Not really some airplane action, but I do realise that Kenya is not the same as Where I live, so many variables come into play, for example hijackers. Incase of a matatu hijacking, I am confident that I would be able to discretely slip a condom on my fellow abiria in case the hijackers demanded that we have sex with each other.
Seriously speaking, common sense and condoms can help save your life. In my short time living in Kenya as an adult who could date and freely socialise with men without parental guidance I realised one thing; Kenyan men can be very sexually aggressive, morally corrupt and obsessed with sex on demand. For as long as I can remember there had always been a man every few months who tried to cross the line of decency and there really is no telling "what could have happened were it not for quick thinking and Gods grace" (quick escape)
I always went everywhere with my best friend and we had a pact never ever to sleep in separate beds if ever we ended up at a jamaas place or an after party, something the men never took kindly.
A harrowing experience ...
Once when we were young and foolish coupled with the care free happy go lucky attitude that comes with living in Nairobi, at the carnivore we hooked up with these two jamaas for an after party after. Seemingly decent, one was a director for a very posh private school and another a manager for a tech company. The manager was celebrating a certain achievement in his company and hence the continued celebration (after party) . We left with those two "gentlemen" on the promise that we would join an ongoing party at their compound in Karen where their friends were left enjoying themselves.
Half drunk, half worried, the men pulled off at some shopping center in Ngong, a place I had never been before I got suspicious when suddenly the roads started getting bumpy. On enquiring , the manager said that we were going to stop by to pick up some drinks. I thought, why not booze might have ran out at the party.
The jamaas ushered us into a old run down 4 storey building that housed some flats and a bar. The bar was closed and after a hushed discussion with the "ndauo" whom they seemed to be ver familiar with, we were let in. To our surprise the jamaas orderd for drinks and requested they be opened, the fat director, even asked the bar lady "to open a game of pool" My friend who has little patience said she would not have any drink and that the jamaas should take us to the party instead. The director suddenly changed his tone to a mockery, and the manager got verbally aggressive. I said we should go home, that we were not interested in the party anymore.
The fat director said he is not driving to any other place besides his place and that if we wanted to go home , we should walk. That was impossible seeing as it was dark and walking from Ngong town, to Nairobi in high heels was an impossibility. There was some banging on the "metal door" and I remember my heart dropping in my shoes , I had started to imagine the worst. Only for the bar maid to open the door and let in a scrawny little dirty man with a tray on his hand "selling smokies & mayai boil" at 4.00 am in the morning.
Who does that?
The fat director proceeded to buy the smokies and and heartily enjoy them while sipping on his beer. We sat and stared at each other, I even ate a smokie which by the way tasted like boiled díck. The manager started to doze and I remember quietly rejoicing because it would be easier to deal with and convince the fat director than two men at once.
After convening with my best friend, we decided to play along and go to their supposed party and then find a ride at the party out of the place. So we finally got in the car and drove to their place. The road seemed to grow darker and bumpier, the expanse of pot holed tarmac suddenly branched into a narrow dirt road.. more bumps.. deeper potholes enough to shake the alchohol out of ones head.
When we finally got to the place, it was unusually quiet, save for the menacing loud bark of what seemed to be huge dogs with threatening teeth. The manager said we can't get out of the car until he contains the dogs. After he ushered them into some room after the gate, he said in a matter of factly way " you can't leave this place un acompanied because these dogs will eat you alive" I believed him.
On getting into the house, there was no music, no people and obviously no party. I was shaking and so was my friend, Ngong is cold at 5.00 am add two scary men and we were shaking like two leaves in a storm, which pleasantly surprised these two men. By now Manager was fully awake and he let us into the most oddly designed house. It looked incomplete yet lived in.
On getting to some living area, the manager spelled out his conditions, he said he was sleepy and that one of us should go with him to his room and the other with Mr director. As a rule of the thumb.. we never separate, ever. After we stubbornly refused to join the two men, the silly manager switched off all the lights, and the fat director was probably too tired to manhandle us. He thought we would change our mind, and so they left us in the dark, huddled on the couch. I can't believe that we even had the courage to giggle in the dark, it was unbelievably scary and frustratingly funny at the same time. I remember my best friend asking me "what have we done?!" and then more giggles in the dark.
After 5 minutes of huddling and pillows on our feet to gather some warmth, we heard foot steps, the manager had not given up on us. He said that he feels sorry for us and that if we must sleep together we can go to his bed and sleep both of us and we did.
He slept on the side of the wall, my best friend in the middle and I on the far edge of the bed ready to leap out and face the dogs if worst came to the worst.
The manager tried to fondle my friend (thank goodness I was on the far edge)and after a quiet struggle he stopped touching her. Just when we thought it was safe now, that the worst had passed... the jamaa suddenly shot up holding a "panga" . The sound of the panga grazing the wall startled both of us we knew that was the end. This idiot of a man went on to explain that he was just checking to see if the panga was there, because that part of Ngong (which he had earlier called karen) is prone to thugs. Of all the times to check for a panga! We shivered with fear till the two idiots woke up to leave for work. They offered us a ride back town as if nothing happened.
The fat director dumped us somewhere on Ngong road and drove off as if he was a mirage. A familiar matatu and driver picked us up some few minutes later. We were too traumatised to remember to pay the fare, and we didn't say a word the whole way. The driver asked us how our night was, since from the dressing it was obvious we were from the club and we looked at each other knowingly and said it was unforgettable.
Now that we are all grown up and don't live in Kenya We still laugh about it to this day, but we were lucky, very lucky that those jamaas never harmed us. Such scenarios are common in kenya and it is necessary to carry some condoms and common sense because anything can happen but most important don't leave the club with strange men unaccompanied by your male friends, being silly can cost you your life.
05-13-2008, 02:43 PM
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