Tiny Tangerines

One of cucu’s neighbors owns a magnificent house that calls back to mind the colonial era. It’s wooden with white washed flow windows, a stone staircase on one end, and needle –swish swish leaf trees{I donno what they are called} growing to the roof. It was in this compound I first saw a cream colored rose. Climbers cover the two cement coated tanks and a violet bougainvillea is en mass . To go along with British home-style, a small gate leads to a fruit tree garden. Oranges, grapes, plums, strawberries, tangerines, malimau, guavas, figs, apples/fruits plus half a dozen others whose names I don’t know to date don the half acre or so.
There was daughter in university when I was but a five year old and she would have me any time of the day. On my part, would find any excuse to go visiting after school. Cucu encouraged the idea, since, the young lady would teach me some manners, and read to me. Mama, uncle didn’t it one bit.-Ucio muururiko wiigiriire niugutiga -that kind of aimless going about has to stop. He’d say after laying the cane on me proper. Then he’d add-na hiyo ni kionjo-that’s just a taste of what could happen.
Especially one evening I returned with my nails painted red. I received an adequate beating and wasn’t to go visiting anymore, ever, which I came to learn was grounding

The lady, let’s call her Doris for now, would give me treats and when we went all to collect fruit, I climbed the trees and picked what my eyes preferred. Back in the house, I’d choose what to take with me.
I remember one day after I’d made my selection; Nancy’s brother was around swallowing some pills of some sort. I was staring at him caught by the different faces he made as he swallowed the tabs. Then he’d say”huuuum”, and I took in every detail so that I could narrate to my best friend {Irungu}and we’d laugh.Why did you give her those?
He asked Doris, referring to the tangerines I held in a plastic bowl in my hands.- That’s what she wanted-She smiled at him. He looked at me and smiled. He then picked two medium sized tangerines from the bowl on the table and threw them into mine. I didn’t really understand what the big deal was. Tiny tangerines, the size of pums were easy to carry, sweeter and faster to peal then pop into the mouth like shwu! I liked those.