nilichoandika

Laana and The Prince: A Conversation

December 5th, 2020

“Well, my Father intends to travel to another kingdom, and has asked me to get my head in order and prepare for a trade visit to the kingdom at the far east, we are running low on provisions of salt, cassava and we need better spears for our warriors. He says that he knows the people despise us and would not trade with us, but he is hoping that their hate would not spill over to me and we can at least get salt and cassava. I leave in two days.”

“I wish you well on your journey Prince, may your meeting be a fruitful one.”

“Thank you Laana, and can I ask you something?”

“You are already asking Prince, what is it?”

“How is it that you haven’t asked whether I will succeed or not or wanted to know about the reason why they despise us? You just wished me well.”

“You will go, their hate will not stop you from asking for what your people need, so it serves no purpose dwelling on it.”

“I see. What do you do when the sun goes up and when she sleeps?”

“I wake up, thank the gods for life and good health and then go to the farm, and when the sun sleeps I sleep too. What do you do?”

“I wake up as well, the maidens draw my bath, I wash and join the family for breakfast. My father is keen on reminding me that now that I am of age, I would be much better eating from my wife’s pot and when he says such things I also remind him that if he could approve of the one I choose then all shall be well.”

“You argue when there is food before you and at dawn?”

“When you find the fowl grew horns you do not ask where it has been because whatever it fought in the night may still be chasing it.”
Presence

December 1st, 2020

I know one person who calls me “Dee.”

I also know what happens when in the spaces between our silence, he travels miles ahead of his pain to catch up with me and like always, I run when he gets too close.

He says we race, I take off when he passes the baton.

I don’t know anymore.

So we look to each other for answers to questions we’d never ask, that’s what I thought until now…

He asked, “Dee, why do we do this?”

And I, for the first time in my life, faced him and said “I am afraid of knowing.”

He smiled, shrugged his shoulder, took my cup from me, “another one?” I nodded and watched as he poured the hot water first, reached for the instant coffee, took a spoon and added some then added the sugar.

“Why do you always start with the water first?” I asked and he smiled. He went to open the window, took his cigarettes and handed me the cup and walked to the door. I moved towards the edge of the sofa, so I could see him seated right outside.

“Every time I pour the hot water, I don’t know, maybe it’s good knowing that I have options…I can add coffee, a tea bag, cocoa or milk, I don’t know…you know what you like and how you like it, so you start with coffee as though everything else can be an afterthought but never the coffee.”

I nod and I know he’s right.

“Are you writing?”

I start to nod, then shake my head “no” and the worlds I hide behind my eyes come undone, he keeps his eye on me, Stardust…he will always be stardust, the galaxy unknown yet marveled upon, the cocoa I yearn for and the words etched in my skin. He takes one long drag of his cigarette and I am treated to the dimple in his right cheek…then he throws the stub to the ground, steps on it and comes for me.

He takes my cup sips the coffee and says, “Marry me Dee, right here, right now, I promise it won’t be easy…but I won’t give up, Heaven knows your presence is my essence!”

And when he isn’t looking, when he is just holding me, I am saying “yes!” and also screaming “why now? Why now?”
My attempt to read Pulitzer Prize Fiction Winners

November 29th, 2020
I thought of doing a Pulitzer challenge because a part of me loves to try something, to prove to myself that I can.

This thought came to mind three years ago, but like everything else, it was overtaken by other important and utterly unimportant things like tweeting and posting photos on Instagram…well, I digress, so let’s get into it!

Pulitzer Books I’ve read:
- 2007: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
- 2002: Empire Falls by Richard Russo & semi-finalist: The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
- 2001: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
- 1999: The Hours by Michael Cunningham
- 1992: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
- 1988: Beloved by Toni Morrison
- 1983: The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- 1980: The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer (the first book I ever read off this list and still remains my absolute favorite!)
- 1961: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- 1953: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (the shortest yet very symbolic of the all the Pulitzer titles)
Like every award, I’m fascinated by some things I found out like:

Colson Whitehead has won this title twice: this year (2020) for The NickelBoys and in 2017 for The UnderGround Railroad

There were no awards given in 1964 & 2012

I just bought two more titles that I hope to add to my “Read” list come December and they are:
- 2005: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
- 1994: The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
I’ll probably rest easy having read Colson Whitehead’s books just because he won the award twice and Stardust says that he’s one of those writers who move you without having to move you, and I don’t know whether he’s a major fan or whether he is just pulling my leg because he’s refused to lend me his copy of The Underground Railroad.
Updates on life, 2020 goals and everything in between

November 28th, 2020
Life! Well, it’s been one rollercoaster and at some point, I felt so overwhelmed by what was happening that I took a break from writing and in that one week, I set aside everything including my NanoWrimo project.

