Indelible Ink
I hold the Motorola on my left hand, toying with the clip, only to realize that my left pinky nail is getting discoloured. Discoloured, yes. The ‘pink’ ink that was painted on Wednesday is slowing ‘peeling’ off. That very Wednesday when I queued from 6.30am to 12.30pm to cast a ballot in the quest to select 6 leaders from local to national level. That ink is surely ‘indelible’… and it stays on the fingernail forever!
“Why do they do that?,” the daughter asks, noting that my gaze is examining the residual effect of the colouring. The growing nail has created a distinct semicircle of colour. The upper part of the nail is completely discoloured. I have scrubbed the damn nail and it does not seem to be willing to get cleaned. That ink is surely ‘indelible’… and it stays on the fingernail forever!
Back to the question, I explain that the mark signifies that a registered voter had cast their ballot. Its visibility means a recent vote. Its lack thereof means the person did not vote. It segregates the patriots from the ‘don’t care’ on voting day. It is now four days later, we are glued to the screen waiting for this election process to get over by the announcement of the final winner. This does not negate the state of the pinky. That ink is surely ‘indelible’… and it stays on the fingernail forever!
The radio crackles, “There is so much noise, shouting, activity… over.”
My own vicinity is not spared either, there is noise, shouting, activity. There is more here, blowing of vuvuzelas, some singing (or attempt to), whistling, honking. Some chatter! Even a blackout on the main street lights adds to the collection of happenings on this wee hour of the night. It is past midnight and it seems no one wants to sleep today. Ordinarily I would be two hours in dreamland. This is not ordinary. I am expected to be on vigil. “Stay vigilant,” was the instruction.
The radio crackles, “Confirm status… over.”
“It is almost one o'clock for crying out loud, over!,” I am very much tempted to shout that, but once the left thumb is pressing the channel engage button, the mouth utters that, there is noise, shouting, activity. That shall be the night. Now I know.
“That finger colour looks bad,” the very daughter who knows these things volunteers the next day at breakfast. She knows that I have been idolizing over this pinky thing. She even corrects me that the colour is ‘purple’ and that I can try home dry cleaner to bring back the nail to its natural colour. However, I know that she has no experience for now. That ink is surely ‘indelible’… and it stays on the fingernail forever!
I have resolved that I am better off running a 42km, where I spent upto 4 hours on then road, then get my results, medal and certificate there and then. And just like that... all is done. Rather than soil (spoil) my pinky, without pink, and wait for four days to end up with almost half the runners feeling like winners while the others being completely lost on what their status is. However, whether I shall be on the queue for 6 hours again in five years time, just to get colour on my finger… The ink shall remain ‘indelible’… and stay on my fingernail forever!
WWB, Nairobi, Kenya, August 12, 2017
I hold the Motorola on my left hand, toying with the clip, only to realize that my left pinky nail is getting discoloured. Discoloured, yes. The ‘pink’ ink that was painted on Wednesday is slowing ‘peeling’ off. That very Wednesday when I queued from 6.30am to 12.30pm to cast a ballot in the quest to select 6 leaders from local to national level. That ink is surely ‘indelible’… and it stays on the fingernail forever!
“Why do they do that?,” the daughter asks, noting that my gaze is examining the residual effect of the colouring. The growing nail has created a distinct semicircle of colour. The upper part of the nail is completely discoloured. I have scrubbed the damn nail and it does not seem to be willing to get cleaned. That ink is surely ‘indelible’… and it stays on the fingernail forever!
Back to the question, I explain that the mark signifies that a registered voter had cast their ballot. Its visibility means a recent vote. Its lack thereof means the person did not vote. It segregates the patriots from the ‘don’t care’ on voting day. It is now four days later, we are glued to the screen waiting for this election process to get over by the announcement of the final winner. This does not negate the state of the pinky. That ink is surely ‘indelible’… and it stays on the fingernail forever!
The radio crackles, “There is so much noise, shouting, activity… over.”
My own vicinity is not spared either, there is noise, shouting, activity. There is more here, blowing of vuvuzelas, some singing (or attempt to), whistling, honking. Some chatter! Even a blackout on the main street lights adds to the collection of happenings on this wee hour of the night. It is past midnight and it seems no one wants to sleep today. Ordinarily I would be two hours in dreamland. This is not ordinary. I am expected to be on vigil. “Stay vigilant,” was the instruction.
The radio crackles, “Confirm status… over.”
“It is almost one o'clock for crying out loud, over!,” I am very much tempted to shout that, but once the left thumb is pressing the channel engage button, the mouth utters that, there is noise, shouting, activity. That shall be the night. Now I know.
“That finger colour looks bad,” the very daughter who knows these things volunteers the next day at breakfast. She knows that I have been idolizing over this pinky thing. She even corrects me that the colour is ‘purple’ and that I can try home dry cleaner to bring back the nail to its natural colour. However, I know that she has no experience for now. That ink is surely ‘indelible’… and it stays on the fingernail forever!
I have resolved that I am better off running a 42km, where I spent upto 4 hours on then road, then get my results, medal and certificate there and then. And just like that... all is done. Rather than soil (spoil) my pinky, without pink, and wait for four days to end up with almost half the runners feeling like winners while the others being completely lost on what their status is. However, whether I shall be on the queue for 6 hours again in five years time, just to get colour on my finger… The ink shall remain ‘indelible’… and stay on my fingernail forever!
WWB, Nairobi, Kenya, August 12, 2017
