Authors: Caroline Adhiambo Jakob
The
disappearance
of
an
African
team
at
an
international
event
is
not
totally
unusual.
In
the
past,
African
players
have
disappeared
from
the
Olympics
or
other
international
events.
This
is,
however,
the
first
time
that
a
whole
team
has
disappeared.
Mr.
Okot,
the
Kenya
women’s’
national
coach,
is
being
held
for
questioning
and
is
assisting
in
the
investigation.
Dear
Tamaa
Matano,
I
have
so
much
to
tell
you.
I
don’t
really
know
where
to
start.
A
lot
has
happened
since
that
day
at
the
airport.
The
airplane
was
amazing.
I
can
still
hear
the
wuuuuuuuu
sound.
And
the
other
thing,
there
was
food
in
the
airplane!
I
don’t
know
where
it
came
from.
Maybe
from
God?
You
know
up
there
in
the
sky,
one
isn’t
too
far
from
heaven.
The
food
was
also
the
mzungu
29
type
of
food.
There
were
some
sweet
things
that
were
creamy.
I
tell
you,
Tamaa
Matano,
boarding
an
airplane
is
quite
special.
I
don’t
know
if
you
have
gotten
the
news
yet.
The
football
tournament
was
a
disaster.
I
was
the
best
player
on
our
team,
can
you
believe
it?
I
had
never
played
football
and
I
still
managed
to
be
the
best!
And
the
other
thing,
this
place
is
some
kind
of
paradise.
We
jogged
in
a
big
forest,
and
there
was
so
much
firewood.
I
couldn’t
believe
it.
We
could
pick
it
and
sell
it
for
several
years
and
there
would
still
be
some
left!
I
can’t
wait
for
you
to
come
here
so
we
can
be
picking
firewood
together—ha!
Now
to
the
real
news.
We
currently
live
in
a
cellar.
A
cellar
is
a
room
underground.
People
here
have
houses
that
begin
from
underground,
can
you
believe
it?
It
is
the
most
unbelievable
thing
that
I
have
ever
seen.
I
mean,
why
would
you
want
to
hide
a
part
of
your
house?
Wouldn’t
it
be
nice
to
show
everyone
what
a
big
house
you
have?
The
cellar
is
nice,
but
it
is
a
bit
small
and
there
is
no
window.
So
I
have
not
seen
light
for
a
couple
of
weeks
or
months.
I
do
not
know
anymore.
The
house
belongs
to
Karata.
Karata
is
a
Kenyan
from
the
coast.
He
seems
a
bit
dumb,
but
he
says
that
the
house
belongs
to
him.
If
someone
as
slow
as
Karata
can
own
a
house,
I
can
only
imagine
what
I
will
be
able
to
achieve.
Maybe
I
will
be
able
to
own
a
gorofa
.
30
That
would
really
be
something.
A
gorofa
with
three
or
five
or
even
ten
levels.
And
then
you
and
I
could
stay
at
the
top
and
relax
and
watch
people
walking
down.
Yesterday,
I
heard
a
movement
on
the
stairs.
I
looked
up,
and
there
walking
towards
us
was
Karata.
“
Wenzangu,
31
don’t
panicki!”
he
started
in
his
cheerful
voice.
“We
shall
succeedi
.
.
.
we
shall
succeedi.”
I
don’t
know
why
he
added
an
i
at
the
end
of
every
word.
But
his
voice
was
just
like
Mambola’s.
In
fact,
I
suddenly
missed
my
pocket
radio
and
the
Harambee
Stars
on
VOK.
32
“
Sie
success
ndiyo tunataka
?”
33
he
asked,
searching
our
faces.
I
turned
to
look
at
my
“teammates.”
As
you
know,
they
have
all
paid
a
lot
of
money.
One of them, Monika, told me that her family paid three hundred thousand Kenya shillings. But she said that one can earn that kind of money here within a week, so that isn’t a problem. Can you imagine what we could do with that kind of money?
“Dadangu waitwaje?”
34
Karata asked me in that melodious Swahili of the coastal people. I took a few seconds to compose myself and do you know what came out? ‘Philister’ in that singsong coastal tone. Don’t laugh. I don’t want to jeopardize anything.
He looked at me for a moment and I can’t tell you how terrified I was. And then suddenly he burst out laughing.
“From now on, you are not Kenyans. You do not know your country of origin!” he said, clasping his hands together. I initially didn’t understand what he meant by that, but you should have seen the reactions!
“I don’t have a problem with that. I have never liked being a Kenyan,” Agatha shouted happily. Now this Agatha isn’t a very nice person, but that is a story for another day.
“I have no business being a citizen of a country that doesn’t offer me the possibility of leading a dignified life,” added Kango, a plump woman with so many necklaces I keep wondering how she breathes. She is the oldest here, and she always looks thoughtful. We all turned to look at her. But it got even more interesting.
“I can tear this passport right here, right now’” said a thin girl with protruding teeth and big boobs, holding her passport daringly. I don’t really know her name. As you know we are not a “team” team.
“No, no, no, no,
hapana
,”
35
Karata said while signalling to her to hand over her passport.
“We shall have a
karamu
,”
36
he stated in English but it sounded more like he was speaking in Swahili.
“In respect of motherland, we will burn the passports together and sacrifice something to the gods!”
There were wild claps in the air.
And so it happened my friend, that I became stateless. So technically, I don’t know you and you don’t know me… ha. If someone asks me whether I know where Kenya is, I say no. And I definitely have never played football, which ironically isn’t very far from the truth.
That is the end for today.
Your friend,