Its the year 1999 and a young @Ka-Buda finds himself illegal in a Country far away from Kenya after dropping out of a fully sponsored 4 year degree Course.
What to do?..
Tafuta Fake Jualas (papers) , Fake National insurance Number,register with a job agency and go to work!.. Simple.
Or so it sounded and to an extent,it was!..
I mean there was more jobs available than people to do them and the Jobs agencies in town were more than happy to “fore-go” the thorough checks in a bid for them to meet targets in providing staff to the desperate companies. Not to mention the serious money they were earning from you on Commissions etc…
Anyway i settle into this job where we work for a major supermarkets Warehouses Distribution Centre.
For months its just the normal Routine ya Clock in ,do your 8 hours and any overtime you can get and clock out again!
5 days a week and every Friday you have your money in your account no stress!
The Company has Security guys that make sure that staff don`t rob the merchandise and its almost all done on CCTV but every hour the Security guys take a walk through the whole Warehouse and swipe their cards at designated spots as a sign that they have been out and about.
There is soon a Ghanaian Security guard which was a first juu all the others were Wangoso and i bet it was just a way of the Mzungu to avoid accusations of Racism etc. especially juu they made random checks at the Exit door every end of Shift and people would always accuse the jungus of picking on Black people…
On this fateful Sunday we start our kawaida 2PM to 10PM shift kama kawaida and being a Sunday, its mostly foreigners on shift trying to earn that Overtime pay and even on Security i noticed that it was Maxwell on Security on this day. Him and some Jungu guy nobody liked.
Shift proceeds as per kawaida until about 8PM which is just 2 hours short of the end of the shift!
Maxwell is on his Hourly Patrols inside the Warehouse But he is acting very weird!
As i approach him to say hello etc… he blinks one of his eyes and makes it obvious that i cannot talk to him!..
Took me aback because he would normally acknowledge me and we would even have a conversation before he proceeded on his Patrol!
I dnt think anything of it until i see him do the same to his fellow Ghanaian friend with whom he speaks in their language although he does not stop walking and reading from their body language,i knew something was going down so i cant wait to speak to this Ghanaian guy as soon as Maxwell is out of sight!
Kumbe Maxwell is trying to warn All of us working Illegally ati kumekujwo and that the Police and Immigration Department wako hapo Reception with a Full list of their Suspects and that they can`t wait for the end of the shift to start catching us!
They also are observing Maxwell on CCTVas he makes his hourly patrol incase he tips us off!
Anyhow,The Nairobian Kauzi in me soon comes out and me and this other Ghanaian friend of Maxwell head for the Fire exit which was always open in Summer and as we climb down the scary flight of stairs from the 4th floor of this warehouse,we see other foreigners doing the same so we know …Enyewe kimenyambana!..
Soon its quick over a very high Fence and into the dark wilderness attempting to stay clear Not just of the main road but also from other Escapees!..
I had a car parked at the warehouse but this is no time to worry about that!..
I knew the Way the immigration guys worked in these country and all i can think of now is that i need to get to my House and clear out before these guys come to look for me there!
I have less than 3 hours to do so so its go,go,go! … and luckily i get to my address which didn`t amount to anything more than a Room in a shared house.
I secure all incriminating Paperwork etc… and i am out in less than 20 minutes!
Sure as Clock-work,the Coppers and Immigration officials were there before Dawn But i was only one of a few of the Lucky ones.
About 5 Kenyans i knew got Caught at the warehouse and they were deported 2 days later not to mention tens of other Foreigners from all over the world that got caught that night. Wote walirudishwa kwao.
Enyewe watu hutoka Far Maishani… And i wouldn`t Change it Juu it made me who i am Today.