CORONA, A JOKE TO KENYANS!

Coronavirus, the deadly virus which causes COVID-19 disease has been claiming lives all over the globe in the affected countries. There is neither a vaccine nor a specific antiviral medicine to prevent or treat the disease. Coronavirus originated all the way from Wuhan, China to different parts of the continents around the globe. Since it is a contagious disease spread via human to human contact, it has spread very fast to different parts of the countries and Kenyans are living on the verge of being infected.

Though most Kenyans are living in fear of being infected with the disease because flights to different parts of the countries have not yet been banned thus still allowing foreigners in the country, some see this as a mere joke. Ironically, instead of living in fear and taking precautions over the deadly disease, they all take it as fun by making memes and giving sarcastic comments over the social media.

It seems that most Kenyans careless about the disease invading into their country. This was evident especially after the plane from China which landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi with at least 239 passengers. While others were criticizing the government on the measures it was taking to prevent the disease from getting into the country, some were mocking it by making and spreading funny memes not forgetting the sarcastic comments in the internet. Not only pictures and comments were made but also videos and songs were recorded concerning the coronavirus.

No matter how fun or sarcastic the memes are, to some they are offensive because they feel that people are being racists since the memes mostly attack the Chinese and this does not please them. Those who are not pleased with the memes see the ones making and spreading them as psychopaths who do not know what they are doing but all in all the disease is real and despite making jokes out of it, people need to be courteous and alert!

BY BRIAN MRIRA

Twitter@brianmrira

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LIFE THE CAMPUS WAY

I vividly and visibly remember that day as if it was just yesterday! The day when my feet stepped into that gate, the massive gate of Technical University of Mombasa where I was to spend my life for two and a half years. The receptionist directed me to my respective department. Though I wasn’t familiar with the environment, I somehow found my way through. I met a security guard at the entrance who directed me to the office the moment he realized I was a new student.

In the office I was welcomed by a warm smile from a middle aged woman whom I later came to realize that she was the C.O.D of the Communication Studies department. She cordially handed me the timetable and escorted me to my class. The lecturer wasn’t in class yet so it was the strange faces I saw which welcomed me. I don’t know if it was about the window or my instinct that drove me to that short guy who became my ally till to date. He was so talkative and fun, maybe that is what made me cling onto to him like a tick on a cow’s skin. He was the first friend I made in campus.

Life became interesting and full of fun as days went by. I made new friends both in class and outside the class. I also met some of my high school buddies who made life even more easier for me. Life wasn’t just full of fun and games but also tiresome with full of long night assignments, less sleep, early mornings lectures and endless projects. After all that is what had taken me to school so it didn’t bother me so much keeping in mind that it was the only way to get my diploma when I graduate.

Too much work without play makes Jack a dull boy. Since I am an artist by nature, and when I say an ‘artist’ I mean everything that revolves around art, I joined the school drama club as an active member since acting and poetry are what I do best in life because they run in my veins. Apart from the drama club, I also participated in other school activities such as the ‘Cultural Week’ which is done annually. It is because of the cultural week activity which made me realize that there were associations for every community in the school and thus I also made new acquaintances from those of my community through this activity. Each community in the institution is given an opportunity to showcase its diverse culture during this week and it is also the week where we get to know the “MR. and MRS. TUM”

Photo taken during the 2019 TUM Cultural Week Festival

Life in TUM has been worth living and I can’t keep calm when I know there comes a date that will blur our visions especially from all those that I have shared a class with, a family bonded by grades and love, supported by our academic father Mr. Sagala, academic mother Madam Eve and academic brother Mr. Billy who were more than just lecturers to us. The date that we would all sit for our final exam and part ways thereafter, each one of us back to their homes. I surely can’t bear parting ways with such a family but what gives me more hope is that on the graduation day, we will meet again. The smiles on our faces will outshine the sun, laughter and celebrations will fill the atmosphere.

