It is Sunday Morning. My friends and I decided to sit in for service in one church. We do this once every month then proceed to have lunch and watch a play together or go bowling. At least this way, we are able to maximize on our hang-out days. Life in Nairobi has undoubtedly shifted to the fast lane. There is barely time to breathe! Ask everyone else and they will concur that the United Nations or whoever else responsible needs to meet and give the rest of us an eighth day in the week. I wonder what it would be called…Straday? I digress.
This particular day, there are seven wedding bans being announced. As the service leader takes the liberty to read out the names and call them upfront to be prayed for, my heart chuckles within me. Without a doubt, all these people about to ‘get hitched’ are from different tribes. What a joy! Some readers might not understand what a milestone this is for Kenyans, so I will be more than pleased to explain.
Up until 2008, all of Kenya had consolidated into a seemingly solid block that coexisted peacefully and behaved as one. But as ionic bonds succumb to the pressures of water, all in all half a century’s job of unifying our country’s forty two tribes came crumbling down. People fought, killed and hated on each other. Relationships ended, spouses suffered rejection and threats on their lives, and the land of no divides was unduly separated by blood and nativity. Honestly, I never was very optimistic that we would heal, let alone so fast.
Needless to say, there is beautiful light, not just at the end of the tunnel, but in it as well. So all through the sermon, with the realization that time does indeed heal all wounds, I remained a smiley face. Maybe, just maybe, i will relive my childhood dream of marrying from a different culture and naming my children after flowers and planets rather than their ancestors. For no reason at all other than that who a person is is more important than where they come from.
I may not know where love and money stand, because that is an endless debate I choose to not indulge in; but really, at the end of the day, love knows no tribe.
Photo credit: theswedish
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Njambi is a young and vibrant urban soul. Great poet and scriptwriter. She authors the blog callmealien.wordpress.com