Jemo alikua amechoka. This neighbor of his alikua amemfika. He clicked his tongue as he lifted his kikoi makeshift curtain to peep across the corridor to the door of said neighbor. He had given cliff, which would be the neighbor, his best leather jacket with much reluctance after cliff begged him into a migraine. Eventually, he gave in because when he stated paying to renew his Zuku (he was dead broke) as his condition for releasing it for the ‘siki moja tu’ cliff aliinsist, cliff had actually paid up.

The understanding was that cliff would have it back in two days. That was 3 days ago. He had wanted this guy back by today because he also had a date and he had to look the part. A date had been cliff’s reason for borrowing his dudz.

‘Im finally going to meet her.’ He had told him with pushy enthusiasm as Jemo attempted to mind his own business at the hanging lines. He had washed for the first time in a long while and unfortunately he was stuck having to listen to this guy because if he stopped washing now, alijua hangerudi kimaliza.

Cliff was bragging about his long distance ‘girlfriend’ whom he had never met. Cliff discovered tinder 2 months before and was already head over heels for some chick he’d met, who Jemo couldn’t understand why she hadn’t blocked him. Cliff was annoying AF and considering how much he talked about her, cliff must have been spamming her nonstop. He was the type. That she had even agreed to meet him, mystified Jemo , but honestly he didn’t give a sh*t. He didn’t particularly care about cliff and he didn’t know the chick. It was none of his business.

As he had just graduated and was currently tarmacking, he obviously could not move out of his bedsitter. So he was stuck with his annoying neigbour of 3 years for a while. But he had met a reeaally cute, but very clearly classy girl at the upscale café he waitered at and had actually gotten himself a movie date at junction mall. He needed his damn expensive leather jacket…

He perked up when he heard movement in the corridor and looked out to see cliff being uncharacteristically quiet. It was as if he was trying to sneak into his apartment without drawing attention.

‘This mutha-‘ Jemo cursed under his breath was he flung open his door with force and lunged to grab cliff’s colar.

“Fala wewe,” He swore forcefully, tightening his grip by twisting his hand. “Unasneak Sneak hapa ukifikiria sitakuona. Unacheza na mimi. Mavi! Wapi jacket yangu. Sina time ya kupelekana na wewe. I’m running late. “

Without giving cliff a chance to even say anything he grabbed the backpack and pulled open the zip. Thankfully the jacket was at the top. He grabbed it and almost stumbled as he tripped on a large, clearly heavy converse bag Cliff had dropped when he had come storming over. He looked down  at it and turned a venomous look to cliff as it was his fault he had almost fallen and made a fool of himself. Cliff looked away guiltily, avoiding his gaze. He seemed to be sweating profusely.

“Hii ni nini?…” He scowled,”Agh, nkt! I don’t have time for this…” Jemo turned went back into his bedsitter, slamming the door closed. He had two hours to his date and he had to get going.  Cliff was acting funny kifulani, barely saying anything in this whole encounter and it DID strike him as weird, knowing cliff the way he did. Alikua msee anaongea sana, normally, but Jemo had better things to do so he dismissed these thoughts.

 

 

He got back at around 10 o’clock. It was eerily quiet for a situation with cliff around. Usually, there would be the sound of a radio on to hot 96, a tad bit too loud, but not loud enough to be unbearable, because this was cliff. Jemo didn’t want to think on it. It had been a successful date and he was tired and in Mshwari debt, he needed to sleep. He had an early shift the next day.

Over the next few days, he observed his neigbour’s strange new patterns with offhand interest. He was being awfully quiet and reclusive. Before he would densely insist on conversation, refusing to take a hint and now he wouldn’t so much as meet his gaze. Curiosity overtook Jemo. He expected cliff talk his ear off after returning from his tryst with mystery girl but instead this happened.  It must have been a heck of a failure. He snickered to himself.

‘Dem alimmeet akamtoroka. Sasa yuko traumatized.’ He laughed crazily enough by himself at this the he saw one of the other neighbour’s curtains lift. He resolved to ask him about it but cliff saved him the trip.

That Saturday:

“Sema Jemo” Cliff said to him nervously for the first time since he got back. Jemo looked up from th shoes he was shining with a replying ‘hm’. Cliff looked around as if checking for anyone who might be listening then lowered his voice noticeably and leaned closer.

“Skiza Jemo, Please I need Big Favour.” He said. Jemo, who so far had been curious about all this secrecy business immediately frown and sat back to refuse. Didn’t this guy just prove he couldn’t be trusted with favours? Cliff saw his response before he expressed it and stretched his hands out to as if to calm him.

“Staki unipee kitu…serious!” he said hurriedly in a placating manner. Jemo hesitated, but remained suspicious. Cliff was still acting shifty.

“Ni nini Bas” Said Jemo.Cliff seemed to hesitate before he came out and said anything. He turned his eyes to the side and said.

“Cuzo wangu amekua akistay na mimi…. Ni msmall…” He spoke haltingly. Jemo’s eyebrows shot up. Before he could say anything, cliff continued. “Unaeza mwach kidogo. Just for a bit. Naenda mahali for a bit lakini ntakam in a few hours. Hukai unaenda mahali leo. Pliz!!”

Babysitting!? Huyu msee amemzoea sana. Who wanted to be stuck looking after a child? Na kwanza, what child!? There was no one in this complex who had a kid and he hadn’t seen any child around. Where had this child been all this while? Considering their proximity, if anyone was gonna see said kid living with cliff it would be him. And besides, who would leave their little child alone with this idiot, even for a day? This sounded suspicious and he made it known.

