Back in the village we knew Patterson as the role model for us boys in the village. The boy in our village, having scored marks that got him to high school far from our village a hitherto unheard of feat in our village during the pre-Kibaki era. That means he was older, having sat his KCSE at Mnazini Primary in 1996. He came home rarely, mostly during the December festivities when girls would go gagaga over him. But most of these girls were illiterate, many having started going to school when education became free. But by the time I completed high in school in 2004 there were girls in high school. None had completed school. Many of us fresh high school graduates would envy the ease and prowess of his skill of getting along with them like Maggy the girl I admired in secret. These brief stints with them were not even frowned by the girls parents. Infact some parents were happy to that their girls associated with him, the face of success in our village, but not with us the village boys with no dime to our name. This made us think leaving for town was the best option when college was not assured due to financial constraints.

Pat had another advantage over us, as a senior bachelor he was seen as one who could settle anytime and as such was why girls looked up to him. They thought he would marry from home, as we all grow up being told so, but the fact that he was cohabiting when he was supposed to be earning cash and go back to our village and find a wife was unheard. It was a new reality of how town life changed village boys I thought. A disappointment

Sauda was the name of the girl I had seen that night. The one he spent time with while mosquitoes were feasting on my blood. Her elder sister, Saumu was the one who brought us food the first day, and referred to me as her brother inlaw. Sauda was slender brown lady, on her twenties, always on Deras. Saumu the elder sister was heavy and loaded with several kilos of flesh on her rotund behind, was on long dresses khangas which she always had them wrapped around her waist.

One week had past, from the day I arrived on a Sunday in Mombasa when I dared ask him about his relationships with the two ladies

'How are the two ladies'

"Which ones?"

"Saumu and---"

"How about them"

"Are you married to one of them"

"Hahaha, married? No they are the Land Lords daughters. You like one of them?"

"No---"

"Don't shy away, they are good women, besides Saumu likes you!"

"Likes me?"

"Yea, wake up Tim, this is Town shade you skin."

"Mnh"

"Take Saumu, she is mature."

"I think you must be having a thing with one of them"

"Yea, Sauda. But she is too young. She is a just a form four leaver very young for a wife. Just a good time girl."

"Dont their parents reside here? Arent you afraid you could get in trouble with them"

He laughed. Derisive laughter.

"Yea, they are on the other side of this house. They occupy the other part with their family."

"Do they have other children?"

"Yes two young boys. In primary school. Twins."

We left the conversation at that as Pat changed the subject.

"Can I stay at Mwashigadi's house instead of the other tenant rooms."

You know, he is married. His wife is around. If things go well, you'll get a job then you can rent your own room. Am taking a risk hosting you in that unused tenant room. The land lord will be mad at me if he finds out. Lets hope things will be OK, till I find a job for you.

"Whose room is that? The one am sleeping in?"

"A tenant who was locked away for failing to pay his rent"

A young lady, in black minskirt passed us at the septic tank that Sunday as we talked. She did not greet us, walked elegantly wriggling her behind as if to mock us.

'You see that lady"

"Yea, Ill get her, one of these days."

"Where does she live"

"In here, she is a Taita, she makes loud noises at night when she is with her husband"

"Yea, next to the room I sleep? I hear her almost every night"

"His husband must be a fool, Ill get her in revenge, just wait"

"But you said she is married, what if husband her finds out."

"He laughed, he wont. She gives me some stares while alone"

I continued to sleep in the filthy damp bed, still doing it in secret that the owner of the house nor even the tenants knew that I used the room. Each night I would go there with nothing but my clothes I had worn that day, then leave very early, get a basin which I had placed strategically outside Pat room and took a bath then put my clothes on while waiting for Pat to wake up seated outside the door on ond of his a jerricans. I had spent two weeks when I came to know of Mrs Kanyaga the land lady. It was on a Sunday, when we were outside the house seated on some building blocks, when she came to us asking if we had seen Mr Irungu. He accused him of evading paying rent, and always absent from his room only coming late at night to sleep.

