Predators of the displaced

[SeeKer]

This is a true story told by a friend to me and I promised to write it out for her. It is just a draft and I have yet to plug in some aspects of the tale but I wanted to know how many of us have heard these tales?

 

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Malyun sat holding her husband's hands and marveling at all that happened to her in a week. She finally was married after ten years of patience. She shifted her head as she focused on the scenery she was leaving behind. She was on the way to Kenya from Addis. She was anxious and excited at the same time. She knew it had been a decade since she left her childhood home and here she was about to return as a married woman. She instinctively squeezed Yoshi's hands.

 

The bus started slowing down. Malyun peered ahead and saw that the land wasn't green any more. There was sand and dust everywhere as she saw the uniform of the Kenyan police walk up to the bus. There was a brief discussion with the conductor, lots of gesticulation and finally the conductor stepped aside as the soldier clambered aboard the bus. The man had beady eyes that focused on the back of the bus. See, when the passengers were seated on the bus, they were told for their own well being the foreigners should sit at the front, mixed races/monetary abled people in the middle and finally the displaced refugees seeking new life should sit in the back. Everyone, in the interest of a safe journey, did what they were told.

 

Malyun handed over her Kenyan passport as did the rest of the passengers in the middle and back of the bus. The police man looked at her's and looked at her husband's Ethiopian passport. Yoshi had lived in Nairobi for years before returning to Addis to visit his parents and thus understood as the policeman asked Malyun if she was traveling with him. Yoshi replied for his wife and the policeman handed over their passports and proceeded to ask all the men who were in the back of the bus with foreign passports to get off the bus. The men quietly lined up to exit the bus. Malyun wondered what was going on? She watched as the men stood outside and the conductor once again started gesticulating. After about five minutes she saw her fellow travelers reaching into their pockets and removing money. Each of the men handed a couple notes to the conductor who collected them and then passed them along to the soldier. Malyun continued watching as the men were handed their passports back and boarded on the bus. The conductor then gave a signal to the driver and off they went.

 

Malyun turned to Yoshi and asked him what had just happened? Yoshi explained to her that this was common occurrence to any displaced people making their way into Kenya. Malyun turned in her seat to look at the passengers behind her. They were poor, they weren't dressed in any garments that screamed money and most of them looked like they had squeezed all they have in life into the bag in the overhead compartments. Malyun coudn't believe that anyone in their right mind would wish to burden these folks anymore than they already have been.

 

 

The bus was slowing down again. It couldn't be another road block? It was except this time..........the scene played out much faster since all parties seemed to be well versed in the script. Another five miles and again the bus slowed to a stop. This time Malyun was seething as she watched the expectant hand of the policeman. She told Yoshi to do something! anything! Yoshi gave her a furtive look and eventually turned in his seat to face the displaced. He told them in habashi to not give up any money and instead say they didn't have any. The passengers looked fearful as one of them told Yoshi that they didn't want any trouble. They just wanted to cross into Kenya and continue their journey to a new life. Yoshi turned back to Malyun with a "I told you so" look.

 

Malyun bit her tongue and clenched her fist as the bus moved again. She hadn't even reached 1000 in her counting when the bus yet again screeched to a halt. This time the soldier that walked into the bus was Somali. Malyun bristled as she stared him down. How could he? He was a muslim and he could clearly relate couldn't he? Her eyes blazed as the man looked down in shame. He walked up to Yoshi and asked for the passport. Yoshi gave up his and was told to step off the bus along with the rest of the men. Malyun held on to Yoshi's hand as she followed him off the bus. The men were lead to a clearing aways from the bus and asked to fork over the money. One of the older men searched in vain for the asking price but all he had was 500.

 

"Ati amesema nini? What did he say?" yelled a voice from behind them.

 

Malyun turned around to face an army vehicle with three captains seated on it. There was a gunman with an AK 47 trained at them.

