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.

HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS

 HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS 

The talk on dead man walking epidemic reopened a can of warms as regards the subject of death.  Death is a subject many of us would rather avoid but we never really get to run away from it because, it's always around us. And just as I thought that I would do a column or two on the subject and end it, then alas!! The People's President, Raila Amolo Odinga died and we were back to the subject of death. Of course I had to do a tribute article dedicated to him because,  I still think he is a great man. But death has no manners, it took him away. Then as I was putting down my pen after writing Raila's tribute,  I remembered that I only had a few days to rush to the shops to buy Halloween costumes before the day comes on 31st October. And that brings us to another death related episode.  Halloween day is much connected to all saints day which is celebrated across the world on 1st November to remember known and unknown saints. There is unconfirmed belief that one of the two days helped to develop the other especially Halloween which may have come up because many if not all of the celebrated saints are already dead. Halloween is also attributed to the celtic people as celebration of the dead. Celtics are said to have believed that on 31st October,  the spirits of the dead returned to the earth. As sign of the dead among the living on that day therefore,  costumes like the grim reaper developed over the years and since then, they are used to mark Halloween.  We already talked of the walking dead, people in modern times who are exhibiting characteristics of the dead although they are alive. Let's now talk about other death status. One of us talked about the dead dead, that is a dead burried dead. There is also the living dead, people who we know very well, have had living experiences with us but they died and we burried them. This category of the dead still influence our lives one way or another. Then of course we have ancestors, the dead that we only hear about but have never met. If these guys still affect our lives is a debate that may never end but is still alive even in our churches with some pastors helping to break real or imaginable ancestral curses and so on. Some people are of the belief that it does not help anyone to remember or celebrate the dead and that the dead should be left to rest in peace.  This category of people want to forget a burried person immediately. They don't do memorial services for the dead. Some go to an extent of throwing or giving away things that remind them of the dead person. Some don't even do photos or videos in the burials. They simply want no association with the dead. Apart from memorial services, Halloween provides more experience in bringing the dead closer to the living and the costumes demystify the whole subject of death. Should someone celebrate Halloween or be like those who have nothing to do with the dead? What do you think? 

Could the later category be right as per Jesus in Matthew 8:22, "Follow me and let the dead burry their dead"? Or Mathew 22:32 that says that God is not the God of the dead but of the living?

What do you think?

@ Stephen Mungai

A TRIBUTE TO RAILA AMOLO ODINGA

 A TRIBUTE TO RAILA AMOLO ODINGA 

Raila Amolo Odinga, the Man, the Myth, the legend. It is difficult to pick my pen to write this because it feels heavy under the dark crowd of RAOs passing. The thought of you and what you stood for forces us back to the drawing board, to assess how well we lead our lives. It is difficult to write about a person of your societal standing because there would be so much to say and not enough words to say the much. The best way would be to highlight a few lessons we can pick from your exemplary bigger than life life. Before the lessons though, it is important to say that as per our constitution on presidency, a President is a symbol of National unity. In all your life, Raila, you worked towards a united Kenya. For that reason, you will remain the best President that Kenya had, yes, the People's President. You were the King maker per excellence and apart from the first President, Jomo Kenyatta, all the other four could not make it in their presidency without you. You either made them or could break them to take over if you wished to. But you chose peace over your personal gain. You chose harmony over a discordant Nation. You chose Kenya over yourself. For that reason, none of the presidents could reach the level of influence you commanded or the power that you wielded. Most times, the presidents or their cronies called you names, talked ill of you but you were above the insults, they meant nothing to you and could not deter your mission to realize a better, united Kenya. Above all, you extended an olive branch to them, reconciled with them because to you, Kenya was greater. That is why you remain greater than Jomo, Moi, Kibaki, Uhuru or Ruto; maybe greater than all of them combined. You are therefore the greatest President that Kenya will ever have, yes, the People's President. 

