When cousin Barry was around

Thursday 8:30 p.m., 23^rd July, 2015: I am practically tip toeing outside the house, only to realize my family migrated to Mombasa for the Obama weekend. Yes, I was unaware because my phone died in the morning on my way to work and I did not get chance to recharge it. I open my handbag and toss all its contents in it on the pavement, out comes my old phone. I am tensed up as I remove the sim card in the current phone and place in the old one pace across the front lawn as I make the call. “Niko nje ya nyumba, mko?”(I’m outside the house, where are you guys?) “Mombasa! Okay kifunguo iko wapi?”(Where are the keys?) Okay sawa.

I pick the key that was hidden between the stones near the house, open the door and rush to the loo .How can a man I don’t know cause so much havoc in my life? Obama was only hours away from the grand visit, pardon my ‘Kenyanness’ I mean from attending the Global Entrepreneurs Summit that was held in Kenya. According to media we are the first ones to do so in Sub Sahara. Those are the perks of having a blood ties to the President of the free world.

My friend calls me and tells me all about the new hash tag that is setting twitter on fire, and proposes I need to write something and ride with that wind. I was too tired to even bother with what #KOT were doing. I tuned in to the 9pm News to get the 411 on the HOTBED situation and my oh my Kenyans can be patriotic when they choose to.

Friday- 7:45pm 24^th July, 2015; walking to the Kenya Bus Station after having a great evening with a dear friend (this involved a lot of girl talk, a bit of politics and a lot of junk food and healthy living advice) the streets of Nairobi were practically empty and the matatu touts are looking for people to take home, on the other hand, I’m the clown who is commandeering a PSV while Obama is just about to land, just great. Lucky enough I make it home in half an hour only to realize I locked myself out of the house yet again. I literally break into the house, by climbing the back gate then squeezing into my bedroom window in order to get the keys. At this point Obamas arrival was the last thing on my mind. I take a shower and sleep, honestly I could care less at this point this man has been a great jinx.

Saturday 10 a.m. 25^th July, 2015; finally home alone, breakfast menu Hot Water and whatever else my tummy decided to have today, I walk to the living room sit on the carpet turn on the TV and go on twitter to get up-to-date. Auma Obama is making as much news and buzz as Obama. An acquaintance is bragging about the dinner they had with Obama, while another is posting selfies on whatsapp of them at Gigiri where GES will be taking place shortly. I’m just wondering, where I was while guys were applying for the summit; as for Dinner with the President clearly I need to know people. I turn on the TV and tune to TLC then E finally Food Network and my tummy is convinced we need to eat, then my friends from Denmark urge me to tune into local television to watch Obama’s opening speech at the GES. My, wasn’t I impressed; his rhetoric was sensible and then came his epiphany that Kenyan Youth don’t want aid, they need Investors. Finally the 8-4-4 system is bearing fruit, something our President acknowledges. This is the silent beginning of the end of aid funds in Africa as a whole and the beginning of self-sustaining Africa.

After the speech all the local channels tune out of GES which had finally got my attention. I tell myself I will have to look for it on you tube next week and watch snippets of it. Since I forgot to buy movies on Thursday, I’m reduced to television entertainment; I have watched most of the programs due to my nocturnal tendencies. I grab a book curl up in bed and go on a journey in my head.

Sunday 12 p.m. 25^th July, 2015; Counting hours to Obama’s Departure as I listen to him educate Kenyans on terror tactics, they agree that religious and ethnic differences are what the Al Shabab have used against us time and time again. He then talks about FGM and women being a second class citizen which is somewhat true in some parts of Kenya I doubt if the Nyeri men can attest to that .Yet again Obama delivers. That night twitter is a buzz with banks and international cooperates pledging billions of dollars and shillings for SME’s and Youth .What a great time to be young and a woman, Obama has left and it was great to have him in Nairobi, Kenya.

Monday 4 p.m. 26^th July, 2015 Finally Kenya can breathe a sigh of relief, normalcy has returned to Nairobi and it has rained, Kidero’s grass will finally grow but the drainage system is wanting. The normalcy of poor governance is back and unlike him, who doesn’t have to deal with crossing roads flooded roads; He is still the cherry on top for the next 2 years or so. Obama, please come back please so that they finally fix the drainage systems in Nairobi.