The Round Rectangle..........

Back in the year 1997, we buried my great-grandmother (this was my first burial to witness). At the burial, since we were a normal village family by the then 'normal' standards financially, the casket was put up on two stools at each end and covered by a handmade cream table cloth with blue flowers. Of course an address system would have been a luxury we could not afford and tents were made by my grandfather by sewing together fertilizer bags at their edges. With that kind of upbringing, some things I did not witness until I left the village for boarding school. Fast forward and I witnessed a different kind of life setting a few years after my great grandmother's burial. First was a friend that got admitted at Nairobi Hospital, and oh my oh my, I was awed, I could not stop staring when I visited. The wards, pathways, cars at the parking, technology, food and even language, everything was shouting; PRESTIGIOUS. I could not help but think how good it was for my friend to b

The waters i was floating on were clear and calm, my breathing felt heavy, but my mind was lost in tranquility. I wanted to be in that state forever, I imagined God was putting me through practice for heaven. Then I felt a sharp pain in my chest, something or someone was pressing on my chest so hard that I could only breathe in mouth gulps. I was swept off the waters and felt my heavy body lie on some sort of a couch. The pressing was repeated, this time harder than before, followed by a male voice 'Valentine can you hear me?' I responded but I think he dint hear me because I heard him say, 'she isn't responding, let me retry'. He pressed again, and my eyelids parted ways. The light above me was too much, I preferred the sunset scene while at the waters. The man, who was dressed in blue leaned closer to my ear and asked again 'Valentine, can you hear me?' I thought I responded with a yes but I only heard myself murmur and the man responded 'Good, don&#

I’m seated on a wooden bench under a makuti shed located at a vantage point deep in the heart of a national reserve watching a herd of elephants grazing peaceful below,oblivious of the chaotic world out there. A fortnight ago I handed in my final year project which marked the end of a 5-year pursuit for my Undergrads. Faced with the biggest dilemma of my life, I traveled down to this remote camping site in south coast to strategize on my next step. The decision I'm about to make is to either take the job offered or turn it down and instead follow my passion which is unconventional. Having interned in more than three different companies in the city where I interacted with the Nairobi middle class citizens on a daily basis, I came to abhor the kind of lives they lead. Nothing scares me like the idea of being sucked into the middle class vortex,lose my zeal for achieving greatness and getting into a comfort zone should I take the job. You have probably heard the news about Kenya bei