THE JOSHUA'S UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH

 THE JOSHUA'S UNPRECEDENTED GROWTH

The next three years presented unprecedented success for Sebuleni restaurants. The first two branches had grown in all aspects. More customers, higher profits, more employees and improved business outlook. Sebuleni had included qualified Chefs as part of their team which improved the overall quality and variety of the foods on offer. Tabitha had graduated like two years ago and with her knowledge in Food processing, she brought new ideas that increased variety of food offers consequently reducing costs, as well as increased profits. Notable was milk products like Joghurts, ice cream, maziwa Mala, soups and fresh juices. They were an instant hit with customers and typical of Sebuleni restaurants. In the same period of time, the business had opened four more branches, in Makutano, Thika, Kiambu and Ngara, bringing the total number of branches to six. The business had also bought a Mitsubishi Canter to handle the supplies and both Mike and the dad would source supplies directly from rural farms to distribute to the branches. Another line of business opened up unexpectedly. Both father and son begun to get orders for supply of foodstuffs especially from hotels or foodstores near where their branches were. This line proved to be very profitable as orders increased with time. The orders increased to a point where their Canter could not handle. They would be forced to hire other lorries to satisfy the demand. Joshua's family fortunes increased to assume unprecedented levels of growth. For the restaurants, the family would eventually decide to employ branch managers to oversee the operations. Hellen would now help to oversee all the branches with the help from the managers. Daniel had completed his postgraduate diploma in law and was in his third year of law practice at one of the fastest growing middle sized law firms in Nairobi. Over a year ago, he had helped to officially register the restaurant helping Sebuleni aquire all the necessary registration documents as well as required business permits. Joshua's wife however had decided to get less involved and would stay home, mostly taking care of her last born Ruth, who was now 13 years in class 7. Her grandchildren Nyakio and Brian would come to visit over the weekends and during school holidays for longer stays. The senior Nyakio enjoyed staying and taking care of the little ones. When not in their Kitengela home, she would go to their upcountry farm in Kirinyaga to enjoy the country side fresh air. Walking through the crops gave her joy as did taking care of her cows and goats. She had since employed a farm worker who took care of the farm in her absence. So grew the businesses and family of Joshua, unprecedented growth. Amazing both for him and onlookers. 

 @Stephen Mungai

HALF A LIFE

 HALF A LIFE

Half bread from the local shop would still do the magic. So it was for kids when mother had not enough money. Half kilo of sugar and half KG meat were a joy anytime extra coins were available. That was before college days when quarter bread became buyable. Those were days when many youngsters were half students because the other half required them to be involved to provide for their parents and younger siblings. The half-life was reflected in school results and also earlier in teachers’ comments like the famous, ‘Average Student’ (Read, Half Student). Then pap into the job market and the reality of Halfhearted government visited a come-on slap on the faces of high school/college graduates. On one half, the government cared only for the leadership class while on the other, for the people. Some jobs would come and most of the time half jobs for some time before what fitted best came up in the future. Some jobs were unrelated to what the graduates studied. They took the jobs anyway and lasted more than one minute man, so opposed to what they had thought. Better half a loaf than no bread, so said the English man. But the problem was the memory of wasted time in college days especially with half friends and half lovers. Many girls still hung over the boys that left. Three or four years in college with someone, then they go mute after graduation!!! It was a sad reality. Some boys, however, came clear from the half-truths and told their then lovers the whole truth. ‘There was nothing serious there. I was just enjoying college life. Of course I can’t marry a graduate’. And the girls’ hearts would be broken into two or more halves. But that is then the full truth about life. Childhood, youth, school, college and adulthood. All through must we beware of half-friends. They disappear as quickly as they come, especially when heavy problems befall you. The reality of halves never actually leaves us and as humans with the many limitations that bedevil us, we have a tendency of accepting half the bargain out of life or to give half of ourselves to life. The sad result then becomes living sometimes through to old age, but half a life. So speaks the voice of reason from the other half side of the universe. Do not accept half love. Why is he or she loving another person while with you? Why accept it when you know that half his love would belong to another person? Do not begin a journey and leave halfway through. The journey of goals, of plans, of studies, of contracts, of dreams and of hopes. Half a journey will not get you to the desired destination. Do not attach or give it half effort because your partner, colleague or friend is giving it half effort. Give every project you sign into your full effort then wait for the result. If your person is not willing to go the full length of the project, then do not silence yourself in convincing them why going the full journey has prospects of full benefits. If they won’t go further, let them go so you can begin another full attempt. That means that the tasks for today be completed today. The people you interact with today should enjoy every moment with you because no day is to be lived half. Why would someone leave something for tomorrow? Tomorrow doesn’t belong to us and so must we live full lives today. And when you die, please die fully. Half death where half your body refuses to function is a sad painful state of the body that we should make every effort to avoid. And so shall we try, please help us God.Won’t we avoid half-life and live fully from today?

