JAJUOK!

Jajuok = Night Runner 👽👺

Chiro = market 🍉🍍🍅

Years back, one fateful night tukitoka 'chiro', tuliencounter 'jajuok' head-on. Ocha wasee huenda chiro late sana, it was normal for women, men & children to leave home at around 5pm to go to an evening flea & vegetable market that's about 8-10km away on foot. This day my mama, Nyar Gwassi decided to send four of us to the chiro; myself, two lady cousins & one king of life's mischief, my cousin Omondi.

Among the tasks to be ticked off the shopping list was making sure tumesiaga mahindi gorogoro tatu zenye Nyar Gwassi had put in a gunia. Hio unga ndio ilikuwa ya kupika supper that night. Omosh decided kutangulia using my father's Black Mamba bicycle as his mode of transport. Plan ilikuwa ni afike wa kwanza ndio apange line kwa kisiagi, afanye shopping so that sisi tukifika we just pick the stuff together with other 'lady stuff' and head back home. Easy job, RIGHT? 

Hakukuwa na simu hizo days sa hakuna venye tungecommunicate na cuzo kumuuliza kama amefika ama ka kisiagi inafanya kazi. Nduthi hazikuwa zimefika huko interior as well so ilikuwa kalesa (on foot) tu hadi kwa soko. Once we got there, to our surprise, cuzo hakuwa amebuy vitu!! To make matters worse hio kisiagi MOJA ilikuwa hapo mafuta ya kuoperate generator ilikuwa imeisha so we had no option but to go to the next Shopping Center which was like a kilometre away to siaga the oduma (maize). It was kedo 6.30pm. 

Enzi zile street lights zilikuwa ndoto tu brethren. Giza Totoro. Omosh was left behind to finish off some 'plan' he had with one of his friends who always seemed homeless. "An pok aneno kijana moluoro pi to lil kosiep Omondi cha. Omera boyno dung, anguro ber ber." people would say, referring to the friend. (Translation: "Mi sajai ona kijana hapendi kuoga na ni mchafu kama ule beshte ya Omosh. Ye hunuka aki, hata heri nguruwe."

3 teenage girls tukamaliza shughuli tukaanza mwendo kuishia home, expecting Omosh atupate mbele na bike ya bazenga (mzae/dad😎). I was a bit sceptical about us heading home alone coz I'd heard story za wachawi huko plus hio area ya home mahao ziukuwa scattered sana. It's was 9pm heading to 10 but tuchochana ati tuko watatu hakuna kitu inaeza happen 😂😂....halafu ati bro atatufuata nyuma in no time so WHY WORRY???

Ile unga kuna venye ilikuwa mob ikawekwa kwa gunia mbili since ingewekwa kwa moja mse mmoja hangebeba. Two of us tukabeba kwa kichwa coz thats how it's done & other girl akabeba mafuta ya taa kwa kibuyu ya quencher imefunikwa na kanylon ju kifuniko ilipata miguu 😂. Manguna tukaanza safari ...hio place ni field...acacia trees ndio zmejaa....as we started the journey....stories mob nini nini...then kulikuwa na wamama wawili walianza na sisi but ikafika place wakabranch.

After kutembea almost half the journey, unga kwa vichwa ...kuna venye nikaskia kitu imeanguka kama mawe mbele yetu... "THUP!"....I didn't think much about it. Just thought it was my mind playing tricks on me. The other ladies wako busy chatting...NIKASKIA YA PILI!!! "THUUPP!! 😲😲Hio sound ilikuwa tu side yangu manze 😂.

"Gai...nyi hamskii ni kama kuna mawe inatupwa mahali?" I asked.

"Hahaha...wapi wewe? Wacha kuwa mwoga!!"

"Smameni tu mskie....walai nimeskia kitu....Mungu moja....Na si chocha!!!."

Tukasmama wote....it's extremely dark but we knew our way. Hakuna kitu waliskia ...wakaanza kuniingilia ati niwache za ovyo. Mi nikasema ni sawa....ni ndoto...ama maybe Omosh ndio anatry za ovyo. Katrip kakaendelea na mastory hadi time kimawe kikibwa kilitupwa mbele ya cuzo akiwa na unga kwa gunia juu ya kichwa halafu sauti nyuma yetu ni kama mse anakimbia "PA! PA!PA! PA!" ....wuueeeh 

WADAU, WADAUDETTES, MABIBI, MABWANA, MA SIDE-CHICK, NDUGU ZANGUNI, DADA ZANGUNI, KUNGUNI....mnasemanga kipchoge keino mnakosea, mnasemanga Usain Bolt mnakosea😂.... Mguu niponye ndio kusema nini my frend...???? Tulianza kukimbia kila mtu different direction lakini making sure hio njia itatufikisha home. Unajaribu kupiga nduru....haitoki poa inatoka ni kama unaimba, sa ata mse akikuskia atadhani kuna matanga ya mtu ...ju hivo ndio wajaka hulia kwa matanga.

"UUUiiiii.....uuuuuii...alululu...alululu....mayoooo.....mayooo...mamaaaa!!...Jajuok!Jajuok!! Jajuok!!"

Unga ya one of us, gunia ilifunguka hio kamba akijaribu kushika poa akimbie nayo ikamwagika...sasa ni trail ya white inamfuata...halafu kichwa na mgongo ni unga tu......waaah sema kujaribu kulia lakini hakuna machozi. The other girl mafuta ya taa aliwacha mahali mbio ilianzia halafu yeye alikuwa pum pum (ndio maana alibeba mafuta tu)...anakimbia slow motion...halafu nduru zake ni kama zinakatwa before zitoke in full. 

Sisi tuko zile za....."Uuuuùiii..."

Yeye..."Uuuu".....

Sisi..."Mayoooo..."

Yeye...."Maaaa"

Breath yake ilikuwa inaishia katikati.

Unakimbia ukijua "Leo ndio Ile siku Angel Gabriel ananikamia" Tulikuwa ready kuenda kwa baba. We didn't wait to face the Jajuok head on. Mguu niponye hadi home.

**********

Hio siku tulikula mkate na sturungi. Nyar Gwassi wasn't having any of it na the following day tulienda kumwonesha mahali unga ilimwagika. Usiwai taka kushutuliwa na mchawi/nightrunner..esp kama umebeba unga!! That's their aim - just to scare. I hear they don't hurt anyone, they just find joy in scaring people. To date nashuku ni Omosh though 😂😂!! But ile sound ya footsteps hakuna venye ingekuwa mse mmoja....or maybe walikuwa na ule beshte mchafu? We'll never know.

#WayBackWhen

#MyKenyanStories

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#2020