Ki-Ngumi : An African Code of Moral Conduct.
(Nairobi)
This entry, is said too presented, and in the said narrative, and that is too believed, said even descriptive, and of what does too speak and of Kenyan literature.
Over the said long Weekend, and while said visiting the port city of Mombasa, said Kenya's second Capital city too, I did happen to in all make my way, through Mombasa's Biashara Street, and onwards to the said too occupied Office Space, or as said Office too, and of two said Swahili Elders, and if not as said Seniors too, and whom I had in all previously met in Nairobi, and with their said Names been Baba Tayari, and Baba Kwisha too, and with my said Name been Jonathan Manoti, and whose said too acquaintance, both Baba Tayari, and Baba Kwisha,and in my said too meeting both of them, and at the said grounds of the said Strathmore University in Nairobi too, did in all even precipitate, or premeditate too, a said even series of farther meetings, and that would too and in all lead, and to my said even eventual visit, and to the said too city of Mombasa that is, and in a said even observance, and of what too is said to in all have transpired before. I would arrive at their said Office, and where the said two Swahili Seniors are said too involved, and in the said running and of a said Exchequer, and that is too involved in the said daily runnings, and of Mombasa city that is. The Office next door, and to that said to speak of both Baba Tayari, and Baba Kwisha, did in all too have to it, the very said Name of Mr. Kabisa, and when I did in all get there, and upon my said arriving at their said premises too, and in destination that is, and with my said too having knocked on their said Office Door that is, and with a said too shuffling of activity, a voice was in all heard calling out and as saying 'Come in', and with my said too slowly, opening the door, and into the Office, and with a gaze into it, my said too spotting or making out both Baba Tayari, and Baba Kwisha, seemingly perceived as said tireless, and in their said too apprehension, and of what was said too occurring and as said happening, and as I did in all walk in, and into their said too mid-sized Office location or space too that is.
'You finally made it', Baba Tayari had said to me, and as I did in all too prepare, to sit myself, and in a said chair of Swahili designs, and which would too be said appropriated, and for any said clientele, or clients, and that would too be said, to in all even call in, and to be said received, and by any of the said two Swahili Seniors that is. If I had been asked, to in all too make out any said simple observation, and of my been said in the said Office Space of the said two now Swahili Technical Analysts that is, it would have to speak, and of what can be said, was imparted upon me, and on my having met the two Swahili Elders, and in Nairobi too, and with it all said even simple discernment, and that would too refer to the said Swahili terms of Roho, and Moyo too, and with my simply having realized that, the Swahii, do in all even pride their been said Roho, and not Moyo truly either, and which is too said more or less African, and in temperament too that is. A said Awareness gathered, and in my said too interacting with the two, and on my said too first meeting both or either of them, and in a said Kenyan Cultural Festival too, and that was too held, and at the said Strathmore University, and in Nairobi, Kenya too that is.
Baba Kwisha, had in all too invited me, and to Mombasa, and after a said many a conversation, and with many other said practitioners or enthusiasts too, and of what are said too as the African Performing Arts, and which too could be said to in all even incorporate, the said even reading of a said Swahili Shairi, and if not of a said too Luo War Dance that is. In too saying that, I had taken an interest, and on learning more, and of what both Baba Tayari, and Baba Kwisha, had simply aptly mentioned as said Ki-Ngumi that is, a said too Swahili Discipline of Civil Conduct, and for those said too interested, and in re-living Swahili culture, and in said too Atmosphere, what was said as Ki-Ngumi, was too simply said mentioned, and alongside said talk, and of what is said Meaning, Purpose, Existence, Freedom etc., and in said too regard, and of what is said as life, and if not of what are said too as things, and away too, and from the said even Object/Subject Dichotomy that is, and that does too often dominate such talk, and of what are in all said as things that is. That Ki-Ngumi, would too be said to in all even refer, and to the Human, and as probably said too as Base, and if not as said Ignoble too that is. Ki-Ngumi, was too now said to in all even offer one, a said perception of life, and as said perceived away, and from talk too, and of the said even Meaning of things, and in said Awareness in itself too that is.
