I know it sound
ridiculous. I, the perpetual drunk, am telling you this. I wouldn’t believe me
either. As a matter of fact, I am still trying to make sense of it all. It is
still as clear as day, perfectly clear. Mind you nothing ever escapes my
attention, not even when am as high as a kite. Well! You tell me; how long was
I ‘missing’? And you say I seem different, yet you don’t have the patience to
listen to my story.
It was a Wednesday
night. No, a Thursday, that was when I get the free gin. By the way pass me
another bottle. Old cats still drink milk you know. What is it you say? I no
longer look old, hahaha! Then let me unravel the events that led to it. Where
was I again? Ah! Yes the free gin, give it to me. The gin first; then I will
tell the story. Thank you.
It was a Thursday night;
I got the free gin from Jonas just before he locked up. I loitered a while
hoping to meet some fellow vagrants. A strange night it was, I was all alone,
the night hang thick and dark. The silence was heavy. A thick fog creeping in
only made the feeling worse. Everyone else seemed to have disappeared, the
guards weren’t around, the thugs had taken flight, and the stray mongrels, yes,
and those too were gone. Hey! Don’t blame the innocent Chinese fellow. The
night was strange, that’s what I mean to say.
I still wonder what it
was that drove me down that street. The deserted one on which Mr. Njwago and Mama
Foki live. Strange pair those. That place looms with the weird I tell you. I
strode down it frightfully, but I couldn’t help myself. I felt as though I was
gliding through the pitch black darkness, being pulled through actually. I am
not exaggerating so keep your mouth shut before I change you dental
nomenclature boy. Insolent brat! Now I forget where I was. Thank you.
Anyway, there in the
dark, I bumped into it. The marvelous beast was hidden to me, in the dark. I
literary walked into its rear. It spread
its wings and a light seemed to glow. It was a marvelous beast I tell you. The
huge beak and head set in pride. Its silver eyes assessed me with disdain. It
pawed the ground, stepped forward and sniffed me. It looked stern, disappointed
with my alcoholism I assumed, and turned away. 
The beast spoke to me,
I can’t explain how, but it did. Said to me
“You
miserable creature, what led you to this state?”
I was too stunned to
talk. If I had the strength, I’d have taken to my heels. But I didn’t. I was so
scared I couldn’t tell whether I had wet myself or just spilt the reminder of
my drink. I was shaking, trying to understand what was happening. I kicked the
pavements just to confirm I wasn’t beyond my limit or asleep. I fractured my
toe and the pain was excruciating. I hobbled around, then fell over backwards.
“Foolish child,” it growled.
It placed its paw on my
leg, and the wound healed. Not only that, but the clothes I was in too. You
see, this very sweater is the one I had yesterday. The same torn dirty sweater,
that doesn’t have a single tear. It was mended, immediately. The beast, griffin,
took me for a ride. It showed me past, present and future. I tell you the
truth. It didn’t show me much though, or I can’t remember much.
