Upepo ulifika kabla mvua.
Minazi ilipinda, ferry services zikapunguzwa, na radio ya coast ikarudia warning kila baada dakika ishirini.
Zawadi alikuwa kwenye pickup ya Yusuf kuelekea Kilifi saa kumi alfajiri.
Dr. Neema alipiga simu.
“Umesema uta-coordinate Likoni.”
“Plan imebadilika.”
“Kidney yako haibadiliki kwa plan.”
“Nina dawa.”
“Utakula? Utakunywa? Utalala?”
“Neema—”
“Usitumie watoto kama ruhusa ya kujiharibu.”
Zawadi alikaa kimya.
Yusuf alisikia kupitia speaker.
Akasema, “Tutarudi ikiwa symptoms zinaanza.
Mimi ndiye driver.”
Zawadi akamwambia Neema:
“Nita-check in kila masaa manne.”
“Masaa mawili.”
“Tatu.”
“Mbili.”
Wakakubaliana.
Pickup ilibeba tarpaulins, dry food, water filters na first-aid boxes zilizonunuliwa kwa harambee. Chama cha Likoni kilitoa KSh 84,000. Fishermen association ilitoa fuel. Tourist guesthouse moja ilitoa mattresses. Leila’s KSh 26,000 ilinunua sanitary supplies.
Warehouse ya Mbarak Group ilikuwa na stock mara tano zaidi.
Idris hatimaye alitoa blankets thelathini na bags kumi za unga saa nne asubuhi, baada legal team kuandaa release form.
Truck ilifika school saa saba.
Community pickup ilikuwa imefika saa tano.
Mama Asha hakumshukuru Zawadi mbele ya camera.
Hakukuwa na camera.
Alimpa vest ya orange na list.
“Dorm A: girls ishirini. Dorm B: kumi na sita. Staff saba. Kitchen women watatu. Two girls wako clinic.”
“Transport?”
“Bus moja. Road ya chini inaweza kufungwa.”
Yusuf akakagua route na rescue volunteers.
Bridge ndogo kuelekea main road ilikuwa imejaa debris lakini bado passable.
Plan:
- First bus: younger girls na staff wawili. - Pickup: medical supplies na girls wenye mobility issues. - Second trip kabla water ipande. - Meeting point kwenye church hall ya juu. - Headcount kila movement.
Zawadi akaandika names, si numbers peke yake.
Salma alipopiga Idris, alimwambia truck photo ipigwe ili trust ionekane imesaidia.
Idris alimtuma staff wa communications.
Alipofika, Zawadi akasema hakuna image ya watoto bila consent ya guardians na school.
“Ni emergency documentation,” staff akasema.
“Document stock, vehicle na receipts.”
“Donors wanataka kuona impact.”
“Wasichana si impact props.”
Staff akampigia Idris. Idris akapigia Zawadi.
“You have no authority.”
“School ina.”
Mama Asha akachukua simu.
“Na mimi nimesema hapana.”
Idris akakata.
Mvua ilianza kama ukuta.
Bus ya kwanza iliondoka.
Pickup ikafuata. Zawadi alibaki kwa second group pamoja na Yusuf, Mama Asha na volunteers.
Girl mmoja, Safiya, alikuwa na asthma na panic.
Zawadi akakaa naye.
“Tutaenda pamoja.”
“Bridge itaanguka?”
“Hatujui.
Ndiyo maana tunaenda sasa.”
“Utaacha school?”
“School ni building.
Nyinyi ndiyo school.”
Safiya akashika mkono wake.
Wakati second bus inaingia yard, call ilifika kwamba bridge imefungwa na tree iliyodondoka.
Route nyingine ilikuwa ndefu, karibu na creek.
Yusuf akasema road ya juu inaweza kutumika kwa pickups lakini bus haiwezi.
Waligawa group.
Girls kumi na wawili kwenye pickups mbili.
Wengine watembee mita mia nne hadi community centre iliyo juu, kisha vehicle nyingine iwachukue.
Mama Asha akasema atakaa mwisho.
Zawadi akasema, “Mimi pia.”
“Dawa yako?”
“Nimechukua.”
Mama Asha akamwangalia.
“Kifo si proof ya upendo.”
“Najua.”
“Unaonekana kama hujui.”
Zawadi hakujibu.
Mariam alipiga simu mara nne. Zawadi hakujibu mpaka fifth.
“Uko Kilifi?” Mariam aliuliza.
“Ndiyo.”
“Idris amesema water imepanda.
Rudi.”
“Girls bado hapa.”