The good news here is that yes, I aced this year’s NanoWrimo and managed to scribble 55,751words. Don’t ask me about what I wrote because it’s all messed up. I know because I checked and nearly lost my wits so I will let it simmer.

2020 goals: This was set to be my year, where I would workout consistently, eat healthy, write more, join a Writer’s network and invest in postgraduate education. I hadn’t written action plans for all these things, except for writing. And in true form I managed to write, edit and publish one book: Zuri: The Chronicler of Enzi. When it became clear that there would be prolonged restrictions in an attempt to curb the spread of covid-19, I found myself slacking on my goals and in the first week of this month as I was reading through my journal, I came across all the things I was excited to do and it hit me that I took in so much that was happening around me that I forgot to reinforce what’s within me.

So, like the rollercoaster we’ve been on, I installed the 30 day fitness app again🙄 and I have managed to set times for working out. I am on day 4 and already loving the “Rest Day.”🧡

On writing: I just have this awesome idea that sprung up on me as I was writing my NanoWrimo project and I live for visuals when I am writing, so here is what is motivating me to explore it.

On reading: This month’s been a thrill and I’ve read a couple of books that made it easier to get lost in the written world.
- The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Diamond Eye by Arthur Rosenfeld
I am currently reading:

I am learning to write goals, and then break them down to tasks that I can do every day or hour so that I am not overwhelmed by the desire to accomplish them. I call it my 30 day reset and it started with uninstalling the Facebook app from my phone plus messenger so I can focus more.

I have also set a writing schedule so I have ample time to revise my draft and write some more because I love having to write and publish a book over the Easter holidays, it kinda gives my readers and major fans here in Kenya (they’re 14 of them 💛😉) something to read over a 3day holiday break

On education: I am still keen on gaining skills and knowledge and I’ll put it out into the universe, may it bring me my desires and success in my quest to pursue policy writing and formulation in the field of Education here in Kenya. I feel like I’ve been on the ground toiling and working with rural communities to improve public primary schools and it’s a great achievement, however I can scale it up, I can see the need for social investment in children on the value of quality education, across the country and what better way to do this than ensuring the policies written and implemented by the state actually serve this need? I’m all about it and I’ll keep working on it, seeking programs, partnerships, scholarships to see it come to be.

It’s been a hectic month for me, and I am hoping for a better now, tomorrow and to be honest, it’s a working progress and I love that I am envisioning it and calling it into being.

2 quick questions: What are you reading this weekend? What are you setting your heart on right now?
Quest

November 17th, 2020

I look for myself in places that contain me,

but they can’t sustain me.

In cages so brittle that I wonder how it is I stay locked up.

I look for myself in your opinions, likes, comments, shares, follows

Really, it’s sad now that I think about it,

How easy it is to lose yourself in the world of another,

Yet extremely difficult to claw your way out and forge your own path.

I look for myself in lies, smiles, laughter…everything for the gram,

So, when I sat down with myself, I found it odd that whoever was before me was unknown, aloof and irritable.

I clawed my way out, trust me, I think I did,

And now, I’m on a quest that scares yet excites me,

I am looking not for myself, but my soul.

Photo by nappy on Pexels.com
The traveler

November 14th, 2020

In my travels I seek out people like me, those who have no one to fend for them and in their company I am home.

So, leaving my home in the middle of the night was no coincidence, I needed to get to the Mazuri kingdom, which was a two days journey, in time for the market auctions. Every year, the people of Mazuri welcomed traders from all the kingdoms to trade freely in their land and on this day you would get the best fabric, spices, dishes and women and children dancing and laughing in the arena.

I walked all night only stopping twice to drink from my water gourd and when the sun started gracing the sky I had already made it past our kingdom and into the next. The maidens were making their way to the river early in the morning, in some homes the smoke was just rising into the sky, a sign of the early morning meal being prepared, some were making their way to the farms, others in their kindness greeted me and some smiled. I greeted them in turn and smiled back.

Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com

I loved traveling because outside of my kingdom, I was just a traveler. A stranger. A young beautiful woman making her way around their lands and they did not flinch or run away from me. I also learned not to intervene or lend a helping hand in a way that would draw such suspicion my way. People often needed help but only within their understanding of it, never more or beyond it and that was too much to bear and I learned the hard way.

Our King, having benefited greatly from my help when he was surely on his way to meeting his ancestors decided to banish me from the kingdom activities because I knew what ailed him and he did not want his secret revealed, so instead of telling his truth, he branded me a liar and made it unbearable for me to live among my people. There had been days when left to my own thoughts, I mocked the gods, cursed and insulted them for the life they granted me only to change my mind and thank them for not leaving me unprotected. The things I saw and summoned protected me from the evil anyone planned against me and how then could I mock the very gods who had given this to me?
Updates on life, covid-19 second wave, writing and what a year!