 

"Kama hana pesa ataregeshwa mpakani If he doesn't have the money he will returned to the border ," continued the fat bellied captain as he lumbered towards them.

 

Malyun trembled with anger. How dare they? These were poor people running for their lives and here were these porky, good for nothing men wanting to rob them blind? She couldn't keep silent anymore. She turned to the Somali soldier and yelled at him for being a coward and hypocrite. She vilified his manhood. She then whipped back to the captain and just as she was about to hurl abuse at him, she heard the cocking of the gun.

 

She had never been embarrassed to call herself a Kenyan in her life. She hated herself as much as she hated the Somali soldier as she reached into her purse and threw money at the captain. She watched as her husband picked up the money from the ground and respectfully gave it to the soldier on behalf of the traveller who couldn't afford the fee. She numbly walked back with her husband as he steered her away from the soldiers. AS the bus moved away from the soldiers, Malyun felt hot tears burning against her eyelids. She wasn't listening to the scolding her husband was giving her. She was mad and pissed that she didn't think of recording the whole thing on her phone. She didn't want to call this place her home anymore. She wanted to leave Kenya as soon as she got to Nairobi.

[Che -Guevara]

It sounds like Amanda lived a sheltered life. This is AFRICA!

[SeeKer]

Who is Amanda? TIA miyaa

 

I don't think sheltered is a word I would use to describe her. She just probably didn't believe corruption was that well spread and accepted willingly by its victims.

[Che -Guevara]

TIA?

 

LooooL@Amanda..good question? I'm retracing my thoughts, will let you know

[Paragon]

^TIA = This is Africa? You don't listen to K'naan's rap?

 

Seeker, thanks for sharing. Kenya and Somalis waxbaa kala heysta.

 

Even when they identify you as Somali in Kenyatta International, they'll swam at you.

 

Lol. I had a strange encounter last time. They were in for a BIG surprise though.

[Che -Guevara]

^Maya.

[SeeKer]

Originally posted by Che -Guevara:

 

LooooL@Amanda..good

question? I'm retracing my thoughts, will let you know

Please do cause for a minute I thought you were on referring to someone on FB.

 

Jamaal11, for some odd reason I have never come across this. My trip back home was uneventful in that regard. Even at the airport the poor guy working the visa counter at 4 am remember my mug when I came back 3 weeks later.

[Che -Guevara]

^She's classmate.....LooooL

 

 

Why someone on FB?

 

People tell horrow from Kenya, never been there. I wanna march with my Yank passport and see what they do-would be have diplomatic credentials.

[SeeKer]

^^ Well the question just begs to be asked... Why was your dear classmate Amanda on your mind? . j/k I was just being cheeky.

 

Same named person on FB had just statused something in line with marriage when I read your comment so I just got confused.

 

Lol @ yank passport. I don't think they really care. I went with my yank one and they treated me like they did all others till I spoke in my coastal swahili accent then they were all smiles. I even BSed enough that the customs guy didn't look into any of my five bags.

[Che -Guevara]

^Maybe I know here.I don't know why her name was mind. I barely know her.

 

Some for reason, I thought you were Canadian. They are easily mugged.

[SeeKer]

No I am not of the maple country but I like that I don't come off as a yank!

 

I don't think you know my Amanda. She is too blond.

[Che -Guevara]

^This one is red, segser than blondie and cute freckles.

 

Just wondering, what does you signature say?

[SeeKer]

Typical Beantown beauty eh?

 

My signature translated

[Che -Guevara]

Hmmm..interesting.

 

hardly typical from the angle I see.

 

I'm trying to learn language preferably Spanish.Wanted to buy Rosetta Stone, five hundred bucks for levels 1 to 5, it better be worth it.

[SeeKer]

I got handed a pirated copy of Rosetta Stone with all the languages and all levels. I thought it wouldn't work but lo and behold it did, only thing is it worked on Windows OS only and I couldn't use it on my laptop. So I use it minimally at the moment.

 

I can't believe you are willingly to pay that much for one language :eek: