Last week my younger sister and I were walking in town heading to a bus stop. the streets were bustling with life, lots of people walking around and in some tight spaces people pushing to get way. I was walking slightly ahead of her in file as ‘Matatus’ (public transport mini vans) were parked on our right and others were moving on our left. there were other people walking, Matatu touts and drivers jostling for parking space and calling out for passengers.
Suddenly a street boy stood right in front of me and demanded for money. He also aptly informed me that he had a bag of feaces which he would generously smear on my person if I did not comply with his demands. I froze, then I started shaking. I then opened my wallet to look for money. All this time the street boy was unrelenting in his demands and threats; he never stopped talking even for a moment. He also made it very clear that he did not want coins, I must give him notes. I only had a fifty shillings note in my wallet, which I handed over to him. He demanded for more and threatened me the more. I gave him a twenty shillings coin, he pushed back the fifty shillings note and the twenty shillings coin to my hands and demanded for a hundred shillings note. I was now in begging mode. I opened my wallet for him to see, I did not have any other money (Thank God!). I begged him to take the seventy shillings and allow me to go. Finally he let me pass.