This was when reggae sessions zilikuwa ndo kabisa, one of the popular club was Brilliant hotel pale Ngara. It’s in this club that I enjoyed most of my heppi, got a taste of the first lanye and also got myself on the wrong side of the law nlipo divert a pen knife aimed at me and it landed on someone’s butt cheek nkaekewa hio kisanga.
Those days warasta walikuwa watu peaceful sana save for a few isolated incidents hapa na pale. We had alot of massives(mitaa) na the respect was there. Kuenda reggae was the real deal while kupata a decent gal na kumkatia ilikuwa ni kibarua. The few girls in attendance walikuwa ni wale vichwa ngumu, ukimletea na yeye anakuletea. Ukianza kiswahili mob atakusho live, … “kama ni punani unadai si useme nikuuzie uwache story mob” na hawajali. Am glad I made it through.
Niwarudishe tu nyuma kiasi; attending a reggae session ilikuwa ni an event that one had to plan for well. Started with me visiting baite pale Ungwaro place inaitwa Msalaba na kunyaka kg yangu ya gomba, next ilikuwa ni kumek sure achwiti yangu iko set na sahara zimengara. Filimbi haingekosa kwa mix. I had a yellow one which I usually carried around my neck nkienda reggae, ya kuchangamsha majamaa kwa dancefloor and to acknowledge the dj akirusha ma shout outs, hio pia ilikuwa lazima iwe polished and ready. Then kushiba poa before kuanza kushikisha and lastly meet up with my ghettomates for the final planning kushuka klabu. Kuingia ilikuwa ni after 10pm.
On this particular day, a friday, I ended up ndani ya Brillie hotel bila crew yangu ya mtaani. Kama kawaida kinglion sounds walikuwa wana wakilisha. After kujibamba I decided kuchill kiasi away from the dancefloor ndo nsikize reggae na mbachu kama nmetulia. Looking around I found a kaspace near the main entrance nikajichoma kwa hio kiti. Sitting next to me was this not so pretty petite girl with some weird looking dreadlocks and wearing a don’t touch trao, a sleeveless top and a serious taxin on her left cheek. I just sat there and assumed she dint exist.
She broke the silence kuniuliza kama nko na fegi to which I noded in the affirmative. Akadai nmpatie, so nkachomoa pako yangu ya rooster na kumtolea moja na mi nkaseti ingine kwa mdomo, nkaiwasha alafu nikampitishia ndo aseti yake na hivo ndo story ilianza.
One thing led to another and right there before tujue ni aje kidole ilikuwa ishapenya ndani ya chupi yake na yellow paging ile serious ikawa ongoing while she freely offered me her green coloured lips after kutema taxin. Tukapeana mate hapo akimoan mdogo while breath ikimwepuka. While engrossed in the act, nkiwa nawaza vyenye ntampeleka kwa kona pale kando ya speaker, the only sure place to engage in the immoral act, I was rudely awaken from my thoughts by shattering glass from a beer bottle that had hit the wall right behind me, zikimwagika kwa mgongo. The bottle was meant for my head but the thrower was too drunk to make a perfect aim and that’s how I lived to see the next day.
The mamafaka wasn’t done yet, he came charging at me claiming I had taken his ngeo na dem naye alimruka akidai hapana tambua yeye. I scanned the guy nkajua na hio ulevi, tukikaenda one on one haniwes but wasn’t sure akona akina nani. Mujamaa akanikuta poa blow kathaa nkakula canvas. Hapo nliona nkizuba huyu ninja atani own. Vita za club kwa crowd huwa ni easy kupigana, that’s what I learnt that day. Tactfully nliamka nikakunja ngumi na kuanza ku spur, nkaruka ka ndauwo na kuchapa mujamaa kofi moja swafi across the face aka stagger akirudi nyuma. By then tulikuwa tume achiwa space ya kulimana juu majamaa wote walihepa hio within. Mboyz kurudi nkamuongeza teke na kumsukuma kwa umati, na juu klabu huwa na ma idlers wengi waiting for an opportunity ka hii, vyenye aliwaangukia hivi walimkaribisha na mangoto before ma bouncer waingilie kati. Ikabidi kwanza ngoma itulie adi peace and love ikue kwa dancefloor.
After ka interogation kiasi mujamaa akatupwa nje reggae ikaendelea. Nlibaki na dem tukijibamba, at the back of my mind najua kile inaningoja. Kawaida mbulu ka hizi haziishagi tu hivyo. Anyways nliendelea kuji nice adi chee. Ngware nkateremka stairs na sister reggae in tow. Nafika hapo inje bado nategea mroro afike down twende, jeshi ishanifikia na kuninyaka. Within a few minutes nilikuwa nmeona cha mtema kuni. Sister reggae kuona hivo akapanda stairs mbio na kurudi ndani ya club, mi naye kupata mpenyo nkachomoka teke nyuma yake. Maboy nao nyuma yangu wakanidandia hapo kwa stairs. Kama sio bouncer fulani kufika in time sijui ingekuwaje. Nlipata black eye na nundu mahali nlipigwa hedi.
That day nlijipatia mawaks za ufala ka kufagia floor pale ndani ya klabu nsitupwe nje na pia kubuy time majamaa wajipe shughuli ndo nitoke. By 8am saile nlichungulia nje nka notice majamaa walishainua kuenda kukaokota. Mimi na sister reggae wangu tukachomoka destination plot ten. Kiraka ilistay kwangu for 3 days in a row nikipiga mucakwe daily and she enjoying every bit of it, the only time I experienced maisha ya ‘kuoa’. Btw hawa madem hivi hivi huwa wako tops sana bedminton speaking. That, I confirmed.