When I did in all mention to both Baba Tayari, and Baba Kwisha, that I had indeed arrived safely, as they very well too could see, and upon their said too asking, if the journey could have been said Njema, we did in all even happen to enter conversation, and in said Language, and as said Kiswahili too, and that did in all speak of things and as they are, and away too, from what is said as force, activity, action, motion etc., and in said even regard to what is said as Swahili Humour in itself, and of the said too appreciating, and of what is said as is that is. The rest of the conversation, had in all even transpired and at a said ease, and that did too speak of their said even, accommodating me in all, and in my said too missing or skipping, and on many a said little fact, and in said regard to anything, and if not of my said stay in Mombasa too, and as I was said to be, and at the very said moment too, but that in all again, he in all simply mentioning to me, that everything in Mombasa was currently okay, and in my too knowing or saying that, Swahili culture, and which does too appear, to be said even grounded in all, and in what is said as Swahili Custom, and as said to speak of what are said as Greetings that is, did in all too mediate that the conversation held, or as said at hand too, would in all too be said parsed or deciphered, and from what did in all speak, and of my said return, and in reply or gesture too, and to anything said, and that would too and in all, refer, and to just what was said next, or what would too be said to in all even refer, and to what could too be said perceived as said Inconsiderate too that is.
I had thereafter, left the said premises, and in which did reside, the said even Office, and of both Baba Tayari, and Baba Kwisha too, and upon returning to the said even residential Hotel, I was presently occupying it can be said, and with my too said, still having in mind, the said even instructions and by Baba Kwisha, and of our said too meeting, and at the said old Town Section or Part, of Mombasa, said too as Kibokoni, and with my been simply asked to get there in time, and with it said too not of a said big problem in all, as I was too informed that, there would be someone to in all even arrive, pick me up, and in all too drive me, and to the said too destined location and if not as said a place too that is. If one was to be asked, and if not of my said been asked too, what to in all make of, and of the said even Swahili world that is, and as it is, the very said term of Capture, and if not as said perceived, from what is said as exact or precise, and if not of the said more, would too be said adequate, but that in all again, would too be said to in all even lead, and to said even Images and of what is said as Swahili, and that does too refer, and to a said too Collage, and of said too Swahili life, and that would too refer, and to what is said as Swahili Cuisine for instance, and that could too refer, and to the said even 'strangest of Dreams', of what is said as Imprint or Impact, and if not in said Impart too, of what can be said as the Source, or of the said too tapping into Sources that is, and if not of it all as said too perceived, from what are said as Limitations, Restrictions etc. That Swahili life, is said too its very own said entrapment that is, and that does too ask of one to in all too do away, and with what is said as Misconception in itself too that is.
When we did in all reconvene, and as said a group too, that would too be said to constitute, and of the said grouping that was said formed and while in Nairobi too, and as said to have to it both Baba Tayari, and Baba Kwisha, it all did in all too see, the said even introduction, and of a thirdly said member to it all, and that I would in all too discover to in all too be said as Baba Kabisa that is, and whose Name I did in all realize to be the said Mr. Kabisa next door, and in said too residence, and to the Office space occupied, and by both Baba Tayari and Baba Kwisha too that is. We had all been driven, to Kibokoni, in old Town Mombasa too, as best said too Mombasa Island that is, Mombasa that is, and it all too said even a location, or stop, and from which, or whereby, we would too be said even reintroduced to each other, as said too formally, and if not as said properly too, and from which it too can be said that, we would be said reformed, and in said Memory too, and if not in said conversation too that is, and that would too be said to in all even now steer, and towards what can be best said as Target, and if not said Goal too that is.
"Ki-Ngumi", Baba Tayari had said, "can be said to all appear as said practise, but if not in said regard, to what is said as Target". Baba Tayari, had in all paused, to in all see, or look at any of us, and in the said too asking and in preponderance too that is, if any of us, were truly listening, and when he would too and in all say, again, "that Ki-Ngumi", "has no said real or simple Target to it all, and other than what is said in practise". For those who can be said to in all even perceive it all, what was said, and from the said mysterious, perhaps a said even feeling of disappointment, a said even let-down too, and in the said too belief that, that we were all said as present, and if not in the said farther belief, that we were all here to truly learn something that is."That Ki-Ngumi", he had continued, "is too said to in all speak, and of whom, all of us here, are in all said to be, and as said too present, and without knowing too much of it all, and in the said Count too". Perhaps a said lapse and in Time, and by Baba Tayari, to in all too, let it all be said to sink in, and if not as said to in a even register too, and before Baba Kwisha, would in all be said to in all merely take-over somewhat, and in his simply saying that, "We are all said here, to in all too simply greet each other, and to simply learn how to interact as such, and of why it is believed said as muhimu, and if not of said importance too".