“Trust team ipo.”
“Team ilifika baada.”
“Zawadi, tafadhali.
Mimi siwezi kupoteza mtoto mwingine.”
Maneno yalimchoma.
“Ulipata mtoto mwingine na ukaniacha.”
“Nilifanya kosa.”
“Leo si siku ya apology.”
“Basi niambie uko salama.”
“Siko salama.
Hakuna mtu hapa yuko salama.
Tunafanya plan.”
Mariam akaanza kusali kwa sauti.
Zawadi akakata kwa upole.
Battery ilihitajika.
Group ya kutembea ilianza.
Mvua ilifika magotini sehemu.
Volunteers waliweka rope line.
Yusuf alikuwa mbele. Zawadi katikati na girls. Mama Asha nyuma.
Walifika community centre.
Headcount.
Thirty-five girls.
Staff six.
Mama Asha.
Yusuf.
Zawadi.
Mmoja missing.
Safiya.
Girl ambaye alikuwa na asthma.
Zawadi alikumbuka alimwona kwenye pickup ya kwanza?
List ilionyesha Safiya alihamishwa kutoka first bus baada inhaler yake kusahaulika dorm.
Jina lake lilikuwa limeandikwa kwenye columns mbili.
“Double record,” Zawadi alisema.
Yusuf akasema atarudi na volunteer.
“Najua dorm.”
“Zawadi, no.”
“Nilikua naye.”
“Na mimi nina rescue training.”
“We go together.”
Mama Asha akashika mkono wake.
“Dawa yako imepita muda.”
“Nitarudi.”
Upepo ulipiga mlango wa centre.
Yusuf akamwambia volunteer mwingine aende naye.
Zawadi alikataa kubaki, lakini Yusuf akasema:
“Ukizimia, tutakuwa na watu wawili wa kuokoa.
Hii si movie.”
Zawadi alichukia.
Akakubali kukaa dakika kumi na tano.
Dakika kumi na tano zikawa ishirini.
Radio ikasema creek imevuka road.
Kisha Yusuf akapiga.
“Tumempata Safiya kwenye store.
Route ya zamani imefungwa.
Tunapitia upande wa boats.”
Zawadi akauliza location.
Signal ikakatika.
Akaangalia map.
Boats zilikuwa mbali na meeting point.
Rescue volunteers walihitaji mtu wa kuongoza families waliosubiri upande huo.
Zawadi akachukua vest nyingine.
Mama Asha akasema, “Hutoki.”
“Yusuf yuko na Safiya.
Watu wa landing hawajui list.”
“Tutampigia.”
“Network inakata.”
Mama Asha akasimama mlangoni.
“Binti, familia iliyokufukuza haitapata haki kwa wewe kufa ukiwa unathibitisha wengine wanakuhitaji.”
Zawadi alitulia.
“Ninaenda kwa sababu Safiya ana jina kwenye list mbili.
Hilo ni kosa langu.”
“Ni kosa la system.”
“Na mimi ni sehemu.”
Mama Asha akamruhusu baada volunteer wa medical kuahidi kuenda naye.
Walitoka kwenye mvua.
Nyuma, truck ya Mbarak Trust ilikuwa imekwama kwenye mud.
Mbele, water ilikuwa inapanda kuelekea landing.
Na kwa mara ya kwanza, Zawadi alihisi medicine yake haikutosha kuzuia mwili uliokuwa umeanza kumwambia: simama.
Idris alipofika command point baadaye na SUV ya kampuni, alitaka Zawadi arudi Nyali.
“Unaonekana sick.”
“Girls?”
“Communications team amesema almost all safe.”
“Almost si headcount.”
Akamwonyesha list.
Idris aliona jina Safiya limeandikwa mara mbili.
“Why are you still here?”
“Kwa sababu duplicate ilificha missing.”
“Trust team itachukua.”
“Team yenu haijui girls.”
Idris akasema, “Zawadi, wewe si staff tena.”
Mama Asha alijibu kabla yake:
“Hapa staff ni anayejua kazi na amekubaliwa na school.
Title yako ya Nairobi haiwezi kubadilisha mvua.”
Idris alikasirika, lakini akaona parents waliokuwa wamesimama karibu. Hakutaka scene.
Akaamuru driver wake apeleke fuel na rope kwa landing.
Zawadi aliona contradiction yake: alikataa authority yake, lakini alitumia instruction yake baada kuona ni sahihi.
Hakuwa bado amejuta.
Alikuwa amejifunza kwa dakika moja kwamba disaster haijali family chart.