Br. Kamrata

“Yahweh, Yahweh, God ………………., slow to anger….” So says the book of exodus 34:6. I understand now, so God is like Kamrata? He is slow to anger? I have lived with kamrata for a while and believe me you, he would like to be angry, but wishing is one thing and being is another thing. One thing is for sure, Kamrata never gets angry, and he can only imagine himself getting angry. I know how angry people look like, I know what angry people do, I know how angry people think and he is not even a mile close to that! 
One time, after coming from Garissa and seeing the damage that had been done to some restaurants in Garissa, he says, “These people should thank God I am in this life – religious life. I would have bought the best war tank like that of Arnold Schwarzenegger and wipe out all those who did the damage, boom! boom! boom!”. This is what we call wishful thinking, Haha!. Whereas I have met many people who wished they were not as such scoundrel as they are, Kamrata wishes he was not as good as he is! Happy man!

Br. O. Evans

          This 17^th day of May, 2017, as we prepare our breakfast with Br Evans, our laughter shrieks through to the sitting room where Br Kamrata is seated. It is obvious that Kamrata is concerned because, according to him, Evans is a little reserved. So, what could he be laughing about? That is exactly the puzzle I have been seeking to solve with Evans. This life has taught most of us that our view of life is highly shaped by our passions. Take for instance, when a pilot is looking at a cow (ng’ombe), it is true he sees a cow with four legs, a wagging tail and so forth. But, if he is truly passionate about his flying job, he might find himself looking at the cow in relation to his passion; probably wondering why cows don’t fly like eagles or like his airplanes. Hence, Evans is passionate about various things but mostly animals.

          One time, as I flipped through the Tuesday’s newspaper (full of animals and farming stuff), Evans peeped and asked if we could talk a little. Of course we could talk because I was actually reading the newspaper out of sheer boredom. I, like many government employees shamelessly admit, the best way to look busy in the office is by carrying with them a newspaper around as if it is the book of eternal life. The talk with Evans hence surpassed that of the newspaper significantly. The talk was about his journey as a Capuchin Friar. It was very interesting, or is it how he narrated it that made it interesting? Anyway, I have forgotten most of the things he said, but there is one account I would be an imbecile if I forgot.

Apparently, some year back, his father said ‘to hell with the taxman’ and boycotted the taxman's rule of staying alive. So, the formattor called Evans and informed him that he would need to travel to kisii. Unfortunately, the formattor did not entirely disclose the purpose of his travel and that he was actually going to bid his father goodbye. Thus, as usual, we say that when you hear Kisii, your head has no option but to go “bananas”. That is exactly what happened (it went “bananas” for the sake of natural inclination to self-preservation). According to his very interesting narration, he put aside the fear of the office of the formattor. He demanded to know why he was being sent away without a just cause. Even more he left me in stitches when he told me that all the while the formattor spoke (mentioned) about “some” problem back at home his mind raced and was flooded with strange idea of his/their priceless cows back at home. His spirit wreathed in anger and disappointment, and he thought furiously, “acha kunidanganya bwana, unataka tu kunifukuza, unaniambia niende nyumbani juu kuna shida, ni shida gani hiyo iko nyumbani, kwani ng’ombe wetu aliibiwa?” For the love of the animals, what other more problem can there be other than the safety of animals? So he wondered. 

Hardly have I met a man half-passionate about animals as Evans.

Br Adam

Well, he has come to believe that my room has a basement room - although I actually live upstairs. I wonder how there can be basement in an upstairs room! His concern is that he is my immediate neighbour yet he doesn’t get to see me once I have entered my room or hear any sound hence the basement thing. He wonders if all is well with “me” when I retreat in the basement! such is Adam the brother of Eve as we usually call him (Eve I hear is his twin sister- I don’t know her).

Upon meeting Br. Adam, you will surely know you are a human person because he will make you feel like one. One fellow who will never assume your presence. He is a true Adam (man) and full of life! He will make you know human beings count over objects. 

Just a memory: A few years ago, as we were doing the dishes, he noticed that I was struggling to dry them by wiping with an already wet wiping cloth. He smiled as he took the cloth from me and he hastily wiped them. Kamrata http://capuchinkenya.blogspot.co.ke/search?q=kamrata , was also present and he was taken aback at how Adam was doing it. I also questioned because the dishes were not fully dry. To Adam, that was pretty funny and he laughed as usual. Certainly according to Adam’s wisdom, plate are objects and so he continued placing them in the cabinet as he laughed saying “Huku kuna joto sana, zitakauka upesi, hata mimi nikioga huwa sijipangusi na nakauka mara moja.” And he continued laughing – we joined him in his laughter

Such is him a man who seems to know what to care about and what not to worry about.

Br. Simon

 I want to refer to him as a man of few words but I think I should simply refer to him as a man of ‘no words’. Strange, isn’t it? That is not strange to me in any way. I have lived with Simon in times when there were many brothers around and in times when there were no other brothers around except I and him. It is all the same, a quiet brother. At times I used to feel like I might be making noise by asking how he had slept the night before, but to my surprise he always asked first, “uko sawa ndugu”.

                    Well, ours was not a community. If you ask Br. Kamrata, he will say two is not a community, three is! It follows then that mine with Simon was not a community, it was two brothers, during which I had a chance to see the inner side of him, the prayerful Simon. For the first time – and the only time – I knelt before the Blessed Sacrament for two hour nonstop. I remained on my knees for that long because he knelt right in front of me and it seemed so good a thing to emulate. Well, I don’t know if I prayed but I believe God listens to the prayers of every part of us, that day He must have heard the cry of my knees.

                    After that stay with him, I left for Lusaka and he left for Ireland. We didn’t meet until after two years. Unlike how it goes with many people after staying for such a long time apart, I and Simon repeated our old phrase “uko sawa ndugu” and the presumably catch up chat was over!