Be A Kind Gangster.

What goes around comes around. Last week I was in Kisii County for my friend’s funeral. I left Nairobi early on Thursday and traveled with my pal Max and his good wife. We used the Mai Mahiu Road and then onto the Narok Road. We continued through Bomet, Sotik then finally into Kisii. I love road trips because of the lie of our land. Driving through landscapes of wheat farms, tea, and banana plantations interspersed with tree cover just arouses my love for nature. Using that road just reminded me once again of our magical Kenya. We live in a supu country folks. And Kibaki built us good roads so we have no excuse not to Tembea Kenya. Even the small roadside markets selling fresh farm produce add to the landscape and color of our country.

Max had booked us (and a few more folks) accommodation at the Dallas Premier Hotel in Kisii town. Devolution was a genius move for this country. It felt like we were at a hotel in Nairobi. I remember a pal asking me where we will sleep and I told her Dallas Inn. She googled it and what she saw concerned her. It was quite hilarious noting her concern because the Dallas that Google showed was an old small motel bang in the middle of town with rooms seated above a discotheque with all colors of LED lights trying to outshine each other.

Did you know that there is a Central Bank in Kisii? Now you know. We figured it must be due to the huge cash inflows, especially from the diaspora (read Minnesota). With improved leadership and governance, this country can be the Singapore we are being told about. Kenya has all ingredients to be an African lion just like the Asian tiger economies we read about. And I’m willing to play my small part towards achieving that reality.

After the first day of helping condole with our friend’s family and preparing for his burial the following day, we retired to Dallas Premiere. It was about 8 pm when we arrived and found the parking full so we parked at the car wash next to the hotel. I disembarked with my laptop bag which had my wallet in it. I had tried using my laptop earlier and then put it back but didn’t zip the bag fully.

I strapped it on my shoulder and when we reached the hotel entrance the lady guard politely asked me to close my bag properly lest my laptop falls off. I did so and thanked her. I had forgotten to zip it earlier. We all got to our rooms and settled in. After about an hour Max calls me and asks if I believe in miracles. I said of course without much thought. Then he asks that I open my room.

He had forgotten his phone charger in the car and reluctantly went for it as his phone was low on juice. As he approached his car he spots a wallet on the ground behind his car. He picks it up and checks the contents inside. Lo and behold it was my wallet that had dropped from my laptop bag. I was shocked at this miracle because that’s how I saw it. The inconvenience of losing my bank cards, ID, driving license, and the little cash in there would have been disheartening. I thanked Max and the God who sent him to cover me.

That event reminded me of a similar one last year, but that time I was the Max to some unknown guy and we were not in Kisii hehe…. I had gone shopping with my mum at the Waterfront Mall in Karen. When we got back to the car I noticed a wallet on the cabro floor next to my door. I picked it up and perused the contents. It belonged to a mzungu from the cards therein. I imagined how distraught he must have been upon realizing that his wallet was missing. I wondered what to do with it. Do I give it to the guards in the parking, take it to the mall management office or go with it and try to find this person? There wasn’t a phone number to call in there and that made it difficult to trace the owner.

Then I remembered Google is our friend. That’s one benefit of social media. You can find someone easily. I searched the name on Instagram and Facebook and saw photos similar to the mug shot on his cards in the wallet. That confirmed it was him. I messaged him and he replied that indeed he couldn’t find his wallet and was last with it at the Waterfront Mall.

I’m sure he thought I will ask for money to get it back. He was surprised when I asked him to meet me the next day at some shops near home since he also lived not too far away from me. The following day was a Sunday and I went with my son in the afternoon to hand over the wallet. After we drove into the parking I spotted a tall Mzungu guy leaning on a Prado just looking around.

I drove to him and called out his name just to make sure. He looked at me as if he had seen an angel, threw his hands in the air, and shouted my name in excitement. It was quite the reunion with his wallet as I handed it to him. My son just watched in amazement. It felt good helping someone in this way. As we bid him kwaheri he said he has to give me something in appreciation. I politely declined but the guy insisted. Plus my son didn’t help.

The mzungu asked him if he would like to buy something in the shops and my kijana wasn’t shy. He even listed his candy shopping list and that’s how we got 10k just like that. The boy stocked up enough candy for a week. The excuse that I didn’t have money was now invalid. I remember the guy saying that his faith in humanity had been restored because he didn’t know that honest people still exist. Well, I was proud to be counted among the honest ones and I pray my little man caught a lesson there. We parted ways and I noticed later he followed my page on Instagram as we both shared a passion for nature photography. I hope he’s doing well whichever corner of the world he is in.

Folks I strongly feel that Max found my wallet because the universe owed me a debt after helping a stranger. That debt was paid in Kisii. Guys a good deed never goes unnoticed. We have a saying in my mother tongue when loosely translated means, when you do good then you are doing good to yourself. And that’s why I feel kindness is so gangster. Be gangsta folks and terrorize people with your kind acts.