she mingled with her friends and she was happy having them again. She had piece of mind for a moment because she always enjoyed living on her own and doing her things.

Life began back there she used to wake up very early in the morning, knowing that no one will support her and she had to look on her own. She had to feed herself and make her life better. It was that her Njeri and Mwaniki went back to their roots where they used to go and pick some metals and carton boxes which could be recycled. They could sell them and earn some money which could feed them. Life was really tough having no parents and finding a life to live. It was until this time when they were having fun telling each other stories. One of her friends asked a question; "and where are our parents? As for you Irine at least you know your mother died what of us who even don't know how we came into being, we are just street children!" Then she thought yes, her mother is dead and where is her father? She had that urge of knowing who and where her father was.

It was noon when they decided that they should look for something to eat, they went to mama Chapo a small business woman who used to sell good chapatis and beans. They took their lunch there, they paid and came back to their normal chores. Evening came and everyone went back to their shelters. At night when she had prepared her dinner and was resting in her so-called bed, many thoughts and questions were flowing in her mind. This time she wanted to know where her father was. He can help her out of this life. She thought maybe she should ask her neighbors if at all they might have known the whereabouts of her dad. Early the following morning she woke up, took her breakfast and went out on her daily work. On the way she met this neighbor known by the name Fatuma. "Good morning Irine" She whispered. "Good morning too Fatuma" she responded they had a small talk and she thought maybe she should ask her that question. "Fatuma there's something which I would like to ask you and if you won't mind you can answer me." Irine told her. "Yes please" "I would like to ask you about my father's whereabouts since you are the only person I can rely on this information. We have lived as neighbors for a very long time." There was silence for a moment then she cleared her throat Irine knew she has now the full information about the father. "Irine sorry to tell you this but I have no idea of your father's whereabouts but let me share this story. "Your Mum whom we buried last week was not your biological mother." What! She was shocked how she is in this world and her parents were not there. Fatuma told her that her real mother gave birth to her and due to a lot of bleeding, she passed on when she just stepped on this world. That the mother who took good care of her till she rested was the sister to her mum. She was given authority to look after her since they were only two daughters her grandmother gave birth to.

She couldn't tell her this because it was too sudden that she passed away. Irine was confused and shocked. Her mouth was numb had nothing to say. She went straight to the cemetery where her mum was buried, knelt down and started crying and praying. "Mum why did this happen before you told me about my parents? Whom shall I ask all this story of my life?" Irine cried and laid down on the grave for about thirty minutes. While she laid down, she heard the sound of a car from a distance she stood up and saw a car coming it was father Elkanah and was accompanied by another man inside the car.