GOD OF HAWKER

Walking all day hawking marimari was the only thing he could do to help him put food on the table to provide for his family. He met with all sorts some of them mistreated him but his compassion remained unbroken. None of the Weather favored him, neither the superheated sun nor the rainy season where the sticky soil made the weight of his shoes twice as heavy, He continues wondering if the government can at least build an all-season weather road.

Every day he waits for a bright star to shine on him or for Lady Luck to visit. He appreciates free schooling offered by the state because his kids would never otherwise get any opportunity to have an education in a nation where belief in documents was almost religious. He had the mastery of the art but no capital, he was like a pen without ink, Billy is his name, and his wife, Patricia - with two children Jane and Rose.

They lived in Shabab of the capital city of Kenya, a region named the Githurai area where if you are not cautious you could buy a cub thinking it’s a bulldog. His kids joined an overcrowded public school. It had more than three thousand children, and most of the time they could only afford one meal in a day which forced Patricia to fill tiny gravel in her children's lunch containers to trick the teacher into thinking that they carried mandatory lunch.

They stayed in a tiny single room where they separated the bedroom and dining room with hanging curtains. They had to take advantage of a double-decked bed to economize the cost of living. Patricia hawked fresh fruits. Whatever little profit they combined, waiting for God's time. It was so unbearable watching their kids crying out of starvation.

It was three in the morning and Billy was still awake wondering what to do. By sunrise, their children were expecting money for motivation in school and he didn’t have any cash. Slowly Patricia straightened her hand and begin to massage Billy. With a gentle voice,e she asked, “Why are you not yet asleep?”

Billy was speechless and only after 20 seconds he answered, “it's still very early in the morning let's not talk we might wake up our kids,” But that was only an excuse echoing in Billy’s mind as the children could not hear.

Patricia responded, then Billy thought for a while holding Patricia's hand after sleeping on empty stomachs. Tears welled up in Patricia’s eyes, but even in the dark, she suspected Billy could see her tears.

Relaxing Billy thought of his next move. and he hurriedly got out of bed. hurriedly. He decided to try his luck in one of the largest retail markets in the capital city of Kenya Nairobi, the famous Marigiti market that attracted vendors from all regions of Kenya and neighboring countries. Until now it was a place he had only heard about but never seen with his own eyes. Having no bus fare he had to walk for over fifteen kilometers to get to the market. Waking up early gave him the time to walk and also to avoid seeing his children’s tears when the money they needed could not be provided. He packed his belongings in total darkness to avoid waking up his children, Patricia was not aware that he was preparing to move out. Once he was dressed and packed he slowly unlocked the door and left, The moon shone brightly in the clear sky as Billy began his trek.