Neighbor, Gone Too Soon

Back in the '90s when people left trade fairs in amazement after seeing touchscreen monitors, we had a neighbor called Harun who ran a shop unlike any other in our home area.

For one, it sold cold soft drinks because it had a fridge. Then, it had a shade where customers could relax to enjoy drinks, swap stories, or even play board games.

Once when I was feeling excited, I went to the shop to enjoy a soft drink. As Harun was serving me, I told him his shop was the Nakumatt of our home area. (Nakumatt was a leading supermarket here in Kenya whose tagline was "You Need It, We've Got It".)

But Harun wasn't impressed with the way I was flattering him. He protested in Sheng, "My friend, you are enjoying me and I'm not enjoying it."

When I finally sat down to enjoy my drink, I noticed Harun had given me less change than I was supposed to get. So when I was done, I pointed out the error to him, only for him to blurt out in Sheng, "Umekuja hapa na pang'ang'a mingi mpaka nikachanganyikiwa! (You've come here with a lot of nonsense till I got mixed up!)"

That was the first time I was hearing the word "pang'ang'a"; and it sounded so funny to my ears that it had me in stitches. I even pronounced it several times just to try it on my lips.

Then another time when I wasn't feeling excited, I went to the shop and Harun served me while going on about a dog. When he realized I wasn't saying anything, he asked me whether I was paying attention to what he was saying. I apologized for being silent before telling him I didn't know he was talking to me.

Then I quickly pieced what was going on and learnt it was our dog he was complaining about. Not wanting to annoy him any more, I promised to keep the dog from following me the next time I visited his shop.

You know what? Last Sunday when Dad came home from church, he told us a neighbour of ours called Karemeri had lost one of her sons. Piqued, I asked him in Kikuyu, "Is it the son who runs a shop?"

"I don't know," he replied, "but I don't think he is the one."

Dad called a family friend to ask about the death - and alas! - it was Harun who had passed away. Yes, the one who ran a shop unlike any other in our home area. May his soul rest in peace.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed this story, you might also enjoy "A Neighbour Who Loved Cleanliness".