WHEN WAS THE VERY FAST TIME YOU GOT SICK WITH MALARIA?

When I joined college (as a first year) , tertiary – – actually teacher training – – i got infected with malaria for the very first time in my life..

… The college was indeed part of the then huge Karura Forest and recently has had its land (which had been grabbed by a then powerful politician) ‘reimbursed’ (returned) ..

I got treated by the college nurse and as I was healing, I one day blew my nose and in the thick mucus was a sizeable mosquito....

… I’ve never understood this mystery to date…

While sick, my roommate who was way older than me and pursuing a different category of the technical courses on offer, decided to ‘import’ a dame (woman) ..

I was asleep and lights were off. But with the keys unlocking the door, I got awakened and realized he had returned…he had a small radio cassette player which he always carried and which always played Lingala songs such as Mario and others by Tabu Ley among other Lingala maestros then.

I guess he thought I was  dead asleep and thus entered with his ‘import (the woman)’ and since he perhaps did not want to awaken me did not put on the lights.

But immediately after, I could hear them playing, giggling and doing their thing but I could not wake up and just pretended I was deep asleep…and well covered except for the nose for breathing convenience .

Fortunately, the hostel rooms were quite roomy and though the beds were connected yet separated, it was at the feet point with heads facing opposite directions.

So one roommate slept with the head at the tail end of the room while the other roommate slept with the head facing the opposite wall marking the length of the room and this giving maximum space for sleep space privacy, .

My roommate’s and his import’s business was thus done in pitch darkness, i guess not to awaken me…

So I persevered and after some few hours they left…

I believe he never guessed that I had been a silent listener to that escapade and I never even asked him a thing later but ensured that i shifted immediately i got space with one of my own, my year mate and perhaps someone i could tune to ‘Kamande FM’ together with .. Though ‘Kameme FM was yet to be birthed then.

My new roommate immediately after this incident was a nice, friendly person (may his soul continue resting in peace – – i learnt that he passed on all few months after we left college) but still ‘Kameme FM could not catch the waves so I looked again and the next one was an excellent person (we nicknamed each other’ Gathee’ (our friendship and camaraderie lasts to date) and we shared a room for the next 3.5 years since ours was a 4- year course…