The following week, I modified the story and used it to wind up a series of three talks I gave at Starehe during evening assemblies. Here is how my version went:
Last December when coming back from Grandma's, I boarded a matatu bound for Nairobi. As it followed the road, a restless lad kept asking, "Have we reached Thika?"That shaggy-dog story had the whole hall convulsing with laughter that evening I told it to Starehians. Even Prof. Jesse Mugambi, the then director of the school, found it funny.
When one urbane man could no longer take his question, he instructed him, "Young man, relax! We will tell you when we reach Thika."
We then drove on with the lad seated quietly, the man next to me dozing lazily, and two lovebirds behind us chatting charmingly.
I didn't know where Thika is, but it reached a time when I realized we were there, what with signs like "Thika Branch" and "Thika Post Office". But I didn't say anything.
So we drove on till one passenger in the front asked, "Did the lad who wanted to alight in Thika do so?"
On hearing we had passed Thika, the lad started crying. We then turned back, apart from one impatient man who got out.
After 20 minutes or so, we reached Thika. But when the tout opened the door, the lad just opened a bag he had, took out two chapatis and began eating them.
When the tout asked him why he wasn't getting out, he shot back, "No, Mum told me to eat two chapatis when I reach Thika."
********************
RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed this story, you might also enjoy "The Sad Story of Kairu".