After a said too round of greetings, called upon by Baba Kwisha, Baba Kabisa, had too stepped in, and asked, if any of us, knew what a true fight was said to be, and after we had all simply, and in all greeted each other, and in his too saying that, "Ki-Ngumi, has nothing to do with fighting in itself, but it too could be said as Mchezo, and in my too asking if any of you, does truly know, what Mchezo does in all mean?'. It said too being at night, and with Baba Kabisa now simply said looking at any of us, his said Eye Spectacles in his hands too, and with my simply thinking I could very well answer all this said asked, I did in all hint at, what is probably best said as Disgust, and if not in said rejection, repulsion, or revulsion too, and in my probably been said not to in all even realize that, that Mchezo, a said too Swahili term and of what is said too as Play, is not believed said defined in all, and in the said Count, and if not of what is said too as Target that is. "Kitu Muhumi that is to be said, or is said to be", did in all too say Baba Kabisa, "and when talking Ki-Ngumi, or Mchezo too, is that, there is no actual basis, middle line, point-of-reference, or said alignment too, and to it all, and other than in my said too greeting you, and in said too practise". For many of us, if not some of us, and if not in said regard to me only, a said call here, to attention, and if not in my said watching of my said self too, or of myself too, and in my said too been greeted, and if not of it all as said perceived in practise, and in my said too now probably perceived, as said crestfallen, depressed, defeated, sullen, upset etc. "Ki-Ngumi", had said Baba Tayari, "or Mchezo too, does not ask of any of you, to in all even account for anything", and with it too said here perceived, the said accounting, and as said series, sequence, repetition, recursion etc., "but it does in all ask of any of you, to in all too understand what is said as Heshima, and if not of what is said as assistance, or help too, or of said aid, but that in all again, it all too now said to in all even refer, and to what can be said as Ridicule". Both Baba Tayari and Baba Kabisa, had in all looked at all of us said present, and with a said too prolonged look at where I was said standing, and before it was merely asked, who in all cared to engage themselves, and in a said too challenge, and if not in said truce too, and to a probable said fight, and with no said end to it all.
When in a later session, Baba Tayari, and his said too companions, both Baba Kabisa, and Baba Kwisha too, had in all too served us all, and with a said too sermon, and that did in all too refer, and to what some believe to in all even refer, and to the said even Image, Word, Existence and Presence of God, and if not of what I would in all even decipher as said U-Ngumi too probably, and in said even regard to what is said as Swahili syntax, grammar or of said Swahili Language clauses too, they had in all too mentioned, that in said too regard, to what is said as Blessing or Grace, and of God as said too perceived as such, Ki-Ngumi, and if not as said Mchezo too, had one said simple lining to it all, and that did too simply tell of us, that all there is to life, is in the Warning, and in our said too knowing it all as such, and if not in said Expectation too. Of Expectation, and in our said too having arrived back in Nairobi, away from the said even humid climate of Mombasa, and onwards now back to existing in Nairobi in itself, and of the formerly said 'City in the Sun' fame too that is, as said too now a City, and that does too struggle and in all, and with what is said as Heritage, and if not of the said Multitudinous too, but with it all said too a place, often perceived in said Impotence too, and if not in said regard to the said Swahili term of Swali in itself too, and of the said too prime question for instance, both said Baba Tayari, and Baba Kabisa, and if not with said Baba Kwisha in tow too, had in all even simply had one thing to say, and about Ki-Ngumi, and of what is said too as survival in the Word today, "Do not be said accepting, or agreeing, and to just about anything", Baba Kabisa had in all said, "but be in all said to look, and see, and in the knowing, and in telling any of you, to simply know of one said thing: be ready to Affirm yourself in life, for it does too ask of any of you, and of your said too understanding, and of what are in all said as Imaginings". Baba Kabisa had in all too looked at all of us, and before Baba Kwisha, had in all too said "that's all we have to say". After a said round of applause, it was too said time to in all too return to Nairobi, and after a said too round of salutations, and that did in all too speak and of all this said, and in said too finality.
(Karen, Nairobi)
(Karen, Nairobi)
