SIDESHOWS AND SMOKESCREENS..

It is a chilly morning today in the green county of Kericho. Predictably, Tom has delivered his porridge to the container stall where I work. He is ever jovial and bubbling with excitement oblivious to the dread that is hanging around the shop today. Yesterday, we all received valuable intelligence that the county askaris would be swooping down on the place over unpaid dues.
Needless to say, we were all in a state of heightened alarm.
"Ras, wapi Jay?"
"Sijui Tom..Lakini, unaonaje hio story?"
Tom sipped his porridge and fiddled with his ear lobe. That was his way of deliberating serious matters. It did not take a while before he came up with a strange but plausible theory. Probably the best thing I have ever heard from his mouth.
"He might be stalling on something."
"Like what?"

"He has something up his sleeve."

He must pay up.

Tom spent the next minute trying to demystify the lie that the county guys would be here at the moment over so-called unpaid dues. Tom was right at the end. Jay was financially well-off and the 5,000 bob business permit for the two shops in the town are just pocket change for him. 
"Bado Jay hajakulipa?"
"Bado. Sijui shida ni gani."
"Then he's with someone."
I was not sure about that.By all definitions, Jay was a legendary tight-fisted man when it comes to finances. Though he lived quite a distance from the town center, he preferred to walk instead of paying the 20 bob fare. I could go on about his frugal ways but some of the stories being swirled across may be a little bit exaggerated.

Child Support Payments

"Nilikushow about Sylvia?"
"The hairdresser?"
"Yes."
So all this back and forth with our delayed salaries was because of Jay trying to forestall paying child support to Sylvia. I could see a pattern here. Every end month, Jay takes off to heaven knows where and comes again after ten days. His excuses border on absurd. 
So much for his side shows and the smokescreens. But he must pay up or else!!