"The man has issues with drinking, he is barely barely sober,"
she continued, but
wait, he wait sober up whe he finds another padlock by the door

"But the door is not lockable, he removed the latch," Pat noted

"Ill fix it up, he will sleep outside soon"

********
I slept feeling sick one night, my biceps ached from pulling all jerricans I had gone to fetch water with. I forgot even tucking the mosquito net in place before I slept. But what woke me up were the voices in my room. I remember thinking it to be coming from the romp and pomp of my neighbours having a good time as usual. But no, it was something from within. I held my breath thinking the witches from my village had come for me. It was pitch dark.

The voices continued,"Wait, not here cant you wait"
Sighs, then feet pads made sounds on the cemented floor, the sound of falling aluminium cooking pot to a floor. I slowly got one foot down, then the other, knelt down and rested my chin on the foot of the bed. I was thinking about to getting under the bed then.

A whisper, "Kanyaga," remove you hand from there,

"Just get to bed, I cant wait." a male voice said

"No let get to the bed, light the touch you bastard" she quipped

"Dammit I must have dropped it somewhere!" the man said

"Look for it then"

"In this darkness, we don't need it anyway"

"You know I don't like it while you drunk"

They had reached the bed, someone climbed on top, I could make out the silhouette of a human, another was behind.

Grab me by the waist you know you can make me fall eeehee ohoo ooooh she whispered, she was a just inches from me, I could even touch her head if I stretched my hand.

For about five minutes, doing there business the woman let out stiffled moans then they collapsed on the bed and started panting. I rose and tip toed towards the door pulled it towards me and walked hastily to the toilet. I stood there hoping that the two finish up fast so I can return to the room. It was not long before I heard footsteps coming from the corridor. I moved further and got into one of the bathrooms.

They came, one went in to the bathroom and the sound of a stream urine could be heard from where I stood. Sound of keys droping to the followed, then the door leading to the Land Lord's part of building got opened and closed. I peeped, nobody was there, I got out immediately only to find someone walking in the directon to the main door. I walked slowly and saw her getting into the room opposite Pat's. She was one of the tenants. A woman.

I went back to the room, it was open so I got inside. I touched the bed, it was wet at the point I touched. I wiped my fingers on the wooden side of bed and later finished on the mosquito net. A smell of sweat and perfume were in the room. I went back to lock the door from inside, I had forgotten to lock it some previous nights until then. If I had Mr Kanyaga would not have come to the room stealthily

I patched on an empty jerrican and inclined my body to the wall, only my ancestors know how I fell asleep there without falling to the floor for the remaining part of the night.

Morning muslim prayers woke me up. As I stood to leave I gave one look to the bed, the bedsheet was a mess, a patch of wetness was on the edge of bedsheet. My insides stirred and felt like throwing up.

I did as my usual routine, took a bath then instead of waiting outside I knocked at Pats door, Pat could not enjoy himself while I suffered in deportation, I decided to disturb them that early morning. Sauda had left already it seemed but I dared ask.

"Where is my in-law?"

"She just left a while ago, cant afford for her father to find out bro. How was your night?"

"Horrible Pat. I dont think I will go back to sleep in that room again. I wont"

"What happened?" He inquired with a damn serious countenance.

"Someone came to the room at midnight"

"Ooh you got bursted. Did he or she ask you who you are?

"Not that they saw me, they didn't"

"You hid?"

"Yea."

I continued to narrate as I prepared tea. Tea that did I take due to the nausea that was to be my illness that day.

He encourage me to endure a few days, before he talks to Sauda about me sleeping in his room. How can he say that to me! What was Sauda giving him that she got this powerless. Witchcraft could not be that strong, I thought. I was disappointed by the the spineless man of our village. I wondered what had gotten into his head.

I asked Pat for two hundred bob when he was leaving for work, which he gave me. I told him I would be going somewhere that day so I asked him to take the keys with him least he comes back before me. I just took my back pack and left soon after he was gone. I was remaining with fifty shilings note so I had to walk to the Kilifi Bus terminus at Buxton where I took a matatu and travelled to Kilifi. The next destination being my maternal grandfathers homestead.