November 13th, 2020
It’s four o’clock in the evening here. I am seated on my bamboo seat typing away my thoughts on my phone.

What a year! Call it double the surprise, for 2020 has been and continues to be the year of unraveling, I mean chill for who?

As I write this, Kenya is seeing a spike in covid-19 cases, our doctors and nurses are mostly on a go-slow because they haven’t been paid in months and they lack the PPE kits to protect them and us from this pandemic and guess what, our politicians are busy pushing for a referendum to have us vote on some amendments and they want it done now…now that people are dying, losing jobs and uncertain of where their next meal will come from.

Yes, and the money for this referendum will be drawn from our taxes and of it’s insufficient, just give our President a pen and he’ll take another loan from another country that our great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren will have to pay, thus rendering us forever at the mercy of other nations!

On writing: I am taking part in this month’s national writing challenge which calls for writing 50,000 words by the 30th. I have written 16,002 words so far and I am hoping to go beyond the halfway mark over the weekend.

What I’ve learned this year is that the more I write, the more I become self-conscious of what I am writing and can immediately tell whether a story is resonating with me or not. This has saved me from many incomplete drafts, and it’s something I hope to refine as time goes by with the intention of writing and publishing at least 2 books every year.

I have been doing less reading due to a short bout of fever, nausea and fatigue which I experienced this week, but as soon as I felt some relief I picked up a book by Arthur Rosenfeld called Diamond Eye.

On life and some awesome things I discovered: I’ll say that I have been watching some series on Netflix and I am impatient, so I would rather wait until a season is over then I bingewatch because then it’s easier for me to know what happens till the end and also to quit at the first or second episode. Some of my favorite series so far have been:
- Emily in Paris ( I love “Love Triangles” as long as I am not caught up in one and this one, had me hooked. I’m glad they renewed it for Season 2, wonder how complicated it’d get and maybe Gabriel would have to go after Emily in Chicago! Now that spinoff would be awesome!)
- Almost Paradise
- Love, Life ( this one is on HBO Max I think)
I am looking forward to writing some more over the weekend and listening to some music as well. Hope you are safe wherever you are.

Have a lovely weekend💛.
Dandelion

November 9th, 2020

You remind of something,

What?

I don’t know, maybe I’m out of my mind, maybe it’s the alcohol, who knows but I promised I’d never do this.

I kept my word for two months and then I saw the picture you posted on Facebook.

You were smiling, you always smile, even when you’re hurting or uncertain, it was like being reminded of something I’d buried.

A Pexels.com picture

So, maybe I’m rambling, or just messing things up but I’m not that drunk, not yet…and it is true, you remind me of something wild, free and delicate.

It’s in the way you love; heart, body, mind and soul.

You remind of me something I’ve never held in my hands, but know what it’d feel like in my fingertips.

Wild, free and delicate is what you are, and it hurts knowing just how beautiful you resemble a Dandelion.
Writing my way through November

November 8th, 2020

I am learning that historical fiction is what I love to write most. I have written and published a series and a stand-alone in this genre and now with Nanowrimo, I found myself writing this again.

So, I’ll introduce my title, “Every Market Has a Mad Man,” and share the mock cover I designed for this month’s writing challenge.

I have written 10,800 words so far and cannot wait to see how much I get done by the end of the month! Until then, I’ll check in with you as time goes by and even as I write this, it’s not lost on me the joy of having a Female Vice President in America come 2021!

Have a great week ahead!
Getting Ready for NanoWrimo 2020

October 30th, 2020
We are one day away. I previously struggled with the notion of taking part and following through on this year’s National Novel Writing Month (NanoWrimo) challenge because I have a book out and another novella in the making, so I was afraid that it’d be too much for me to handle.

I’m waiting on the proof copies of In the Quiet, the novella I wrapped up last month and finally settled on a different cover as well.

However, the part of me that lives for a challenge could not let this go without an attempt.

So, this time around I’m set and looking forward to a couple of key things that I need to work on:
- A well paced writing schedule; including designated writing time, break time and a bit of review time.
- Interacting with other writers, learning new tricks, marketing tips and writing styles.
- Writing more than 40,000 words ☺️
- Focusing on a project to substantial progress. I tend to start or think of ideas and let them slide, this time I am hoping to follow through on my writing project to the very end.
And in true fashion, I went ahead and bought stationery and got so psyched for this coming month…

50,000 words in 30 days means 11,669 words in a week and 1,667a day. In the previous years, I got exhausted at the halfway mark and this time around I am hoping to get breaks in between and schedule a writing sprint every week to try and catch up. I’ve also been greatly encouraged by the Writers in our NanoWrimo WhatsApp group and I hope to keep on writing.

Until then, I’ll check in with you along the way.

Have an awesome weekend and new month ahead.