My Library, My World

A True Story

by Thuita J. Maina

on Nov 9, 2018

Picture related to the title of the story — *Image from Big Little Reads.*

When I was a second-year student at JKUAT in 2008, the Kenya National Library in Upper Hill, Nairobi, became the focal point of my life. I'd go there to read and relax, and it was then that I learnt about the Arab-Israeli conflicts.

I also read a tome about American presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush, and learnt that Franklin Roosevelt became more sensitive to the problems of other people after he was stricken with polio.

Later on when I was at the University of Nairobi in 2011 (I dropped out of JKUAT in 2009), the library became the focal point of my life again. This time, I not only read books but also surfed the internet and listened to a Joel Osteen sermon.

It was in 2011 that I came across Dr. Myles Munroe's The Spirit of Leadership and a hefty Cambridge dictionary of quotes that had some inspiring Bible verses, like King David's pleas for mercy and forgiveness.

The Munroe book had a story about a lion that became a sheep by association and lived in cowardice till a beast from the jungle made it realize its potential. It was a truly inspiring story; it still inspires me to this day.

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Also check out "A Tale of Self-Discovery".

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Taking Off: My First Flight

A True Story

by Thuita J. Maina

on Nov 7, 2018

Early one morning in April 1996 when I was on a school holiday, I left home with Dad and Joe without knowing where we were heading. Well, Dad had told me the night before that we would be travelling, but he didn't disclose the destination.

We reached Kiserian Town and boarded a bus bound for Nairobi City. Upon arrival, we made a few quick stops, including having our shoes polished till they shone like diamonds. Then we boarded another bus.

Sooner rather than later, I fizzed with excitement when I saw big planes through the bus window. Before then, I had seen them flying high above our home, and it hadn't occurred to me that I would soon get a chance to see them so close.

We alighted at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and went through a clearance process that included having our bags checked using sophisticated machines. Then we boarded a plane bound for Mombasa, a city on the coast.

The plane, a Kenya Airways Fokker 50, looked heavenly on the inside; I was used to riding in buses with shabby interiors. I also noted most of the passengers in the plane were white people. How civilized!

Dad allowed me a window seat so I could enjoy the ride, a first for me that day. Though I can't remember how I felt as the plane took off, I must have been mesmerized to see objects shrink in size.

But we didn't fly directly to Mombasa. We made a stop in Malindi, a town on the coast as well. On the flight from Malindi to Mombasa, I saw some rivers flow into the majestic Indian Ocean.

We landed at Moi International Airport, Mombasa, at around midday. Among the activities we did in the city that day were riding on a ferry, touring Fort Jesus and taking photos by the seashore before catching a flight back to Nairobi.

Mombasa is far from home, but we made it back before the day ended. I remember Uncle Ndonga asking me if we had flown in a plane when we passed by Mum's shop in Kiserian Town on our way back. We had.

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Also check out "My '90s Childhood in the Clouds".
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