BY: BRIAN MRIRA

@brianmrira

SEPTIC LOVE

                                                                     

A toxic relationship is any relationship between people who don’t support each other, where there’s conflict and one seeks to undermine the other, where there’s competition, where there’s disrespect and a lack of cohesiveness, according to Dr. Lilian Glass, a Californian-based communication and psychology expert.

As the adage states, “You can’t have a heartbreak without love” Sandra, whose dreams were shattered and heart broken into pieces like a broken porcelain bowl, was seated in her mother’s favorite balcony wondering how her life would have been if it were not for Mark her ex-boyfriend to interfere with her life.

It was five years back when Mark cared so much for Sandra whom by then she was a form four student at Elite Secondary School and Mark was employed as a Pilot in one of the famous airport in their country. Whenever Mark was in the country, he would occasionally visit the ‘Love of his life’ Sandra, pick her up from school and they would enjoy some splendid time together especially in his home and when he wasn’t in the country, they would video chat for long hours through their phones or the laptop that he brought for his love, promising her the good life he would give her after completing her education and get married together.

All this was fun and games until Sandra completed her studies and passed with flying colors but passing never bothered her, all she was thinking about was getting married to her hubby Mark, though this time round the relationship was never the same as it used to be. Mark was never caring and available for Sandra again, all in the name of ‘duty calls’. Sandra was never happy in the relationship because what she wanted was not what she got in return. She thought that the moment she finishes school she would spend all the time with her boyfriend but unfortunately the tables turned abruptly.

Sandra wanted Mark’s time, attention, love and affection but all Mark could offer to her was just money. The long phone calls turned into “The user is now busy, please leave a voice message…”, and whenever Mark would get back home, sex is all he wanted from Sandra then give her money afterwards. Sandra would try to talk to him about her feelings but it all turned up into arguments and misunderstandings, then either of them would later apologize and life moved on.

This went on until one day when Sandra came home after visiting her mother and caught Mark red handed romancing with another lady at their living room. Sandra could not believe her eyes because she never suspected Mark having an affair with other ladies. She was so furious and said that enough was enough, she could no longer bear the burden again and so decided to break up with Mark.

When God closes one door, he opens the next. Sandra was so lucky that some months afterwards she found another man, Patrick with whom they got into a fond relationship and was ready to marry her but hell broke loose for Sandra when they both went for HIV test as Patrick had requested before their marriage and Sandra’s results came out positive but that was not all, she was also infected with an STI! “Mark!” Sandra screamed as tears rolled down her chubby cheeks. This is how her marriage proposal to Patrick was doomed and she was now all by herself and her mum who was the only person close to her.

BY BRIAN MRIRA

THORN IN MY FLESH

“This thorn in my flesh is the only thing I got left...” I plug in my earphones and put the song on repeat mode, a song by one of my favorite artist Lecrae ft Taylor Hill, and everyday I play this song because somehow I feel like someone out there is actually feeling the same way I feel. It pains to know that no one actually sees the pain in your eyes or in your voice. I got this thorn in my flesh and everyday it pricks just a little bit more. The pain gradually increases as the day goes by, yet I cannot do a thing but accept to live with this pain in my flesh, this aggravating pain…

I am not fine and I have not been fine for quiet a long time now but if I walked in a room right now, dressed in my favorite summer dress with my heels, a big smile on my face and my phone on my hand scrolling down the memes you would probably say am the happiest woman on earth, but that is all facade, a lie to myself and the whole world. 

So the pain got worse one Sunday morning and I decided to visit the church because when you feel like your prayers keep bouncing back to you after hitting the ceiling it's best to visit the main House. I get to church and the preacher preaches the exact same thing that has been bothering me, and it's at that moment that you feel like God has been watching you through this magical telescope and knows when right to send His messengers to you. The pastor reads from the book of 2nd Corinthians 12:7-10. 

Would these words soothe my heart? Were they meant to touch my soul or comfort my body? "For when I am weak, then am I strong." Was the preacher aware of what he was preaching about and were these words really meant for me? How was I to be weak and still be strong at the same time?...

Stay tuned and don't miss the next episode of "THORN IN MY FLESH"


BY BELLA SALLY