Over the years I have managed to acquire a number of countless phobias. I know there was a time when I was either too dumb or too young to be scared of anything. Like this one time:
In 1986, when Moi’s military men turned up out our house. I had just turned 8 years old. I remember being woken up by mum at about 4 am (I think) and she lead me to the living room. When I got there the room was full of fully armed soldiers. Not just armed with little pistols. They were armed with hand held WMDs and as we sat on the sofa, they pointed their guns at us. I am not sure how many were in the house. There must have been four in the living room and another two or three searching the house. Mum told me afterwards that there were a few more patrolling the grounds.
The first thing that went through my mind then, and I still remember this, was “what funny visitors”. I wasn’t a stupid child but as far as I was concerned nobody could enter my parents house and feel so at home without prior permisson. They must have been invited.
Half way through one of them asked for water. My mum went to the kitchen and returned with water in a plastic cup. I think this is when I realised that they weren’t normal visitors – plastic cups were for the children – the proper glasses were for normal visitors.
The soldier drank the water in one gulp and placed it on the sofa’s armrest. He then continued to pace the room. After a short while he stopped , turned to face us and waved his gun in our direction pointing from plastic to cup to us. He yelled at us asking one of us to move the “glass” before it broke.
What is so strange about all this is that the first thought that came to my mind was not, “Oh my he might shoot”. Instead I remember thinking, “What a stupid man, it is plastic it won’t break”. What is even stranger was that the only thing that stopped me from saying this to him was not the fear that he may shoot me.
The only thing that stopped me was the fact that I was scared my mum would beat me if I called the man stupid.
Not once did I consider that our lives could end. Sometimes I am grateful for that blind, almost dumb fearlessness. I wish I still had it because right now I am the sort of person who will jump out of bed in mad panic if the phone rings at 2 am!
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Wahu says
Gosh Kui, you know I never realised what that effect had on you as kids. Fearlessness, wow I don’t know how to react to that story because I can just picture the soldiers and you as children. Panic and fear are the prerogative of the old, you are getting there.
Mama JunkYard Says: Me old? Never. LOL. As for having an ‘effect’ on me – it is not something that scares me nor has it traumatised me. Not sure how Pambana and Mandla view it but I get the impression that they don’t even remember it.
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Mshairi says
I love children’s innocence!
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Mich says
Its strange what you do as a kid before you develop a ‘grown-up’ sense of sensibility and danger.
I once got lost in a shop in town when I young. However, instead of finding a member of staff or just panicing I remember deciding that (for some reason) the best thing to do would be to walk home and wait there. Needless to say my Dad was surprised to see me standing on the doorstep and my Mum even moreso when she rung home and he told her I was there safe and sound.
To this day, I’m not sure why I decided the 25 minute walk home (at that age) represented the best course of action but there you go. Obviously my Mum didn’t exactly agree and was on the verge of calling the Police before I turned up.
Kids, bless em.
Mama JunkYard Says: Babe I have often wondered why it is that when we go for walks you always suggest we take the longer more dangerous (i.e littered with dogs) routes. I see it is something that begun in your early years
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Nyakehu says
Heh BabaJunkyard! I guess that is you! What a touching story, your sense of direction must have been very good and the logic.
Mama JunkYard Says: LMAO! Did you just call him Baba JunkYard? Hahahaha!
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kaki says
I think God gives children that fearlessness cause goodness knows if they could fully comprehend all that happened at the age, the trauma!
I also remembered being really fearless and ready to try ad do anything. Then as I grew up I started to become actually overly cautious to a fault. I wish I had that “I can do whatever whenever and however” still.
Remember when ‘Thrilling Three’ would follow people in the grass…now I would be thinking what if there are snakes in the grass and what if the dude is a rapists and it is getting dark and I hear there have been murders in the area. What if the person saw me and went and told my mum or worse gave us a thrashing. What if one of us was caught and tortured for info, would this affect my CV/resume? Will my boss find out,how will I explain this to my kids?
Yeah, it is that bad! LMBAO!
Mama JunkYard Was it Thrilling Three ama Fantastic Four. I am sure there were four of us. 3 Life Time members and one who would just float about on the outside. There are many reasons why my children shall never read an Enid Blyton book – and this is one of them.
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Mich says
Nyakehu,
Yeah, it was just a case of having done it a hundred times before so it was natural.
(Mich is good for me, btw)
Mama JunkYard Says: Baba JunkYard, Baba JunkYard Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba JunkYard (sang to the tune of Mama En Quiero)
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nicholasgichu says
reminds me of a time i had been left in the carpark at tender age of 6…and was to wait for my mum to finish workin then we go home.(2-5pm)
and this crazy guy comes sayin that he’d been sent by her to come get an envelope from our boot….and he had a bunch of keys…that “apparently” he’d been given.
of course it was obvious he was lying…but i needed to prove to him there was no envelope inside.so i offered to take the keys from him and even tried to jimmy the lock open with those many keys…totally unaware/ignorant of the danger this punk could have posed!
atleast the boot didnt open..and that’s the last time that car-park substituted for a day care centre.
But enyewe-if u think about it Children just belong to GOD.yaani have u ever seen a toddler fall from a great height in such a serious manner..and poor thing just picks itself up cryin.and as fast as it had started cryin it stops wailin!
Mama JunkYard Says: LMAO @ Carpark as substitute for day care.
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Larry says
beautiful narrative.
you’re in touch with the child that you were, and that makes me smile
Mama JunkYard Says: Thank you.
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queen t says
peace. i was browsing around and came across your blog. i too can agree that peopl have less fear as a child. a lot of it can be learned. as we get older we learn more fear. which is why i think it is good honor the experiences of our childhood and embrace the lessons.
Mama JunkYard Says: Thank you for passing by. We do learn to become scared as we get older – I think it is because we begin to realise that we are not immortal.
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Wambui says
Babajunkyard? Brilliant. Oh Kui. I have laughed paka I cried. Yani it is so true. As a kid you are so terrified of upsetting your mother, everything else is secondary. Girl bless you.
Mama JunkYard Says: Girl, kabisa. Even when facing a loaded rifle held by Moi’s soldiers I knew that Dr Kihoro had the real power