No more TT talk – resolution number 15

No more TT talk – resolution number 15

Today I shall celebrate streak number 15 by not talking about TT.  Yes, you heard right.  The world is so obsessed with this COVID-19 thing until humanity as we know it is almost becoming a different species.  The same humanity that has conquered the skies, taking people to the moon, and is now capable of doing such missions without even thinking about it.  The humanity that has conquered the seas, and even mapped the ocean floor, to inform us that we have mountains and caves down there!  The same humanity that has created robots and cured diseases that were thought uncurable.  

What happened to humanity?  Good old days when humans could make unmanned vehicles, unmanned planes, drones, guided missiles.  What happened to us?  We now cower under the bed for whole days and whole nights?  Not confident enough to walk out?  I am not talking TT today.  The same TT that has afflicted 2,622,571 people on planet earth with 182,004 fatalities as at this evening?  My motherland accounting for 303 of these afflictions?  I am no longer talking about TT.  Give me a break!

Today I shall celebrate streak number 15 that was started by TT, the same TT that I won’t be talking about today.  But looking back at it… my winning streak has reached this number since I dared TT on that Friday, March 20, when the country was being shutdown and people being told to social-distance.  Since that time, we (TT and I) have competed on a three-run-a-week dare.  TT, which I am not talking about today, wins any run that is cancelled within a week due to its effects.  On the other hand, the runner takes the run, if the runner manages to run.  

That is why I am now on run number 15 since that March 20 dare.  By then it made sense to dare TT for a duel.  On that date the afflictions on planet earth were only 244,601, with 10,031 fatalities.  It was supposed to be a passing cloud.  The cloud has refused to pass.  It is now exactly one-month since that March 20 date, since that first win, since that first dare – and look at the figures – they have increased ten-times in 30-days!  From 0.2million infections to 2.6million, just in 30-days.  From 10 thousand deaths to 182 thousand deaths!  All in 30-days!  At this rate we shall be having 26million infections and wowi!... two million dead by May 30!!

And that is exactly why today I shall celebrate streak number 15, by not talking about TT, not at all.  The same TT that caused me that quarrel – rephrase – that caused some matatu person to be so agitated for I-do-not-know-what-reason.  I was at Kawangware market just last Sunday, buying my fruits besides the main road at the stage opposite the office of the county administration.  The place where we have two petrol stations opposite each other.  It is generally the stage for vehicles coming from Uthiru on one side, and those going to Uthiru on the other side.  I was picking my fruits from the vendor, when….

“Ssshhhh sshhh!,” I imaged hearing.  I was kind of squatting, examining the bananas that I was about to buy, on the narrow pathway.  On one side of this path were the vendor stands, on the other side the lined up matatus.  The middle section was left for this narrow walkway.  The very walkway that cannot allow two people to pass each other.  I actually was being forced into buying because the pathway was by that time blocked by either someone getting into the matatu, or someone buying.  Just one person stopping on this walkway was enough to block it.

“Ssshhhh sshhh!,” I heard for sure.  I ignored.  Nobody should sshh sshhh me.  Why should you?  It must be someone else being sshh sshhhed.

I continued examining the bananas.

“Ssshhhh sshhh!,” the bother continued.  I continued to ignore.

“Ssshhhh sshhh!  Ni itie huyo jamaa,” he sshhsshh-er told the fruit vendor.

The vendor would momentarily distract me from the bananas that I was now just purchasing as I gave him the money.

“Unaitwa pale kwa matatu”

Maybe it was someone who surely knew me and wanted to ensure that I get to recognize him for whatever reason.  I turned back, maintaining my squat, only to see a complete stranger!

“Unajua ukivaa mask hivyo ni kuonyesha unayo Corona.  Huwevi vaa mask hivyo.  Inatakiwa side ya blue ndio ukuwe nje.”

That was new.

“Sawa,” I said, for lack of a better word.  This was just too strange an occurrence.  I finished paying for my fruits and was momentarily shoving them into my bag.

“Mbona ubadilishi?,” he continued.

What the hell is wrong with this stranger!

“Unajua naweza ku kuitia polisi kwa kuvaa mask vibaya?”

I just left him bubbling on, while seated on the window seat of the matatu just next to the entrance door.

Coincidentally, he did not have a mask himself.

So do you see why today I shall celebrate streak number 15, by not talking about TT, not at all?  The same TT that caused me to run after the evening rains today, Wednesday.  I was ready for my run at 3.15pm, since it seemed like it would rain later on.  The clouds had already blocked the sun and the dark horizon indicated that the rains were just around the corner.  I guessed that these rains would fall around five, when I should have been back from my 90-minute run.  

This run would add to my streak and give me the magical number 15.  This run was however not to be, since just as I left the changing room ready to set off, did it start raining… heavily, I should add.  I just gave up on the run and stayed at my desk doing other things.  I now just planned to take an evening shower and then leave for home.  This was going to be a cancelled run, but not due to TT, hence TT should not even feature at all in this discussion.

I even switched on the electric kettle for that evening cup-a-tea, and went ahead to prepare the cup by putting in a tablespoonful of sugar, some tea, and ground ginger onto the cup, just waiting for the kettle to boil over and switch itself off.  It did switch itself off after about two minutes.  

I was just about to pour the hot water into the cup when I decided to have a look at the outside environment to ensure that the tea was a for sure thing.  That was the mistake that made the tea become a not-for-sure.  The weather had already changed and it was in fact just about to shine.  The time was just past four.

I did not think about this issue twice.  I was already dressed for the run anyway.  I just left and started my timers, ready for the run.  This run was surely not supposed to happen.  I was not supposed to be having streak number 15.  I had already given up on this run.  Why was it happening?  Even my cup of tea was still waiting for me by the desk!  Surely, giving up the tea for the run?

Today I shall celebrate streak number 15, by not talking about TT, though this 15 was made possible by just the mere thought of TT and what would happen if I let go of any opportunity to beat it on these streaks.  I have observed that many countries have extended their lockdowns, just ‘to be sure’ that TT is tamed.  There is high likelihood that our very own restrictions over here at the motherland shall be extended after the initial timeline that ends on April 27.  I just have to continue taking any opportunity available to win these streaks before TT takes over.

Today I shall celebrate streak number 15, by not talking about TT, the same TT that forced me onto the run after the rains of today.  Forcing me to run onto muddy and wet paths at Vet loop and the dry weather road from Lower Kabete road through the University Farm, to emerge at Kanyariri road tarmac.  

It was especially bad at the University Farm.  I had to walk carefully through some road sections that were completely engulfed in muddy puddles, with hardly any passable section, on the road or besides the road.  Some drizzles along the route almost made me question my decision to run after a those initial heavy rain, but I was vindicated when in fact it started shining as I got to Kanyariri tarmac on my way back to Ndumbo, then back to the starting point.

So, today I celebrate streak number 15, by not talking about TT.  The same TT that made this run compulsory, finishing it in 1.36.10 for 18.45km, with muddy legs and muddy shoes.  Let not TT control our lives and dominate our every conversation.  There is more to life than TT.  The very TT that is already making me plan for the streak number 16 that should be done on Friday.

WWB, the Coach, Nairobi, Kenya, April 22, 2020