My journey to machakos

The first thing I noticed was the heat, it was unbelievably hot. I removed my light sweater. I couldn’t resist falling back to sleep so I fell back into deep slumber. I was floating in and out of sleep, I was exhausted. Then somebody shook me gently,” Honey, please wake up”. I continued sleeping, neither the name nor the voice were familiar to me. Then the shaking become a little more intense,” Honey, please wake up”. That was not part of my dream this was real. I gathered all possible wits to try and place the voice in my mind but nothing was being generated. I tried to remember who called me Honey, my mind was blank. I was fully awake now but my eyes were tightly shut.

Honey, we are at Mtito wa Ndei, Do you want us to stop for something? Now I shut my eyes tightly. Where did he say? Mtito wa ndei doing what? When removing my sweater, I thought I was actually in bed, now am in a car with someone with a strange voice? I opened my eyes. I was in the front seat of a car the person driving the car was a total stranger. I shut my eyes, shook my head vigorously, and then opened them. I was in a car, with a total stranger calling me honey at Mtito wa ndei.

Honey, why do you look like you have seen a ghost? I wanted to confirm I had seen one. I wondered why he kept calling me honey. I was now using all the strength I could muster to remember what it was I was doing in this car. Even the interiors of the car were strange, for sure it wasn’t mine and I had never been it again. Honey what is it? Nothing dear, I answer. Am totally awake from my deep sleep. Yes I’d like to have some soda and a snack, thank you. He smiles –the kind of smile you get from someone who knows you. He parks the car and alights to go buy the snacks.

I look into the driving mirror, indeed this is me. I look around the car; it elicits no memory at all. I try to remember details of what I am doing here. It’s a dead end, nothing adds up. I search my pockets for my phone. When I get it, I scroll through the numbers to see who I could call to assist me. Strangely enough, I don’t know whose names those are that are stored therein. I decide before the “honey caller” comes back I better call the last number dialed- they must know me. I dial the last number on my dialed numbers, it is saved painly as D. It rings, first ring, second ring, Oh God please let someone pick up the phone. On the fifth ring when am almost giving up, it is picked up “Hallo,” Hi honey, anything else you wanted? Damn, Honey caller again- Yes please add a hotdog if you haven’t gotten one. Okay, phone is disconnected.

All my dialed and received numbers are attributable to only one contact D. I am doomed. I went through the contact list and no name was familiar. I looked around the car again for a clue, nothing. I tried to remember with all my might and the only fragment of memory that I had is my boss telling me I was due for leave. I had been working hard on an office project that we had just completed successfully. It had required long hours and energy from us. The office clinician was very clear that if I didn’t take leave immediately after, I was going to breakdown from fatigue.
 

Honey caller comes back and gives me my snacks. He asks me to belt up; he tells he would like to drive a little faster to get to Mombasa before darkness sets in. Mombasa? To do what there? Honey, to holiday. You have been asking for this for a long time. I ask Honey caller, by the way what is your name? He laughs heartily and answers “What kind of a question is that?” He laughs and starts humming a song as I close my eyes to figure out what was going on!

Honey, you look distressed even when you are sleeping? What is wrong with this man? Why did he keep calling me honey? Who was he? Jesus I needed to know whether I had had a concussion or if I had been kidnapped? Where were we going?

Then I hear a loud bang. Mwisho wa gari, Machakos mwisho. I almost fainted. I had been listening to a story from a lady I sat next to in a matatu as I was going for a business presentation at Capital centre. I look at my watch it is 1.30 p.m. the meeting was starting at 12.30 p.m. I have 30 missed calls, my boss must be climbing a wall somewhere.I had the material for the very important presentation. I was to take a taxi and I snubbed the thought thinking a matatu was faster. I look at the story teller as she walks away; I never even got to know whether the story was hers or someone else’s. Who was the man? She must have drugged me. My mind is on overdrive of what I shall tell my boss and how to get back on Mombasa road in 2 seconds.

Please share with me what you think I should tell my boss to calm her down.

Sojourner.