Order ya kwanza kubwa ilikuja kutoka Thika Textile Works.
Factory welfare officer, Bi. Muthoni, alikuwa amenunua githeri kwa Nyambura mara kadhaa. Siku moja akasema:
“Friday tuna training. Watu mia moja. Unaweza lunch?”
Nyambura alitaka kusema ndiyo haraka.
Kwenye maisha ya kwanza, neno ndiyo lilikuwa mlango wa kazi nyingi bila calculation.
Akauliza:
“Menu? Delivery time? Plates? Deposit? Water? Serving staff?”
Bi. Muthoni akatabasamu.
“Umejipanga.”
“Hapana. Nimejifunza kuuliza.”
Menu ilikuwa githeri, sukuma wiki na nyama kidogo. Portions mia moja. Delivery saa saba kamili. Factory ingeleta plates, Nyambura serving.
Bei waliyopewa ilikuwa nzuri kwa macho, lakini baada Akinyi kuandika vegetables, meat, charcoal, transport, labour na chama equipment fee, profit ilikuwa ndogo.
Halima akasema:
“Still, publicity.”
Nyambura akajibu:
“Publicity hailipi unga.”
Walijadiliana, wakaongeza bei kidogo na kuomba deposit ya asilimia hamsini.
Factory ikakubali.
Chama cha Majina Manne kilifanya meeting ya special.
Nyambura angeongoza cooking.
Akinyi procurement.
Halima packing na uniforms.
Rose quality na headcount baada school.
Wakaajiri wanawake wawili kwa daily wage iliyoandikwa, si “msaada wa siku moja”.
Wairimu alitaka kukaa nyumbani Friday.
“Una exam Monday,” Nyambura alisema.
“Naweza kufanya accounts.”
“Baada school, one hour.”
“Mama, order ni kubwa.”
“Ndiyo. Biashara yangu isiwe sababu school yako inakuwa ndogo.”
Thursday, supplier wa nyama alichelewa. Akinyi alibadilisha supplier lakini bei ikaongezeka.
Friday alfajiri, mvua ilinyesha.
Charcoal ilikuwa damp.
Githeri pot moja ilichelewa kuchemka.
Nyambura aliongeza fire, akaacha bottom ishike.
Harufu ya kuchomeka ilianza.
“Usichanganye,” Akinyi alisema. “Top inaweza kuokolewa.”
Wakaondoa sehemu ya juu, lakini portions zikapungua.
Nyambura akaamua kuongeza mukimo? Hapana, menu haikukubaliwa. Akatuma Akinyi kununua beans na maize ya cooked kutoka mama mwingine market, kwa bei ya juu, kisha waka-mix baada kuonja.
Transport ilikuwa handcart na pickup ya supplier. Pickup ilichelewa.
Saa sita na dakika ishirini, food bado Thika stage.
Bi. Muthoni alipiga.
“Training break saa saba.”
“Tutafika.”
Nyambura alijua hawezi kusema pole baada.
Akaajiri matatu moja kwa trip, akalipa seats zote. Pots zikaingia kwa shida. Conductor alilalamika weight, wakalipa extra.
Walifika saa saba na dakika kumi na mbili.
Wafanyakazi walikuwa tayari line.
Factory manager alikuwa amekasirika.
“Contract said seven.”
“Ndiyo,” Nyambura alisema.
“Tumechelewa dakika kumi na mbili. Tutapunguza delivery charge na kuongeza tea kwa watu twenty wa last shift.”
Halima alimwangalia. Hilo lingekula profit yote.
Nyambura akaendelea.
“Na tunaomba serving ianze upande mbili.”
Food ilianza kutoka.
Portions ya nyama ilikuwa problem. Supplier pieces zilikuwa sizes tofauti. Watu wa kwanza walipata kubwa, wa mwisho ndogo.
Mwanamume mmoja akasema:
“Wametuletea market food.”
Bi. Muthoni akasimama karibu na Nyambura.
“Una control?”
“Tutarekebisha.”
Nyambura akakata pieces kubwa kwa serving pot, akaweka ladle standard. Delay nyingine dakika tano.
Baada lunch, plates nyingi zilikuwa empty. Taste ilikuwa nzuri.
