Last Friday, my maternal grandmother was hosting a get-together for her family and some other relatives of ours in her rural home in Murang'a, Kenya - my ancestral land. My mother, who is currently crippled by stroke, had purposed to attend the get-together and had been looking forward to it. And when Friday reached, she was elated when my brothers hired a taxi to ferry her to Murang'a.

As for me, I hadn't planned to attend the get-together. But when my younger brother Symo asked me to accompany Mum and offered to pay me for doing so, I quickly got dressed for the trip. Before leaving, I ensured I had my smartphone tablet and sunglasses in my bag. I also carried with me Stephen R. Covey's enlightening book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, for re-reading during any idle moments that might arise. Once I had all those items in the bag, I locked our house and rushed to join Mum in the taxi my brothers had hired.

We left my hometown of Kiserian at around 11.30am. As the taxi driver drove to Nairobi, we got stuck in traffic several times. I took advantage of the slow-moving traffic by re-reading some text from the Stephen R. Covey's book I had carried with me.

Then while we were heading to Murang'a from Nairobi, the taxi started moving fast and smoothly thanks to the Thika superhighway that was constructed by the administration of Mwai Kibaki, Kenya's third president. Travelling on Thika superhighway reminded me of my undergraduate years at JKUAT a decade ago because I used to commute on it on my way to the university.

As the taxi cruised on the superhighway, I contemplated continuing to re-read Covey's book during that smooth ride but I soon changed my mind and thought it wise to observe the environs of the superhighway. And while observing its environs, I realized how big the Earth is and how small we humans are.

The taxi gathered pace and sooner than later, Thika superhighway gave way to other minor tarmac roads that passed through hilly countrysides. The hilly countrysides were breathtakingly beautiful in their verdant colour. Whoever said Kenya is beautiful was right.

We arrived at my grandma's home at around 4.00pm. And because I didn't want to carry the heavy bundles of maize and wheat flour that we had bought on the way as a gift to grandma, I quickly alighted from the taxi as the driver was receiving instructions on where to park.

When I entered grandma's homestead, I found my relatives gathered on the compound. I greeted each of them warmly after which they asked me to have a meal. There was plenty of food to feast on but unfortunately, I was feeling full in the stomach even though I hadn't eaten anything for lunch. So I only partook a few slices of chapatti and several spoonfuls of cabbage stew.

Food aside, what impressed me most that Friday evening was to see my relatives in my ancestral land living peacefully with each other. There was a time, I must tell you, in December 2006 when I had found some of the relatives not on speaking terms with each other. And when I tried to mediate peace among them that time, Auntie Wachinga dismissed my efforts by telling me that's how people in rural areas live.

Last Friday evening during our visit, I exchanged pleasantries with the relatives and heard them share stories. But after about an hour, I got bored with taking part in their conversations. And never one to sit idly, I opened my bag, took out Stephen R. Covey's book and continued re-reading it. From the book, I learnt that it is prudent to consider people's character and competence before hiring them.

I would have loved to take a tour in my grandma's lush green farm and watch water flow in the Godo River that borders her farm, but there was no time for doing that. And as it was nearing dark, I got concerned that we were running late since we still had another long journey to make back to Kiserian. But Mum and the taxi driver didn't seem to mind how long we were staying at grandma's home. They continued sharing tales nonchalantly and taking drinks that were being served.

Finally, we left grandma's home at around 7.00pm. Since it was too dark outside to observe surroundings and equally too dark inside the taxi to continue re-reading Covey's book, I removed my smartphone tablet and read quotes from a website in the internet. Among the quotes I read is one that said, "Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body."

After what seemed a long trip, we arrived back home safely at around 10.30pm. I thanked God for the journey mercies and for the delightful interactions I had had with my relatives. And as I retired to bed that Friday night, I considered the day well spent.

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