When the Corona pandemic hit my country, I was locked in the city of Nairobi. Hundreds of kilometres away from my homeland. Movement in and out of the metropolitan city was not allowed. I could not travel home and chill with my mother and at the same time I could not go to work because I was working at a restaurant. And I believe you know pretty well that most workers in this industry were affected. For months I was jobless and spent my time in an apartment owned by my friend. I was living off junk and watching TV all day. I must admit that is when I smelt rock bottom but I told myself I would recollect at least before the end of the pandemic. But I did nothing about it and thought the pandemic would not last long.
Months went by and I gave myself a chance to shoot at different lives. After all staying in for long only made me an addict to screens and sugar. I started one or two businesses. Failed fairly at some. Failed terribly at most. I took an online class and got a certificate. I tried the dating game during lockdown but I just didn't like it. I started reading and writing.
While doing all these, everything seemed normal, until when I joined a gym. This was the best decision I made that year.
I went ahead and resigned after I was recalled to work. I clearly thought I needed to fix myself. I had no clear plan of where I was headed though. I just wanted to focus on myself. Basically I was jobless. Without a stable income flow. "Jump when you are not ready." I told myself. So many things happened but the greatest of them all, I found my purpose in life.
One Tuesday afternoon in my apartment, over me came a deep feeling of missing home. This was obviously after the lockdown was lifted many months before. I grabbed my phone and ringed my sister. She did not pick up. Regardless, I made up my mind that I was gonna travel back home to my village a day after. Thursday was the day, well only if I was good at some counting. I was on a strict gym membership but I left it. My urgent thought was to get on a trans-county and return to Butere in Kakamega county where I was born. Financially I was rock bottom. Mentally I was on another level. Physically, everyone noticed my muscles.
For the first time in my life, I could live on my own terms. I had never been this free before. Freedom to me tasted sweet and so I started relishing in the event when I would see my mum after a very long time. When I would get home and enjoy that organic chicken, enjoy the sun. Work at the farm, talk to my grandmother and just live a happy life. Plus it was nearing Christmas so the timing was perfect.
And so, the Thursday I was to travel came. I was up by 5 AM. After my usual cold shower and meditation, I made myself black tea. I took a half cup. I was in Nairobi CBD by 6AM. I booked myself a ticket and sat in the middle row of a fourteen seater van. My bag was well stowed beside me thanks to the social distance. There were only seven passengers. 6.39AM and the van was out of CBD. Way past Westlands, speeding up along waiyaki way. Every passenger was hopeful of getting of getting back to their villages, peacefully. I knew I would return so it was not a permanent move. However I said goodbye to the city life and looked forward to every fresh. Kakamega here I come!