Emotional Mountain

"Wahinya, I have a hike planned in a weeks’ time, do you want to be part of it? " Read the text.

"Where's it?"

"Mt. Longonot."

"Oh, that hill?"

"Ha ha. Yes, yes. You can even run up if you want." He quipped.

And with that, we were on our way to the top.

Going up the mountain does different things to different people. Sometimes your animal instincts kick in and you are forced to walk in fours. That’s what they call kamatia chini in Nairobi, right?  Other times you are on autopilot, soaking in the breathtaking beauty that surrounds you.

I hadn't been to Longonot for eight years. The mountain was still the same, inviting in a less intimidating way. But a lot had changed, the animals were very few -It took us a whole day to see any- and some paths were paved to make the place friendlier; taking away the roughness of mountaineering experience. On that day, we only managed to see zebras which were kind enough to pose for us to take selfies. They must have been infected by the Nairobians who frequent the place after few months of detoxing. We didn’t get to see the warthog; I love seeing warthogs because it reminds me of how wonderfully people are created.

The blanket of dust is still there, and it slowly envelopes you as soon as you begin the ascent. Soon enough, you camouflage and you become part of the mountain, a walking dust mass. My friend, Kanini, a doctor, was toeing to avoid her black and white polka-dotted shoes from gathering dust. I knew she would give up soon enough as fatigue kicks in and dust has its way with her.

The open field was dotted with the whole and royal blue uniforms of students from Consolata School. They had been brought to the mountain to get a glimpse of how hard life is. It seems the tonnes of homework they are given is not enough. Some did it with ease, others cried up the mountain with tears digging into the dust on their cheeks, forming gulleys.

We had a bunch of doctors who were really energized from the extended break they have had. Majority of them were calm, composed and barely said anything more than necessary, until you mention CBA. They came to life, dangerously so. Even the graceful ones were ready to pounce. You say something random like. “Njoro, have you visited the CBA bank branch in Yaya, it is beautifully done.” Someone will give a rejoinder. “Yes! The government should honour the CBA, we didn’t go to school to be exploited.” Any mention of the word CBA is enough to unsettle them.

I think the marching in town had done them a lot of good. They tackled the terrain with a lots of ease. Or was this an avenue of reducing their frustrations of dealing with a stubborn government? Thankfully, as I write this, they are back in hospitals. I hope they show the same commitment they had throughout the 100 days strike period.

That morning, we had planned to leave town by 6:30 AM, but some people showed up as late as 8 Am. We got to the peak around 11 AM. All of us decided to go round the rim. This gives you a 360 view of the crater, and the world around it. A perfect opportunity to reflect. There were drastic ascents and descents that were harsh on the calfs. The organizer kept saying that the rains that characterize afternoons at Mt Longonot don't come until around 2 pm. It was now 12 O'clock. We knew we had enough time to go round and down the hill, sorry mountain; and judging from his confidence, it is like he had made a pact with the gods. However, the rains came earlier than expected. We had angered the gods for showing up late.

Initially they were light showers, then some heavy droplets. The rain was flirting with us. Finally, it cut the chase, and for the next one hour, it pounded on us. We were soaked with water. The clothes were clinging to our bodies like an insecure lover. The shoes were extremely heavy making walking a mechanical activity instead of the subconscious act it is. But the air had beautiful fragrances hanging all around us. From the cool and soothing smell of dry eucalyptus leaves, to the sharp attractive smell of moist soil. This made walking in the rain a worthwhile adventure, and clean air made thinking clearer.

No one had prepared for the rains. We all carried light clothes to shield us from the sun. Most men had faded t-shirts and the girls rocked chiffon tops and applied some light make up to charm the mountain. And same thing in life, few of us are prepared for some eventualities.

Mt. Longonot experiences all manner of emotions, and today we experienced them all. At some point we were dry and dusty, and the next moment were wet and frozen that we could barely feel our hands. After the heavy pounding, the sun came out and by the time we made it to the gate, we had dried up.

Kanini and I were the last ones to get there. Everyone was settled in the van. Some cuddled up and the girls looked radiant. They had carried extra clothes.

I couldn't help but laugh at my pal who had looked all dapper in the morning dressed in cargo pants. Now he was carrying extra weight because it was still wet and heavy with a shade of ugly. He couldn't remove the pants like the rest of us because he had briefs on. I think this settles the old debate. Briefs or boxers?

At this point, all I wanted was the sandwich that had been promised. Chicken sandwich grazed with mayo and a drop of tomato ketchup to excite the taste buds.

The day ended as we had hoped, fun, tiring and reflective.

Ooh, my friend is from Zuru Tours and Travel, he organizes budget but fun filled hikes and tours. You can get in touch with him on Facebookhttps://web.facebook.com/zurutoursandtravels/.