Hallo

He had no hope,
She had no hope,
They were both,
Hopeless,
Their destiny was tied,
In hopelessness,

Society unravels everyday unbeknownst of the struggles, trials and tribulations of the society it’s meant to protect. Everyday people, walk, day in and day out, not a smile, not a head nod or an acknowledgement of their brother’s existence, we walk. Walk away from other peoples’ pain, walk away from other people’s suffering, walk away from other people’s adversity. Maybe we have crossed each other in the supermarket, or maybe we were even in the same nursery but life happened, let’s walk and let me tell you a story of two individuals:Akinyi(Candy) and John

Candy
Her mother lost her job, her father ran off with a younger lover; enticed by the folly of youth, six other siblings in a 10 x 20 shack, limited food, with limited opportunities for a girl with a half baked education, her circumstances did not promise her a better life. “Akinyi, there’s this man I want you to go and see, he lives in plot 10, door number 9,” her mother said as tears were rolling down her cheek, “Mama why you crying?” she replied, “Don’t ask me questions!” he mother replied harshly,” I was cooking for you and your ungrateful siblings! It must be the onions, now go! And don’t let me have to repeat myself!” Off she went not knowing, life was to deal her an unexpected blow.
She lost her innocence that day, she was violently raped and lost her innocence and as she ran outside, she met her mother, who solemnly stood outside. “MOTHER! MOTHER! THAT MAN….HE FORCED HIMSELF ON ME!” she yelled as she cried profusely, and as she turned, she saw the man come outside and give her mother money, grin and walk back into his house looking fulfilled with himself.
“Akinyi, I’m sorry but one day you’ll understand…..its for….the good of the family….”she said, as she looked down, unable to even look at her daughter.
Akinyi stood there, pain stricken, downcast and that’s the day she “died” From that day she ran! She no longer walked but she ran, ran away from it all, ran away from herself she ran.
“Excuse me young girl, you look lost, can I give you a lift?” a motorist stopped and asked her, as she stood there still lost in the memories, she blankly entered the car, and this was the beginning of Candy, Akinyi died.

John
“John! How long am I gonna put up with this!the baby has been crying for forty minutes straight, I don’t know how long I’m gonna put up with this!” his girlfriend blared,” I can’t believe I left everything I have for this, you were the biggest mistake I ever made in my life, look at your daughter LOOK!”
Allow me to introduce to you John, a promising individual, charming, innovative……downtrodden. He had graduated from University seven years ago, top of his class, a few challenges hit his life and in one of his drinking sprees met Sheila at a bar. Their Chemistry was instantaneous and as instantaneous as it started, that’s how it ended. Life happened, no work, no opportunities living from job to job,whatever he could find. No one willing to support his ideas and visions, and now he had a daughter who he couldn’t support and a girlfriend who was going to walk.
“Sheila,….you know I’ve tried….I’ve tried….”he said with all the strength he could muster as he stared at his daughter. “well, its not good enough I’m sick and tired of your endless promises, MY DAUGHTER! Will not live off your promises!” she said as she picked up the baby. “DON’T EVEN DARE LOOKING FOR ME!”
“He sat there broken and contrite in spirit, how could someone from such a well to do background find himself here,” he asked himself. The phone rang,”John, its been awhile man, where have you been hiding, still on nappy duty hey? The person on the other line chuckled,”I’ve just got a job and me and the boys were going to celebrate I was wondering if you could come?” “Man, my life’s messed up right now, I’m not in the mood” “that’s why you coming! I’m picking you up in twenty minutes”and the caller hang up.
Motionless he sat there with tears in his eyes, recollecting each and every moment in his life. The doorbell rang “Ding! Dong!”….again it rang “Ding! Dong!”, whoever was at the door must have realized it was open and let himself in. “Geez! Man you look terrible, what the hell is going on with you?” he said,”ummmm things have just gone terribly wrong!” John replied, “it looks like you need this more than me, get up we’re going, and when’s the last time you showered!”
John slowly got up, freshened up as Maina waited for him. “Okay, I don’t see the point it couldn’t get any worse let’s go” John said as he entered the room where Maina was waiting for him.
They left to Club Caban, the hippest nightspot in town. The rest of his friends indulged themselves oblivious of John, only with random glances to say,”what you having?” they “acknowledged” him. The night went on with the same trend until the “boys” got tired and decided to switch venue”Oh! John we’re leaving for another club”Maina said, John was busy still reflecting over what just happened,”John!......John!”Maina tried calling him, and seeing no response, paid for the bill and left him some money as they left.
“Hey! There boy, your looking lonely, would you mind some company, I don’t like seeing handsome men alone” a beautiful, scantily dressed woman said to him as she pulled up a seat. “whatever, I doubt I’ll be good company” he replied,” Its okay I’ll be the judge of that” Candy retorted and as Candy began to strike a conversation he began to open up to her. Maybe all he needed was someone to talk to.
They talked for ages and he bought for her drinks as the night wore down. “Last call for alcohol” the bartender yelled. “it looks like we have to call it a night” John said,”well, the night doesn’t have to end here?” she replied with a cheeky grin. In his drunken stupor he proceeded to leave with Candy for the night, back to his place.
After a night of guilty pleasures he woke up not to see Candy ever again.
Days passed and went, as his relationship with his girlfriend and mother of his child deteriorated and so was the case with his health. “I can’t place what’s wrong with me” he thought to himself, he thought nothing of it and life continued.
One day as he walked down the street, tarmacking for a job, and he saw a sign “Have you been tested?” “Impossible!” he thought to himself but the image wouldn’t leave his mind.
As he sat at a Jobless Corner where people would wait for any “menial” jobs he saw a testing center in the distance. He couldn’t get his eyes off it and after a long and protracted battle within himself he stood up and proceeded to it.
“Goodafternoon, have a seat, have a look at this pamphlet as you wait,”a social worker said as she ushered him in. The room was dead silent even the T.V across looked like it had no sound coming from it. Everyone around him looked tense making that “God, if you don’t allow this, I will never”promise. He looked around saw a stack of magazines that he began to shuffle through and as he did that he heard a loud cry”WHY! WHYYYYYYY?NOOOOOOOOO? IT’S A LIE!!!!!” and as he looked up he saw Candy.

In life, we walk passed each other everyday, oblivious of each others struggles. We have lost the fundamentals of humanity, the rights to life. We live in a society that is materialistic, “what can you do for me?” We may not acknowledge it but our lives are woven together, poverty, unemployment, lack of healthcare, environmental degradation the list is endless, we may not think it but it does. Not acknowledging the struggles of our brothers is not acknowledging ourselves. What happened to us? We lost the greatest right and privilege, and core value….that is the right to love……. or we might just be tied in our hopelessness.
Next time you see me, be sure to say”Hallo!”