Plot
The chapter begins in present-day Singapore, with Kombani facing the practical pressures of relocating from his company-provided hotel to independent housing. The urgency is heightened by rising COVID-19 fears and reports of panic buying, especially of essentials like rice and toilet paper. A minister appears on television reassuring citizens, demonstrating Singapore’s methodical response to crisis. Kombani’s search for housing is constrained by family considerations, particularly selecting a location near a suitable international school for his children, which situates him in western Singapore. Despite receiving practical advice from his colleague Tirus Mwithiga—to budget in Singapore dollars rather than Kenyan shillings—Kombani is emotionally unsettled by the high cost of living, particularly rent, which surpasses anything he has previously experienced.
The narrative transitions into a flashback to his childhood in Molo. He recalls living in chronic rent arrears, and a school assignment that exposed him to the stark realities of poverty when he compared his home to the more affluent houses of classmates. The chapter juxtaposes hardship with joyful communal experiences: racing homemade safari rally cars crafted from tins, observing Safari Rally cars pass by, and attending monthly mobile cinema screenings at the Molo Railway grounds where children imitated film characters.
The story details instability as his family moves homes due to landlord demands, forcing downsizing and improvisation with furniture. A particularly intense episode describes Kombani riding a homemade go-kart down a steep road, being hurtled into a bush of stinging nettles, and enduring his mother’s dramatic but caring response. These incidents emphasize risk, resilience, and maternal authority.
The chapter concludes on a formative note: Kombani discovers access to newspapers through a nearby shop, reads editorials, and observes political cartoons by Maddo, expanding his artistic voice and creative confidence. The juxtaposition of past poverty with imaginative play illustrates how scarcity and struggle provided the canvas for his early creative development.
Language Use
Kombani’s writing in this chapter is rich, layered, and intentionally reflective, allowing the reader to traverse time and space between present-day Singapore and his childhood in Molo. The language is both descriptive and narrative-driven, capturing personal experience while situating it within cultural, social, and historical contexts.
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Concrete Imagery: Kombani’s descriptions are vivid and grounded in tangible details, bringing the physical world to life. For example, he recalls Molo homes:
“The sitting room, which had a coffee table and a lone sofa torn in the middle but expertly stuffed with clothes. At night, we would lay the seat cushions on the floor to make a mattress for the boys.”
This passage conveys both the scarcity of resources and the improvisational strategies of his family. Similarly, he portrays his Singapore reality with precise, observational detail:
“Housing in Singapore is expensive! It is clear why the city consistently ranks among the most expensive in the world.”
By juxtaposing specific objects, spaces, and costs, the writing allows the reader to visualize both poverty and affluence with clarity.
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Dialogue and Direct Speech: Conversations are presented in real-time, immersing the reader in interactions and emotional nuance. Kombani captures familial tone, guidance, and reprimand with dialogue:
“I keep telling you to stop these dangerous games but you don’t listen to me… Now see, you are going to die. Nobody falls like that into thabai and lives.”
Here, the mother’s voice is authoritative yet caring, reflecting discipline grounded in concern. Direct speech also conveys humor and warmth in childhood play, such as exchanges with peers about safari rally role-play:
“‘Did you hear when Bruce Lee said whaweyre whyne whuen,’ someone would quip. Interestingly, the rest would understand what was said.”
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Humor and Exaggeration: Kombani uses playful exaggeration to dramatize events and evoke empathy. His mother’s hyperbolic warnings after his go-kart accident—“Now go to bed and die… Maybe I will get another child to be my last born”—blend dark humor with genuine maternal concern, creating a memorable emotional moment. This approach softens tension while emphasizing the risks he took and the intensity of parental care.
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Juxtaposition and Contrast: The narrative frequently contrasts environments and experiences, heightening thematic resonance. Singapore’s orderliness and high cost are positioned against Molo’s improvisation and communal creativity:
“Still, I cringe when I see the price tags at the supermarket… In Molo, we were always in rent arrears.”
