imon, how are you? Good to have you with us. I see Sally has taken Margaret off to see young Julius.’imon, how are you? Good to have you with us. I see Sally has taken Margaret off to see young Julius.’
‘Yes, Abel, and congratulations on the new arrival. And the new house. You seem to be creating a park out there.’
‘You haven’t been here before? I think it’s four years since we moved in.’
Simon was uneasy and on his guard. He had travelled down to Nairobi to pick up his personal belongings from Parliament House. When the next session began there would be someone else sitting in his place fighting the cause of Nakuru South. Forty years was probably too long to do the job properly all the time. He had sat with Margaret in the empty chamber, quietly remembering.
‘Margaret, I should have gone ten, fifteen years ago. I suppose I got into the habit and enjoyed being a somebody, but what did I accomplish for our people?’
‘Simon, you have been honest, hardworking and the people loved you. Think how many of them have asked you to stay on.’
‘Better the devil you know.’
Now he was sitting alone in the presence of Mister Big for the very first time. Abel Rubai was being friendly and attentive, but Simon was waiting for him to come to the end of the small talk. He had an idea about why he had been summoned, but the essence of this man remained a mystery. How could a person who never stood for let alone won any public office dominate the happenings in the country like this? He was very clever with money. That must have been the key to his rise from financial adviser up the magic ladder to the very top rung.
‘Simon, Nakuru South. How many years now?’
‘Too many, Abel! We need some young blood up there.’
‘My thoughts exactly. I’ve been giving a lot of time to how we move on in this very important constituency.’
Abel did not miss the sudden raising of the eyebrows and the expression of surprise.
‘Of course, Simon. Think about it. You have the army camp. The road and rail links pass through. Then there is the wealth and employment generated by the farms around the lake. More than just important, vital.’
‘Can’t say that I’ve noticed much interest in the place from Nairobi in my time up there.’
‘Because the government knew they had a man up there they could trust. You must have been aware of that.’
‘Abel, let me be frank with you.’
‘I would want nothing less. Fire away.’
‘The hospital.’
Abel was the one caught off guard. He felt his gorge rising. Surely Simon Nyache was not supporting the crazy idea of the Naivasha tart! His mind was soon put at rest.
‘There is a desperate need in Gilgil. We have abandoned five hundred or more of our people who have some sickness of the mind. Three, four million shillings would transform lives.’
‘That’s a disgrace! Why have I never heard about this? You must write a memo. Send it directly to me.’
Simon hated the hypocrisy. Memo. Treating me like a bosom friend. Nauseous stuff. But there was something else to come.
‘Next time I’m travelling up that way I must call in. Your successor will have to give it high priority.’ A slight pause and Abel Rubai had reached his destination. ‘While we are on the subject of the man to take over from you, I should like to ask your advice.’
Simon smiled. ‘That’s a first.’
‘What do you think of the idea of my boy Reuben taking over from you?’
‘I know nothing about him, not even how old he is. Is he keen?’
‘Perhaps you would be ready to take him under your wing, introduce him to some people.’
‘They would take a lot more notice if you took him around.’
‘What if the two of us … just had an idea. Take him to see that terrible place in Gilgil.’
‘Mister Rubai, I’ve been ‘round the area saying my farewells.’
‘So I hear. Someone was saying that you were seen visiting some of the farms on the lake.’
Alarm bells clanged in Simon’s head. So this was what it was all leading up to. And how much more had this ‘someone’ told him? But wily old Simon had prepared an answer for just this situation. If it didn’t work he would give him the real works about supporting the McCall boy and Serena. It was time to step out of the shadows.
‘Yes, that’s right. There’s no secret. In all my years as MP I never once went to any of those farms looking for a vote. I had some spare time one afternoon so I called in to introduce myself. They all knew me …’
‘All, Simon?’
‘They were really friendly, thanked me but said nothing about where their vote would go this time.’
‘Did you call in on the McCalls?’
‘First stop. That family has suffered so much and their workers even more. All my people, and I could not offer them even the smallest bit of assistance.’
‘European thieves. Got what was coming to them. But that’s not our concern here. Let’s organise a meeting for some time next week. I’ll make the arrangements and let you know. You’ll stay for tea?’
‘That’s kind, but I have to get Margaret home. She’s promised our daughter that she will babysit tonight.’
* * *
‘Simon, you are trembling.’
‘Margaret, in a minute. Let me drive us out of this place before I talk.’
Simon turned right at the gatehouse and right again at the crossroads. He parked on a verge close to a pair of open wooden gates. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
‘He knows everything. That night I went to Londiani. He has spies everywhere.’
‘You mean that someone at the meeting …’
‘No, no, no. I would never believe that. Someone on watch outside. Money buys him everything, or so he thinks’
The handsome old couple sat silently, calculating the fallout of the hour-long visit to the pink palace that Margaret had enjoyed. Ahead of them were a hundred metres of a wide verge, bordered on the house side by a well-built sandstone wall. The grass on the verge had had been cut short and broken up by beds of flowers in full bloom.
‘You chose a beautiful place to stop. I wonder what the inside must look like.’
‘No coincidence. I know the family who live in this house. I was here not many weeks ago. The Daniels family. Welsh. See the name, “Cartref” means home. You have forgotten?’
‘Um, give me a moment …’
‘If I said “Simon Mboya”?’
Margaret clasped her hands to her mouth. ‘Oh, Simon!’ Margaret had been associated with the politics of Kenya enough to draw a frightening conclusion.
All fear and trembling had vanished from Simon’s mind and body.
‘I feel safe here. If we went inside now we would be made welcome. I could tell our story and they would look after us. I was here for Simon’s funeral.’
‘Are you afraid …?’
‘That I could be next? Not afraid, not for me. Annoyed, yes. I missed my chance to spell out - what did Don McCall say - “a few home truths”. But in that place, he is so intimidating. Me a little flyweight against the big bully heavyweight.’
‘Are you enjoying this?’
‘No, my dear, but my tail is up. The big old lion will not find this dik-dik so easy to catch! And I have the beginnings of a plan.’
‘You sound like you’ve been down the Lucky Bar!’
‘I’m going back into the city to drop you off at your sister’s place. No arguing. Then I’m going to call in the troops.’
‘The troops!’
‘Yes, and this time, Mister Rubai, you’re going to be the one with the bloody nose!’
‘Is it wise to talk like this?’
‘Wise? Perhaps not, but here I am, eighty years old and about to be put out to pasture and, all of a sudden, I find myself in the middle of a big adventure!’