Harambee Literary Prize 2022

 Picture this, It’s 60 years into the future. I'm seated in my rocking chair with a glass of smoothie, making the ‘vruuu vruu’ sounds with the straw. Also wondering why my children were so lazy to make new faces since their offsprings look the same in my eyes. My great-grandchildren are seated next to me listening to my unending stories about that time I went to Wakanda. 

As my children tour the ranch with their father, a grandchild approaches “grandma, we are thinking of doing a sitting room makeover for you”.  I narrow my eyes at her, keeping in mind that they undid my entire kitchen the other time. 

But then, I recall the trouble I caused landlords in this Nairobi, the way I painted and re-painted their houses, the DIY crafts on the walls and the holes I made for my climbing plants. aha! God pays back in cash with interest..now these ones are ten times my creativity. So I agree. 

She calls the others and they start telling me about the new paint colors;cockroach brown, global-warming yellow, Robot grey, and ooh! the popular one “depleting ocean sand white”. Biko! I'm too old for these colors, so I let them choose. Ghafla bin vuu! chairs are moving, and the smell of paint is in the air.  Then the other one, the president one, fine fine grandchild disrupts my storytelling session..”grandma, can we move your memory corner to the hallway?”. 

Na vau nivo tukakosania (we will disagree there😂). Let me tell you, the memory corner has my awards; the Harambee Literally Prize, the one from the president of Guatemala, the exotics
from the queen of Wakanda among others.  I will then look at him to confirm he is serious.. then pout my mouth like I'm about to say the “Mu” and place my left hand on the lips and wail “they want to finish meeee!”… I will clap my hands and continue wailing until their grandpa appears in sight.  Then he will diplomatically ask where the issue is.. then tell them to return the memory corner items exactly where they found them. Then he will look at me with raised brows. I will then pretend that, that didn't just happen as we both sink our weary bones into the rocking chairs. Smoothie in hand, I will tell my great-grandchildren about Covid-19 and the way I slew the giant while participating in the Harambee Literary prize. ahaa! those ones will hear stories.