Lakini feedback form ilikuwa na complaints:
- Late. - Meat uneven. - Food warm, not hot, kwa last line. - Githeri good. - Staff respectful. - Portions enough.
Factory manager alisema hawatalipa balance full mpaka review.
Nyambura hakupiga kelele.
Akaomba written reasons na amount inayozuiwa.
“Watu wengine wanabishana,” manager alisema.
“Naweza kubishana after data.”
Wakarudi market wakiwa wamechoka.
Akinyi akasema:
“Tumepoteza.”
Rose akahesabu.
Deposit minus purchases, emergency transport, extra food, wages na discount: loss KSh 68.
Halima akasema daily sales zingekuwa safer.
Nyambura akakubali.
“Order ilikuwa too large for system yetu.”
Akinyi akauliza:
“Then why did you accept?”
“Nilifikiri skill ya kupika portions thirty ni sawa na hundred.”
Hakumlaumu supplier pekee.
Hakumlaumu rain.
Minutes zikaandika failures:
- No backup dry fuel. - Supplier agreement oral. - Transport not reserved. - Portion tools insufficient. - No food-warming containers. - Capacity limit haikuwekwa.
Wakaandika corrective actions.
Akinyi alitaka chama ichukue loss kwa sababu sufuria ni ya chama.
Nyambura akasema business ya Jiko la Nyambura ndiyo ilipokea contract. Chama ipate usage fee, lakini loss ni business.
Rose akasema wanne walifanya labour.
“Labour italipwa as agreed. Owner absorbs profit and loss.”
Nyambura akalipa wages kutoka savings yake, akabaki na coins chache.
Factory iliomba meeting next week.
Nyambura alidhani watamkata.
Badala yake, Bi. Muthoni alisema:
“Manager ameshangaa uliandika report kabla sisi. Caterer wa mwisho alilaumu workers.”
Walimpa trial nyingine, portions sitini, menu rahisi, transport booked na penalty terms clear.
Nyambura akasema:
“Tutakubali only if deposit inafunika raw materials.”
Wakakubali.
Trial ya pili ilifika saa sita na arobaini na tano.
Food hot.
Portions standard.
Hakuna loss.
Factory ikampa order ya Friday kila wiki, people sixty, review monthly.
Sahani mia moja hazikumfanya Nyambura successful.
Zilimfundisha tofauti kati ya kuwa mpishi mzuri na kuendesha mfumo.
Order ya pili ilipofika, Nyambura hakutumia confidence kama substitute ya plan.
Alitengeneza orodha ya ukaguzi:
- supplier confirmation Thursday jioni; - dry charcoal backup; - cooking start time; - sample portion iliyopimwa; - transport receipt; - contact person factory; - food temperature check; - leftovers and complaints log.
Bi. Muthoni aliona clipboard yake.
“Madam, sasa umekuwa kampuni?”
“Bado ni jiko. Lakini jiko lisilo na list linakuwa hadithi.”
Wafanyakazi wawili waliolipwa siku ya first order waliitwa tena. Mmoja, Chebet, aliuliza kwa nini wage yake imekatwa KSh 2 kwa chai aliyokunywa.
Nyambura akasema haijakatwa. Food ya staff ilikuwa budget line. Chebet akashangaa.
“Employer wa mwisho alisema tunakula kwa tip.”
“Ukifanya kazi, chakula na wage zisitumiane kuficha.”
Baada delivery ya pili, factory ililipa balance full. Nyambura alitenga:
- wages; - supplier payments; - chama usage fee; - transport; - tax and licence envelope; - profit.
Akinyi akamwuliza kwa nini tax envelope kabla serikali hajaomba.
“Kwa sababu serikali ikija, sitaki kusema pesa ilienda school.”
Wairimu akasoma report na kuonyesha arithmetic error ya KSh 6.
Nyambura akarekebisha.
“Usinifiche kwa sababu mimi ni mama.”
“Nilikuwa naogopa utakasirika.”
“Error ikikaa kwa upendo, bado ni error.”
Miezi baadaye, factory manager alitumia hadithi ya first failed order katika meeting:
“Tunafanya na hawa wanawake kwa sababu walikubali failure bila kutoweka.”
Nyambura aliposikia, hakufurahia failure yenyewe.
Alifurahia kwamba kosa lake halikugeuzwa identity yake.