AND SO, JOSHUA WORKS

 AND SO, JOSHUA WORKS 

Doors can be heard opening from different places in the area. Joshua King'ori looks at his watch again. It's 4.30 am in the morning, the usual time he leaves the house for work. Dutifully, the wife was already up earlier and prepared breakfast for him, black tea with sweet potatoes. He walks out the street and the wife locks the door behind him. Mondays are relatively harder than the other days. Considering that he doesn't work on Sundays, meant that Saturday earnings needed to take care of Sunday and Monday. Sometimes, the couple made Sundays special for the children. Talk of eggs, bread and milk tea. The kids always looked forward for Sundays. Mondays were thus hard and troubled. No milk. No sugar sometimes and most times, No bus fare to the place of work. The wooden door of their house faced a walk path and so they could hear footsteps outside the whole day which only reduced into the deep hours of the night. They occupied 2 of the six one roomed plot. One room was for the bigger Kids. Their first born Mike was already 22 years and already going to industrial area to get casual jobs. Tabitha, the second born was 19, already completed form 4 looking out at what to do but many times helping the parents run their businesses. Daniel, the third born was 17 in form 2 at Kianyaga high school in Kirinyaga county. He was rarely home. Most of the times when schools closed, he went to visit the grandparents who were a walking distance away. Hellen, their fourth born was then in class eight waiting to sit her KCPE examination at the end of the year. David was the 5th born. Then in class 5. The last born, Ruth was only 3 years. Their home was in Kibera line saba and this Monday, Joshua had to walk to his place of work. He had a small stand near Nyayo stadium where he used to sell mostly sodas, cigarettes, cakes and snacks. His place was very popular for lunch hour bites and smokers on short smoking breaks. The business was doing as well as to afford to pay rent for the 2 rooms and to pay school fees for all the kids. The wife also gave him a hand from her grocery shop near their home. The family was close knit and would spend long hours into the night talking especially on weekends. They would also talk about their challenges, assist each other with ideas or just laugh off their otherwise economic challenged life. So, Joshua walks towards the railway line along which he must walk to Mbagathi way then downwards towards Nyayo stadium. There are already many men walking the same direction. Along the way he hears screams and arguments of probably a couple fighting. This was very common in the area. Joshua would more than once find a woman in the streets with bags and small kids this early morning, probably sent out of their house by the husband and father. After an hour's walk. Joshua opens business, the early cigarette customers begin tripping in. His prayer was always that he would have a better day than yesterday. And so, Joshua works. 

@Stephen Mungai