I remember growing back in the dusty tarmacs of Huruma, H town they call it. We all lived like one big family, your immediate neighbour would whip you when you forgot to take a shower or even a simple childish mistake like missing to aim the hole when answering an urgent call of nature. I remember brushing shoulders with one of my mates when his mother slapped me for making a fountain with urine, boys we all agree that this was one of the reason we drank a lot of water, to see who could make the highest fountain. I guess this is where we learned the art of endurance.
Hitch hiking was another fun moment that nobody could afford to miss. As for me, I never enjoyed this , it was meant to torture us, One day I vividly recall a friend of mine, Victor, hugging the ugly tarmac with his pot belly just because of not adhering to some simple physics, the force of inertia, as for those who can't relate, explaining it will make it loose the humor intended. Victor is still crippled to date, that was the last time i ever hung loose at the back of a pick up. For Victor it was a lesson learnt the hard way.
Ever played in the rain , when mum was away? Then this is for you. Some games would thrive best only under wet atmospheric conditions, one of which was the famous chobo ua . Where one would be beaten to death for letting the ball pass between his legs. Imagine the effect of a slap from a wet hand on the back! It was never all fun and games. Sometimes the one being beaten would turn against you and beat the weakling of the group; a typical tale of the hunter being the hunted.
Some games like gondi sinya , moulded as into the so called the bro code. This game for those who were raised in the leafy sub urbs, is what i think you called police and robber. Where one would would risk his freedom just to save a brother in 'custody'
Nothing was as interesting as watching a Commando movie in one of the movie dens. Getting that five shillings was not a walk in the park. One had to sacrifice, I remember for me, my hustle for getting money was by picking scrap metals and taking them for weighing. A kilo of scrap those days traded for two shillings, so in two and a half kilos was some five shillings.
Picking the scrap was fun, I remember I had an improvised magnet that i had tied to a long piece of thread and pulled it all the way. Sometimes when luck was on your side, you could get some coins on the spark, saving you the hustle of going to Gishoi, the scrap dealer.
People say that the boy child skipped showers in those days. But that was not the case for me, skipping to grace the frog's kingdom would lead to some degree of public humiliation. Imagine being washed at the car wash with those boys who work there? For me i didn't have to imagine, all i needed was to skip the shower for two consecutive days.
You guys remember dancing in those Coca cola promotions? I was a king of the dancehall and had won the hearts of many. Dancing in the public was never a big deal for me, that made drink free sodas and walk away with the goodies that accompanied the caravan.
Having girlfriends in primary was considered a taboo. I remember getting myself in hot soup just for telling a female classmate of mine,Becky, that she looked beautiful. It was such a big case that my father had to be summoned in school the next day. But we still managed to be good friends with Becky. I know wherever she is she misses the boy I was. Becky if you get to read this, please know you have a space in my heart.
Oh no! Sweet nostalgia, can somebody take me back?
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