I went to the Immigration offices here in Kisumu again, to process my travel documents and I will admit that I have come to embrace the ‘whatever happens will happen’ way of life.
First, there was the lady demanding my Dad’s ID number and photocopy after I had clearly told her that he’s been dead for eighteen years!
“You have to submit that too, Madam, go home urudi nayo!”
I assembled my papers, took a few breaths and told her as politely as I could, “I cannot produce what I do not have. You know according to the Kenyan laws, if someone dies, his family or next of kin have to surrender his ID card and post mortem report in exchange for a death certificate. My Dad has been dead for eighteen years, it’s not like I would wake him up to get what you want, so will you take the death certificate instead?”
I had clearly caused a scene, because when I turned to leave even the security guard was giving me the ‘woiye! I’m sorry for your loss’ look.
So, I went to a supermarket and bought four apples. Yes, in the world of cost and apples, I believe that 105 is quite a lucky number, and I spend just that on apples.
After that, I walked into Super Cosmetics to buy some hair color. My inner stylist has been craving for some color since I’ve been rocking my natural afro, and I wanted something either wooden brown or just brown.
I got this instead:

I don’t know what Medium Warm Brown looks like but we’ll see in a few days, won’t we?
But the highlight of my day had to be a conversation I had with this cute girl in baby dreadlocks that I met in a 44. To my diaspora friends, 44 is a matatu route here in Kisumu. The touts usually, mention at least three stopovers: Stage, Kibuye, Russia, Kondele, Kenya-Re.
So, once in I started looking at the box thinking of how weird if not incredibly awesome I’d look when this girl takes the seat beside me and goes, “is that hair color?”
I said, “Yes, I just got it.”
“Ni color gani?”
“Brown.”
“Umebuy kwa muhindi, how much?”
“Nope, nimebuy Super Cosmetics , they just opened a shop hapa Kisumu, and I wanted color poa, you know Dark and Lovely is good but kila msee ako na spicy red hair, so I thought why not try this?”
“Imagine ungeenda kwa Muhindi, ungeiget at maybe 300, ama 400, juu his cheap, but hata mimi I used Subaru before na saa hizi shida ni zingine ukibuy zinabackfire, like haishiki, but hiyo ni poa.”
“Subaru?”
“Ehe! It’s a hair color product too, yaani ulizia tu, inaitwa Subaru.”
“Nitauliza next time basi, nashuka hapa, thanks.”
“Sawa, baadaye.”

I kept thinking okay, maybe to stop my mind from going in circles is there a hair color product called “Subaru,” or am I so hung up on the vehicles that my mind is not open to any other thing associating with the name “Subaru?”

Help a sister out!