Adventures And Would-be Kidnappers

I could have been kidnapped last week. In a moment of silliness, and due my phlegmatic side that hates to hurt or disappoint people, I would have found myself somewhere in Kawangware being held hostage for a ridiculous amount of money as ransom.

Last week boyfriend and I were supposed to go and visit our friends in Kawangware. As always, I had left the house later than I had planned and had like 15 minutes to get to Kawangware from Westlands by matatu. Luckily, I don't have to walk too far to get a matatu; all I have to do is step out of our gate and wait. After a couple of minutes of waiting, a matatu stops for me. A man opens the front door for me. As I draw nearer towards the vehicle, I notice that the back of the van is empty. And why was the conductor sitting with the driver?

The matatu seems a bit suspicious to me so I pause and give an I-don't-trust-you look to the driver and conductor.

"Kwani unaogopa madam?" they asked. Are you afraid?

Of course I am! Why is the matatu empty?

"Usiogope madam. Sisi si watu wabaya." Do not be afraid. We aren't bad people.

I still hadn't gotten into the van and was contemplating whether I should get in. They kept on pushing me to enter so, against my better judgement, I did. I was late and there seemed to be no signs of any other matatu heading towards Kawangware and boyfriend wouldn't have been pleased if I got there too late. Besides, matatus heading to Kawangware were hardly ever full at that hour.

When I got in, I told the conductor and driver that I was afraid of getting in because the matatu was empty. The driver went ahead to inform me that the vehicle was experiencing mechanical problems thus it wasn't going to carry any passengers.

Yes, you read correctly. They weren't supposed to be carrying any passengers. So why was I in it? And were they even heading towards my destination? Did they expect me to pay them?

Feeling completely uncomfortable with the situation at hand, but unafraid, I sat quietly, hardly looking to the direction of the two young men that sat next to me. Luckily, they were headed to Kawangware, so I kinda relaxed.

When we were in Lavington, boyfriend calls. Unsure of whether to tell him of my current situation, I tell him of my whereabouts and assure him that I'd be in Kawangware in the next fifteen minutes. At that moment it hit me that I could have just walked myself into kidnap. Wow! So this is how it happens, sometimes, I thought to myself as I came up with ways to escape my travel mates, if they turned out to be kidnappers.

At some point, the van started giving them problems so they asked me politely to leave. I thanked them and jumped out of the van. As I went to get another mat, I smiled.

That was close! I could have been kidnapped and I could have led myself into it!

When I told boyfriend about it, he shook his head in disbelief. He didn't give me the this-world-is-unsafe-so-don't-trust-people talk. I think he was too preoccupied with his own adventure. And when I told my really close friend, she called me stupid. I'm sure that's what you think too, that I'm foolish and terribly naive.

This was probably my first thought after that incident: Haiya! You can actually hitch hike in Kenya and not get killed or kidnapped! 

Then I remembered something that Paulo Coehlo had said about traveling. He said, "When I complained that I never stayed in one place for very long, people were horrified: 'But it's great to travel. I wish I had the money to do what you're doing!' Travel is never a matter of money but of courage."


PS You must read this story. There are great writers in Kenya!
http://rasmengesha.wordpress.com/short-story/rough-dimples-in-the-wall/