There are many lessons to learn from you, Raila, but I pick just a few below;

Lesson 1: It doesn't profit to hate. Life is too short for that luxury. We need to reach out to our enemies or competitors to make peace. If they are not willing, then we forgive them and do not harbour hatred. In line with biblical command, we need to love and pray for those who hate us.

Lesson 2: All humans are children of the same God. No one is better than the other regardless of tribe. Raila worked with people from all regions, treating them with respect and dignity. His family was made up of mixed tribes marriages which he had no problem with. Raila taught us that thinking tribe is a backward way of thinking. 

Lesson 3: Family is key. Raila honoured his wife all his days and supported his children in all difficulties of life. Hoping it does not happen now, we never heard stories of the other women. Ida the wife was the woman in his life.

Lesson 4: Life is short, so live fully everyday. Raila never seemed to stop. He was active to his last day. The day he died for instance, he got up from the hospital bed for a walk. He was not the kind to sit sad mourning of missed goals or crying over spilt milk. He always put his best effort and when it failed to work, he came up with new plans. How good if we would learn to live full lives everyday. 

I wish not to say more because Raila can never die. He is a thousand winds that blow to inspire us to live better full lives. And full lives we ought to live. Won't we?

@Stephen Mungai

CURE FOR WALKING DEAD PANDEMIC

 CURE FOR WALKING DEAD PANDEMIC

Marie is not the kind of ladies who lead a boring life. Not the kind to get married and be tied down to a man. Then get one, two, three kids. Mess up their shape with baby fat thing; then be doing dishes, make family meals, wash clean and feed kids....then move around the house humbly serving the man(read Lord) of the house who is always on the couch watching TV or reading newspapers!!!......excuse me!!!....Marie could not agree to such a drab boring life. She left that kind of sh*t life to her sister Marty, whose only myopic dream, according to her, was find a God fearing man to marry her and make a family. On the contrary, she is living the life. And after all, you only live once. And why not. She considers herself a woman of class and only had time to interact with them of her kind. Any time they met for a drink in one of the high end clubs in the rich Nairobi suburbs, it was either soft hugs or sounds of hi-fives and hearty laughter. The beauties are of all shapes, sizes and endowment. Talk of colourful figure-hugging dresses, swinging gaits, chick handbags, fragrance from expensive sprays, clinking stilettos, perfectly done make-ups and expensive beautiful flowing human hairs. The splendid meet-ups of pomp and beauty is where any man worth their salt only wishes to be dropped in their midst, to feed their eyes on the perfect shaped daughters of Eve. Marie's circle of friends is only of ladies who understand their worth. Of them also, Marie is beautiful with a shape to die for. Talk of the right curves on the right places. She is the kind that makes men break their necks looking behind, anytime she passes by. Let's not talk of the drinks that Marie and co. imbibe. They have no worry in the world filling their round table with innumerable bottles of Macallan No. 6 though one costs 0.75 fraction of a million bob. That is Marie for you but if you ask me where she gets the money from, I cannot honestly say because there is not a good known source of her income. What we know is that she is on endless holiday travels across the world anytime she is not visiting her expensive joints. Let's talk a little about her bro Azzy. Growing up with the girls made him like one of them. He is always seen hanging out with the sisters and their friends.  A few months ago however, he was rushed to Aga khan hospital with undisclosed but serious illness. The expert specialist who was to attend to him was out of the country for specialized surgery and could not make it on time. Everyone came to comfort the family when he died. Their leafy neighbourhood was filled with a gloomy cloud of sadness. One grieving day, the most important Man in town was around and also shed a tear for Azzy. Both his hands and feet were wrapped in strips of linen and cloth when he walked out of deadness. Hallelujah!!!...the Master had called him. It did not matter that he was stinking. Because there is hope for the sufferers of the walking dead pandemic, if they look up to Jesus, they will rise again. Marie had also come out of her deadness, sinful life in repentance as she poured oil worth a year's wages on Jesus feet, wiping her with her hair. And so runs the story of Marie, Marty and Azzy in John 11:1-44; call them Mary, Martha and Lazarus if you wish. 

@Stephen Mungai