“A special place in hell”

“Please do not reveal my identity” she said. “I promise, I can never do that, trust me” I added….

She begins…

Life has never been that easy since I left that house. It was everything that I could ask for, it was like a dream come true.
These days finding a decent job is hard, especially when you have no formal education and the highest I studied was class five in Madzimbani primary school, (Kilifi County). We even see graduates with placards in the news and all over social media asking and begging to be employed because times are tough and the rate of unemployment is very high with most of the jobs given to older people and the rest, requires to scratch someone’s back either by money or the other way, you know it better.
Let me not go there, it’s a discussion for another day.
I worked for this humble ‘Mama” for two years, I call her humble because she treated me like her own daughter. She had two girls with her husband who was head of a corporate somewhere. So most of the times, he was on business trips in and out of the country.
The husband could come back from those trips with gifts for me like the rest of them and even brought more, because he knew I had three children back at home with my mother.
I started to admire him because of how caring he was towards me. I could be moody all day but when I hear Papa’s car approaching in the evening, my moods would change and suddenly be cheerful and excited.
Mama noticed my behavior and suspected that I could be seeing her husband.
She gave me warnings several times towards my change of behavior but I did not give a damn about it.
One day she just woke up and gave me a two months’ notice of losing my job.
That is when my revenge started. School had closed and her children were at home all day.
I started introducing them to men of different ages during the day and asked them never to tell anyone or else they would die.

“Take some napkin and wipe your tears,” I told her as she wiped uncontrollably.

She proceeded…

The girls aged 18 and 16 had gotten used to seeing different men occasionally and they best kept the secret.
It haunts me every day and I have never seen peace and happiness in my life. I left the place with the parents suspecting nothing.
I cried one day when I heard one of the girls had gotten pregnant and the other had committed suicide after testing positive for HIV/AIDS.
I know I have a special place in hell, but am asking for forgiveness from them when they get to read this. I cannot face them.

Do you have a story worth sharing? Email at hanifatamin@gmail.com

SECOND WIFE

I have been married for the past thirty years and I can never allow him to get a second wife, not when am still breathing even though chances of survival now are at stake because of this wave called (COVID–19) that has kept everyone in their houses, more so husbands that were never seen during the day and now children are surprised why Daddy is living with them.
Times are tough, and more so some couples in marriages and relationships are really hanging in there waiting for the lockdown to be uplifted so that they can eventually see marriage counsellors/ therapists and some have their divorce papers ready because they cannot stand their spouses anymore.
Just like in China, divorce rates were reported to be high the moment it was declared Corona free.
Anyway lets come back to my story, a few days ago, my husband sent me a wrong text, a text that was not meant for “moi” (French meaning me, I did some basic French in campus haha) but for his MWK (Mpango Wa Kando/side chick). I know Kenyans who are in that famous group in Facebook called “kilimani mums and dads uncensored” can relate.
“Thanks baby nimepata photos” that was the text message that sent pain down my spine and I could not move or utter anything for a minute, you could think I was a stroke patient.
He was not at home at that time and I wondered what the next thing to do is. Should I call my mum? No, she is ailing and I might add pressure on her. Friends? No, they will form a WhatsApp group and backbite me and say how I used to speak so well of my husband and that It was my turn to feel what some had gone through already.
After scratching my head for half an hour, I decided to call him directly to get the truth firm the horse’s mouth.
When I asked him why he did send me such a text and I hadn’t sent any photos whatsoever, his reply was the text was not meant for me and that he is going to get a second wife soon and he is glad am now aware.
A second wave of pain now ran through my whole body cutting open, wounds of my C-section that had healed fifteen years ago.
I disconnected the phone call and called all my nine boys for an emergency family meeting.
All of them were surprised by their fathers’ actions and supported their one and only who carried them for nine good months and cried very hard, abusing nurses while pushing them out though her cervix.
They called him later in the evening for a men’s talk and since then, there has been no such word as “second wife” in my house.

Do you have a story worth sharing?
Get in touch at hanifatamin@gmail.com, will you?

"My Sunshine"

Since the break of (Covid 19) pandemic, I have one guy who has stuck by side through thick and thin, through blood and sweat.

I recently moved from town where I hustle to “ushago” where it’s very peaceful and one can use this time and moment to reflect on future plans if not for Corona virus which has put us in one rectangular block, our house where all days seem the same. Every day is like a weekday except for weekend where I don’t get to watch episodes of “Maria” on citizen TV.

So this guy of mine, very heavy and well-built always makes my morning. I like how he smiles at me when I move closer every morning. At times, he is the one who wakes me up.

What a life! 

You would say it’s a match made in heaven, what some people would call ‘soulmates”.

His chocolate complexion and brown eyes are what makes me crazy whenever our eyes meet. It’s always a moment with us, he is my sunshine.

When I woke up today, he was nowhere to be seen. He had left even without saying goodbye. It is such situations that make people go through heart breaks. 

Am really hurt from the inside because no one can replace my stolen bull.

When you get to see him anywhere, roaming around, looking for directions to come back to his soulmate, do not hesitate but give me a call.

I will be more than glad to find my missing Friesian.

Do you have a story worth sharing? Get in touch at hanifatamin@gmail.

How to Wash Your Hands Effectively

How to Wash Your Hands Effectively

Washing hands during COVID -19 pandemic is very important and when done in the right way, one can protect themselves from infections and other diseases.
Below are steps guiding on how to wash your hands according to World Health Organization (WHO)
Get your hands wet by holding them under the tap for a few seconds
Rub the soap all over your palms and the back of your hands
When there is enough lather, keep rubbing your palms together
Rub the palm of one hand over the back of the other hand running the fingers through each other at the same time: repeat this for the other hand
Rub your palms together, running your fingers through each other as well
With the fingers of one hand, run the back of the finger on the other hand and vice versa
Rub the thumbs on the palms of each hand one after the other in circular motions
Take the fingers of one hand in the palms of the other and rub in circular motion, do this for both hands
Rinse both hands with water
Dry your hands preferably with a paper towel
Use this towel to turn the tap off
Stay home, keep social distancing and wash your hands to prevent the spread of the virus.
Let’s flatten the curve.