Human Beasts

 "Animals are worse than humans. See that cock beating his tied opponent pitilessly. The wild thing about animals is that when their opponents are at their weakest point, they see it as an opportunity to eliminate them. 

"Unlike them, we, humans, show much care and compassion. We recognize our fellows lowest points, and empathize with them. We are far better in love than animals," Ngala recollected Owalo's sentiments.

However, he strongly disagreed with Owalo. 

 "There is nothing good about humans. They are more opportunistic and devouring than other animals.

"People have brains, but their actions prove that brawn is much better. Their greed, enveloped in sweet terms like civilization and development, has destroyed the environment, eradicated several other species, and sown deep seeds of hatred among themselves. That is why men keep fighting over petty things like religion, race, ethnicity, and traditions. No wonder they came up with this fallacious idea of 'survival for the fittest' and make it appear normal by supporting it with the idea of 'natural selection.'" 

Ngala alighted at Tom Mboya Street and headed for KenCom to wait for his high school classmate, Obonyo. Twelve years had passed since he last saw him. Now that he was in Nairobi, it was necessary to have good old friends close. He was desperate to stabilize his staggering life. He sat on a "depression" seat nearby and observed passengers boarding the several huge KBS buses at the stage. 

"Nairobi carries hoards of humanity," Ngala pondered. "A single city produces sixty percent of the nation's GDP, a massively uneven distribution of resources," he mumbled. "Sixty percent of the nation's production occurs in this city, yet it carries less than ten percent of its population. This situation is highly unfair to over ninety percent of poor Kenyans who don't live here. 

 "Must we all crowd this overstretched city to get jobs?" 

Then Ngala saw a man rolling up the front side window of a KBS bus to avoid speaking to a lady. The woman was left red-faced as she stood confused beside the vehicle.

"Is it necessary? Must he embarrass her publicly? She did not approach his window, shouting or doing anything out of order," Ngala mumbled again as he watched in disbelief. "Humans have become so ignorant of other people's feelings. We only see our hurt and anger. People do not take time to feel other people; like that haughty man."

Suddenly, Ngala's phone rang. It was Obonyo calling him. 

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Have you arrived?"

"Yes. I am standing here below a traffic light besides KenCom building. In front of me is a lousy crowd watching a busy band shooting a gospel music video."

"I know that place.I am coming there. Give me thirty seconds."

When Ngala and Obonyo met, they greeted each other warmly like two great childhood friends meeting for the first time when old.

Obonyo had not changed except for the trim beard he had grown. He was in great shape, like one of those few people enjoying the rare fruits of this unbridled capitalism. 

They walked into Cafedeli, a high-end restaurant along the busy Moi Avenue, and sat confidently like the wealthy foreigners around them.

"Boss, bring me a glass of strawberry milkshake and get him a cup of white coffee and two beef samosas," Obonyo ordered.

"My friend, you are one of the few people eating their education," Ngala followed up that order with this witty comment aimed at his friend.

"Do not worry; your time will come," Obonyo responded.

The waiter brought the food. Ngala's plate had two samosas, sliced tomato and lemon, and a small sauce dish. His cup had a thick and robust white coffee, proof of its high grade.

"Kenya is a significant producer of tea and coffee globally, yet we drink the lowest grades of the two products. One has to visit classy restaurants like this that are typically for these wealthy foreigners to get such a strong and sweet cup of coffee. 

 "Now we are here with them. That is why when I say you are eating your education; I firmly mean it."

Obonyo laughed.

"I am sorry about your loss. I mean, your mom," Ngala said remorsefully. 

"It's a pain hard to bear. 

"She had an accident at the flyover in Nyamasaria. 

 "She had hired a trailer to move her grains to Kondele. The vehicle lost balance and tipped over the edge protection as the driver oversped while passing through the sharp bend of the flyover. They fell down the highway below," Obonyo paused.

"The sad part is people rushed for the container behind to loot grain instead of rescuing her and the driver. 

 "Those who tried saving her later stole her purse." 

Tears welled in both eyes as they stared at the light-brown soft board table without noticing it. Ngala did not know what to say.

"That is wicked," Ngala mumbled suddenly.

 "Are such actions motivated by poverty or greed? 

 "It must be greed," Ngala thought assertively. 

 "How can one steal from a dying person? How can one put bread above life? 

"Life had become so meaningless that it was reasonable to let a person die.

 "Or was this the paradox of life? Others die as others fight for the resources the dying are laeving to live. Was survival for the fittest at play here again?"

A man should expect nothing from his fellow man in this capitalist system. It holds that only the strong, capable, and fit deserve to live. A man should expect nothing from these world religions that serve to advance the interests of unrestricted capitalism. In the Bible, people read God charging the Jews to murder and destroy other tribes. Were not those tribes God's creations? Man has become hopeless, and whoever thinks religion promotes morality and humanity needs to think again objectively.

"Recently the Kenya Bureau of Statistics released the 2019 Census Report," Ngala started again. "One key statistic is the nation's fertility rate that has dropped to about 3.8. This shows our population will reach a replacement level in the next few decades."

"What do you mean by fertility rate and the replacement level," Obonyo inquired.

"Fertility rate is the average number of children in a family. Replacement level is a situation where a country has a fertility rate of 2. This occurrence implies that most families mainly have two children that act as replacements for their parents when the parents die. In such a situation, the population remains relatively constant. 

"Our low fertility rate shows that Kenyans are aggressively responding to the economic stress they have faced over the last decade. 

"Look at you. You are thirty yet you have no plans to marry. This shows that in as much as you reap these benefits of capitalism, capitalism still does not assure you that you need to start a family." 

 "That's true. I work hard. I work a lot. Rarely do I get free time for anything — not even for courtship. 

"You've made me remember. Sorry, I need to leave now. I must finish a client's project before tomorrow. I'll settle the bill. We will meet again soon."

"Okay."

They both rose and walked away.