“Mbona sijamwona around?  Alikam lini?”He asked. “Na ni wa nani?”

At this, cliff actually looked a little irritated, albeit even more nervous.

“M- Maswali mingi ya nini? K-kwani umekua polis?” He Stammered. “Kama hunisaidii sema!” He said with finality, clearly not willing to say anymore on the matter. Jemo hesitated, still suspicious, but he somehow let it go. If there was something wrong, this guy would not have let him take care of the kid. And besides, he really wasn’t busy. All he was planning to do was stay home and watch movies on his laptop using his wifi.

“Ahg, sawa bas, mlete.” Said Jemo.

“No, no. Ni sawa. Nishamwachia food na hafanyi makelele. ALL you have to do is check on her mara kadhaa. I’ll be back soon. Thanks.” said Cliff, who was already leaving. Jemo watched his retreating back until it turned round a corner and disappeared from sight. He gave cliffs door one look then went back to business.

A few hours later Jemo, laying on his side on his matress with the laptop at his side pressed pause and listened closely. He heard movement in cliffs room. Immediately remembering the favour he sat up hurriedly. He recalled that he didn’t have to do anything but look in once or twice but presently, his curiosity was piqued.

He took the keys cliff left with him and went over to the door. As he opened the door, he heard scurrying out of sight. He stepped through the doorway and peeped round behind the door. I was dark, dank and unkempt. A mild musky sent hung in the air and the place was a mess. Jemo realized that this was the first time he had ever been in this digz. It was like the guy didn’t clean up at all. There was clothes everywhere, pile of unwashed dishes (not many, though. Cliff, like himself, was just a hustler after all). I was just a mess.

‘yaani, huyu msee anaishi na mtoto hapa.” He looked around in disgust and caught a movement in the corner of his eye. Behind a chair a pair of big wide eyes stared back at him in blank terror. She was so tiny. He hesitated, then moved to approach but this only seemed to agitate her. Something wasn’t right. He felt so, but brushed it off as he just being shy. She clutched in her hand a messily torn paper bag of bread and in her other hand a packet of KCC milk. He saw this and had an idea.

An hour later, he was back with a box of pizza and a 2 liter coke and at the sight of this, things got much much easier. After two slices across the room from him, she seemed to warm up to him. She still didn’t speak, but she smiled a little and let him come closer

“Sasa..” he said with his sweetest smile, “ Mi naitwa Jemo, we unaitwa nani?” He asked squatting down in front of her. She smiled shyly and looked down at her feet.  She mumbled something under her breath and he leaned closer to hear. Just then, A loud fumbling sound came up from behind them at the door. Jemo spun around with a frown to see cliff tumble into the room panting and sweating profusely. Alarmed, Jemo stood straight up.

“Cliff…. Ni nini?” He asked frowning. Cliff got up and shut the door, looking through the window as if he was being followed. “Oe, Cliff, ni nini? Unafuatwa ama nini?”

“Polis,” Cliff said, out of breath. ” Kuna polisi kwa hii esto wanauliza maswali…” Jemo squinted in confusion, but then remembered hearing mama mboga talking with someone about police looking for some kid. But what did that have to do with -…

It was like getting hit by thunder. His eyes became the size of footballs.

“CLIFF!!!! Umedo?!?!!!” He shouted. Cliff flew at him holding his hands out to cover his mouth. Also holding a finger to him indicating for him to quiet down. He gestured wildly for Jemo to calm down.

“SHHHH!! Akin Jemo, relax. Si hivyo.” He said. “Acha niexplain” he said  looking panicked. Explain?!? This idiot! Jemo had always known he was no good, but child kidnapping??!! Je mo couldn’t wrap his head around it. And to think Cliff would involve him. Anger, hot like fire welled up in the pit of his stomach followed closely by a sense of panic.  He stuttered briefly in fury before clicking his tongue and running to the window to check outside the curtains. This Bastard! Seeing nobody, he turned around and focused his impotent ire on this idiot.

“ Wewe ni nini? Child sex trafficker!!??!? Pedophile?!?!?! Ritualist?!!?” He asked incredulously. “ Whatever it is…leo nakumaliza!!!” Jemo said, his voice steady rising. Cliff, waved is hands wildly, trying to placate him.

“ShHHH!!! Aki Jemo si hivyo…Ilikua accident?” He said.

“Ati accident?! Who accidentally kidnaps a child?! How?” Jemo asked.

“Aki listen, I didn’t mean it!!! It’s just Shiro wouldn’t even talk to me, even after I went all that way to see her. She called me a stalker and blocked my number…. It was too disrespectful. I had to do something so I-…. I followed her home and took this little girl after I saw her come out alone…” He said. Jemo flared. Seeing this, cliff freaked out and started defending himself.

“I wasn’t going to do anything…Aki Ukweli. I swear singemuumiza. I just wanted to get back at Shiro, nimshtue kiasi….” He said. Jemo’s started swimming and he suddenly felt as if he couldn’t breathe properly. How many people had seen him enter here? How many knew about his relation to this guy? How many people thought he was this guy’s friend? How many would think he was some sort of accomplice?!?!? Jemo could have bitten his own tongue off. Suddenly hyperventilating, he just wanted to get out…

Not wanting to hear anymore, he turned reaching out to look for the door handle, as if blind, he tried to get out. Cliff’s rambling had turned high pitched with fear, but Jemo couldn’t compute what he was saying. As he fumbled with the door, he heard the sound of multiple footsteps approaching…