It was a smooth but long one. Ninety percent of the people were teenagers, presumably from a teens camp in Kisumu. They would occasionally have fits of noise making, but that's alright. I slept most of the time anyway. The kids next to me were surprisingly well behaved. I was impressed. I secretly apologised for being so judgemental on the onset. The 6:00am sunrise somewhere near Voi made the road trip even more memorable. I didn't feel so poor anymore, unable to take a Ksh. 6000 flight :D It was so beautiful!
We got to Mombasa town at 10:00am. It was hot, humid and sweaty! Tuk tuks (Coastarians call them tuku tuku :D) were everywhere! Like little bees. Just before we got into town though, the conductor (Is that what they are called on long distances too?) had called the kids next to me and told them they had arrived at their stop. Mariakani. Their mum was waiting for them. The one on my right was a little hesitant. He let the one by the window pass first, then the two on my left. Then he stood up and rushed to the door.
All this while, I thought they were all boys. I only realized the one on my right was a girl when I leaned back to relax and was suddenly hit by a stench. At first, I thought the stench was coming from outside since the window was open. Mombasa is known for its filth too. It wasn't. I looked down at the seat next to me and I felt...I felt bad. Broken. So sad. It was stained red. I remembered the sweater tied round her waist and the the rush to alight. The red robot had come visiting at the most inappropriate of times and she could do nothing about it. I wished she had asked me, but just looking at her, I think she hadn't been a 'woman' too long. Its not a thing you just tell strangers. I just sat there, wondering what the male attendants would think when they went round collecting trash. I couldn't even dignify her by cleaning it before anyone saw the red. I felt helpless, and I couldn't imagine how she'd felt.
A few weeks before, a woman, one I have come to admire came to our offices seeking some sort of partnership for her project. Her story was inspiring and touching too. Jennifer met a girl who was having a similar dilemma as the girl in my story. She looked scared and couldn't leave her seat for anything when the bus got to Mtito Andei. Later on with much prodding and insisting, the girl finally told her that she'd stained her dress and seat and she had no money to buy sanitary towels. Jennifer reassured her, convinced her to walk out with her, clean herself and change. She bought her a bag of sanitary towels, a panty and a trouser. Later, they cleaned the seat together and placed a polythene bag on top so she wouldn't have to sit on a wet seat. That encounter led her to the girl's school and now she has a project there that includes sex education for both boys and girls, distribution of sanitary towels and other essentials. Such a big heart.
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| Jennifer (2nd right) and colleagues |
Matatu Chronicles today salutes everyone who goes out of their way to help others while on transit. Be good this Christmas season. Peace! :)
