Two years ago today, I was on top of the world. I had a ton of respect directed my way, a solid bank account and a long list of influential friends all looking to have lunch or dinner with me. I was Mhesh. Tonight, I’m eating alone. I’m not even sure if what I have will be enough for dinner.
I have been blessed. I’m one of the few who were lucky to land a good job straight from university. I am also the oldest daughter at home so as soon as I started earning, all of my parents financial responsibilities seemed to shift to me. And just like I was taught growing up, I took them on graciously. Paying school fees for my siblings, covering my parents’medical bills, their household expenses….name it.
With every promotion, there would be an added responsibility. Eventually, my siblings were all out of school and I was now raising their children, paying for them school fees and what not. It was often lonely and draining but I could not complain. How could I? I had been taught that even as I got my wings, as a first born child, I could never fly too far away from home because there were people depending on me.
Three years ago, having attained a half a million shillings salary and with a few millions in the bank, back home, people began whispering in my ear. Telling me that I was exactly the kind of leader they needed. That if I ran for MCA, they would vote for me. They began calling me Mhesh. Their whispers got in my head and with tens of people swearing that I was set to win the 2022 election, I resigned from my job.
My twenty year stint in the corporate world did not prepare me for politics. I learnt quickly that politics is a whole different kettle of fish. That people will say anything to get money from you. The party primaries in April 2022 were a wake up call. I came a distant third. All the people hanging around me hyping me disappeared. Soon, the phone calls also dried up.
The real wake up call was from my family. The very people whose children I was spending hundreds of thousands every month were the very first ones to mock me. But why didn’t you plan well? Why didn’t you save some money when you had that big job? Why didn’t you invest? This should be a lesson to do better next time.
I had made my bed so I lay in it. Interestingly, now that I was broke, everybody’s life moved on without a glitch. The children I had been told in the past were depending on me to survive did not miss a day of school because of fees. Somehow, everybody was able to show up for themselves. They didn’t need me.
I am rebuilding my life, brick by brick. And while things are hard right now, I am glad that I no longer carry my whole extended family on my back. I’m glad I was able to put that down. It’s the one good thing that came out of all my bad decisions. Of only I had learned my lesson sooner