@ Stephen Mungai

OF BIG THINGS AND SMALL PEOPLE

 OF BIG THINGS AND SMALL PEOPLE

It has taken me more than a quarter of my life to learn how to eat with a fork and knife. A few important meetings that I attended were pure stress. A plate of rice, beef stew and salad accompaniment that would normally take me 7 minutes 34 seconds to finish ended up taking me close to a painful one hour. They called it table etiquette. Etiquette....My foot!!! I never got to understand how eating faster with a spoon made someone a smaller human being. My close friends who took the pain to train me said that eating so fast was uncouth and uncivilised. Maybe that is why i ended up not privilleged to attend many of those high end meetings. Poor me!!. But of eating, why would someone be keen on how I pick food off a plate, move my jaws to chew or swallow? Why won't these people concentrate on their food instead? Those my trainers always told me that I was making funny sounds while chewing and that got me upset a few many times. I eventually decided to please these peoole. I now use these forks and knives comfortably and faster during the only few times I am out with other people. At least am at my default settings when back to my house. Thanks God I don't eat out alot. I am privy to a few 'small issues' problems involving acquaintances, colleagues, family and roommates. For instance, I have received complaints about pressing the toothpaste tube near the opening rather than at the extreme end. How about a roommate with smelling feet who removes the shoes and the whole room smells? Annoying or? The perfectionist brigade and their wannabes cause the human race the most problems. Why did you not clear the table after breakfast? This bucket is not supposed to be put here but there. You ironed the shirt yes, but the left arm has more than one iron box folds. You were at work the whole day and didn't find a minute to call me? You didn't go to the toilet? You couldn't spare a minute to write me a text? You are not a caring husband. How do you dip bread into tea like a child? Really??!! How could you forget my birthday? How does salt get used up without your knowledge? What kind of a wife are you? How do you bring me to Mombasa for honeymoon? All those your working years? You couldn't save for Dubai or even Zanzibar? Really!!!?. The questions and surprises are spoken again and again. And so, are friendships, relationships and marriages broken. For small things. For the mole hills that are made into mountains. And those small things are made too much of a big deal, even beyond the person of interest. Friends, relatives, colleagues, fiancé's or even partners are belittled. They are made small people in view of the small issues made into mountains. What to do now? Maybe pray to the God of Songs 2:15 so He can 'Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.' Shouldn’t we ask of God's help? What thinks you?

@Stephen Mungai

LIKE PRECIOUS OIL

 LIKE PRECIOUS OIL

About Three years after Sebuleni Restaurant opened it's doors, the family of Joshua had seen a transformation of their lives well beyond their imagination. But for occasional visits to Kibera to see friends of old especially by Mike and the parents, all the family members had moved away from the vast slum. The family had established a branch of Sebuleni restaurant in Gikomba area, which had now 6 employees. This branch was being managed by Hellen and picking up very well. On it's establiment, Hellen was straight from one year maternity pause. Shortly before the birth of her son Brian, she had a painful break-up with her 2 year long boyfriend Jack. If it were not the support she received from her family all through the most painful season of her life, she came close to loosing herself in stress and regrets. She was living in Lang'ata for quite some time now. Through this period, she received immense support through visits and late night calls from her entire family, which was the main source of healing for her at the time. Specifically, Tabitha her younger sister came many times for sleep overs and weekends to keep her company. Tabitha was now a 3rd year student at JKUAT uni taking a degree course in Food Science and Technology. Joshua had since built a 5 bedroom maisonette on a half acre peace of land he had bought in the upcoming Kitengela residential area. David was living with the parents but only at home during school holidays. He was now a Form 4 student at Upper Hill School Nairobi. It was only Ruth, their last born, who was always with Joshua and the wife at home. Ruth was now 10 years and in class 4. Mike on the other hand was still working to ensure that the 2 Sebuleni restaurant had enough supplies for daily operations. He had even found ways to get supplies from upcountry areas, which worked well to increase business earnings. Mike had also settled down with his long time girlfriend Janice and the couple were blessed with a baby girl, Nyakio, named after Mike's mother. They were living in a 2 bedroom apartment in Nyayo high-rise estate along Mbagathi way. Daniel on the other hand was almost complete with his postgraduate diploma at the Kenya school of law. The family had sort of scattered with everyone leading their lives but they would check on each other from time to time. Like they used to be together on Sundays from earlier days to enjoy special meals, the culture never quite died. Many weekends would find many of them at their Kitengela home where they would story away the weekend trying out new recipes together. Every first Sunday of the month however, they had an official family gathering where they enjoyed time together, cooked together, ate together and had family Chama which involved monthly contributions, Merry-go-round and savings. They had a family account where excesses after borrowing and contributions would be banked for future helpings. 

It was like good precious oil poured on Aaron's head, running down his beards, down to the tips of his garments. So clinged the Joshua's together. 

@Stephen Mungai.