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I have learned that nothing comes on a silver
platter. God stopped manufacturing manna and
no one gives you anything for free and to secure.
To give weight to our campaign, all we need to do is to cut a
sell their phones to make sure everyone buys a ticket to fun-land
deal with Pastor. We can promise him that we shall be active
but they will never give a single coin to pull you out of the mess
faithful on Sunday if only to secure his wealthy experience of
that comes after.
doing battle with the devil.” No one said amen and no one said
alleluia, a sign that the jumuia did not buy the plan.
When soldier mentioned harambee and contribution, the hit
song ‘excuse me’ stole the show. One person said he had a
The next man to take to the podium was Tosh, the no- nonsense
date and excused himself; another had a deal to clinch and was
muscleman who acted as the bouncer whenever we had an
excused. Still, another one said something about the darkness
estate bash. “Dawa ya moto ni moto! If we hope to secure the
that was closing in. In a flash, I was left alone with my own
freedom of our comrades, we must speak the only language that
cross resting squarely on my shoulder. It was then that I decided
our society understands.
that I had no choice but to be a ‘Jacob’.
I propose that we call for a general strike of all the youth if only
For those well versed with the good book, Jacob is the dude
to make our voices heard and our presence felt! No work, no
who was forced to work for fourteen years so as to get the hand
school no nothing, just staying at home. Everyone knows how
of the woman he loved.
our parents are terrorized by the thought of having us lying idle
at home.
The jewel’s name was Rachel. This Supuu had a cunning father,
the kind that believe in making profit from their goods and so
If we play this card, we stand a better chance of having our
he told Jacob that if he wanted to own Rachel, he had to work
way.” Deep silence reigned in the room while everyone back-
for him for seven years without pay. Jacob worked for seven
dated his memories. Everyone knew that the last time the youth
years but when the much awaited day came, drama and surprise
had gone on strike, the results had been disastrous.
awaited the bridegroom.
The first two days had been fun until our parents adopted
It was only after the wedding was over that Jacob realized that
the hard-line stance. They blocked the ‘alimentary canal’
his father in law had given him Leah his eldest daughter instead
turned off the financial taps and changed the door locks.
of his heart’s desire - Rachel.
When hunger started biting, the pockets dried and life in the
streets became unbearable, the fatigued ‘soldiers’ abandoned
their chest thumping and went back to the rule of the fourth
commandment.
Soldier, our clandestine friend, he who lets us through the
Jacob cut another deal and was forced to work for seven other
years so as to take the hand of his beloved Rachel.
My future mother in law- Clotilde - would never cut any deal
with me thus I had to look elsewhere.
estate gate past hours for a fee and who sometimes gives us
The truth is that I am now a friend of my greatest enemy; work.
professional advice took to the airwaves. “I