This contrast reinforces the tension between past and present, scarcity and abundance, constraint and opportunity, and helps the reader appreciate how Kombani’s formative experiences shaped his adaptability.
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Allusions and Cultural References: The chapter is rich in temporal and cultural signposts. Historical and pop-cultural references anchor the narrative in time and place. For instance, he describes childhood fascination with cinema and rally cars:
“We were introduced to characters like Bud Spencer, Terence Hill, Chuck Norris, Rocky, Rambo, and Bruce Lee… Later, we would create safari rally cars from old Kimbo or Cowboy tins.”
Political and artistic references, such as Maddo’s cartoons depicting President Moi, situate Kombani’s creative development in a specific socio-political context:
“For the first time, I saw a newspaper cartoon by Maddo depicting President Moi. I copied the caricature and showed it off to anyone who cared.”
These references provide cultural texture, reflect Kombani’s growing awareness of his world, and demonstrate how observation of media, politics, and popular culture influenced his expressive skills.
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Temporal Markers and Flashbacks: Kombani skillfully moves between past and present using clear temporal markers, which organize his narrative and guide the reader:
“In Molo, we were always in rent arrears… Regardless, it was not all bad. We had great neighbours… Our house was not far from the Molo Railway grounds.”
This allows the narrative to flow naturally between reflection and immediate experience, blending memory with contemporary observation.
Overall, the chapter’s language combines precise description, personal voice, humor, and cultural reference to create a layered, immersive experience. Readers gain insight into Kombani’s emotional state, creative growth, and the contrast between his childhood and current life, making the language both functional and stylistically expressive.
Themes
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Adaptation and Resilience: Kombani’s narrative repeatedly illustrates the human capacity to adapt to challenging circumstances. His family’s creative solutions to poverty—transforming sofa cushions into beds or repurposing tins for toy cars—demonstrate resourcefulness:
“Later, we would create safari rally cars from old Kimbo or Cowboy tins… Everyone wanted to role-play as Patrick Njiru, Shekhar Mehta, or Juha Kankunnen.”
In Singapore, he continues to navigate unfamiliar systems, adjusting to new currencies, high rents, and public health alerts:
“Stop thinking in Kenyan shillings!… You need to make a budget in Singapore dollars.”
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Childhood Creativity and Imagination: The chapter foregrounds imaginative play as a form of social learning and self-expression. Kombani’s engagement with movies, role-play, and drawing illustrates how creative activity shapes identity:
“Most of us could not speak English so we could only try to imitate the actors… Jokie, my action hero character, was the biggest beneficiary of these renewed creative sparks.”
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Parental Guidance and Discipline: Kombani’s mother embodies a combination of strictness, care, and pragmatic wisdom. Her reprimands are extreme but protective, teaching caution while fostering independence:
“‘Now go to bed and die… Maybe I will get another child to be my last born. Just close your eyes and say your last prayers.’”
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Socio-Economic Awareness: By juxtaposing Molo and Singapore, Kombani explores the dynamics of wealth, scarcity, and opportunity. Childhood experiences with rent arrears and improvisation contrast sharply with Singapore’s structured efficiency and high cost of living:
“One month’s rent in Singapore is more than the total amount of rent I have paid all my life — from Molo to Nairobi.”
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Cultural Literacy and Media Influence: Exposure to cinema, newspapers, and political cartoons shapes Kombani’s perspective, highlighting the role of media in education and cultural awareness:
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading the papers, especially the editorials and commentaries, because they provided deeper insights than the news itself… I loved this new art form and was happy to add cartoon drawing to my repertoire.”
Overall, the themes interweave personal development with social context, illustrating how Kombani’s early experiences inform his approach to problem-solving, creativity, and adaptation in a modern, globalized environment.
Rent, memory, and meat linger long after the page ends.
As I weighed Singapore’s soaring rents against the echo of our single torn sofa in Molo, I did not yet know that the next memory would cut deeper. Behind the price tags and panic buying sits a story I have carried for decades — one about hunger, a knock on the door, and a prayer that changed everything.
then walk with me into the next letter.
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