Kaleb and James sat side by side on the only two-seater couch that was in Kaleb’s small one-bedroom house just outside Kisii town. They had been stuck at the hip since finishing college two years prior and Kaleb had offered to house his friend as he searched for work and a place of his own. The house was in a flat built in the 70s. The whole place smelled like broken dreams and a certain darkness filled all the poorly lit houses. Kaleb’s place had stained walls, doors that creaked and an old rusty tap that didn’t work. The familiar sound of water dripping on the sink had become the soundtrack to their young struggling lives. The two engineering students had been going through a rough patch in their young lives as they had expected to land a job right after completing their studies but two years later, they were still tarmacking and doing odd jobs to pay their bills and put food on the table.
The routine was always the same. Every morning, they woke up, sat on that old, dusty grey couch and sent out their resumes to anyone and everyone. Kaleb would then report to the butchery where he worked as a cashier while James would ride his bicycle to a garage in Kisii town where he earned a daily wage as a mechanic assistant.
Kaleb was the calm one in the group, always the voice of reason and would often give hope and motivation to the rather unpredictable James. Somedays James would wake up with a burst of energy and other days he could barely find the will to get out of bed. The depression of having to struggle to feed and clothe himself would often get the better of him so he drank cheap liquor as Kaleb chose to spend his free time chasing after women who were way out of his league.
James had always been handsome. His face had a unique structure where all features looked like they had been personally crafted to the right size. He had a chiselled jaw, milk-white teeth, a head full of hair and a smile that enamoured most women he encountered. For all these features that made him attractive, he had struggled to find the light from inside. He battled low self-esteem and found it difficult to make decisions on his own.
Kaleb was dark in complexion, the kind of dark that glows after a hot shower and a little moisturizer. Standing at 6’3 he was the tallest guy in most of the rooms he walked into. He walked with a limp, an injury he had gotten as a child while riding bicycles with his friends. His father was so angry with him that he took away the bike. He was charismatic and well-spoken. He was a natural-born leader who would get along with almost everybody, this unique quality was his superpower.
One of their classmates from college was hosting a party in Nairobi to celebrate the launch of his firm and had invited most of his former classmates to attend. Kaleb didn’t see the need to go, “…think about it, rent is due, we need to pay for Wi-Fi, and we will need at least 10k for the trip. It doesn’t make sense!”
“What doesn’t make sense is doing the same thing over and over again and hoping something magically happens and our lives change. Kaleb, let go! Not for anyone, for ourselves!”
“How much do you have?”
“We will cut it in half as we have always done with all our bills. You spend far more on the women you keep chasing after!”
“Hey! You have your vices, and I have mine!”
“Now I need a drink! All this thinking and having to convince you has made me incredibly thirsty for something brown and strong!”
“Before you go, it is decided, right? 50/50?”
“Sure thing.”
The party was invite-only and was hosted at one of the most prestigious golf courses in the city. There was enough food and drink to go around, and people were having a wonderful time reconnecting and giving updates on their lives after college. Kaleb and James felt out of place and a little inadequate because things had not turned out as great for them. They separated from the crowd and went to the bar. James led the way, his hands buried deep in his pockets.
“A bunch of pretentious and self-righteous people right there. A few coins and they think they can lecture us? James said with a sneer.
“Relax, what did you expect? They are not lecturing us; they are trying to give us leads… I think. The women though, they are stunning,” Kaleb said.
James did not like to sugarcoat things and this time it was no exception. Your biggest downfall is you give too much attention to these women and thus give out your power in the process. That is why you will always be a friend to them and nothing more…”
Kaleb could give back as good as he got so he responded, “He said as he walked into a bar, ready to surrender his power to the bottle. Who is being self-righteous now James? You handsome idiot!”
In the bar, they met Richard, a fellow classmate who was famous for being eccentric, loud and very successful. Nobody knew what he did but whatever it was, he was excelling at it. They shared a bottle of cognac, much to the excitement of James and Kaleb since drinks like these didn’t come by easily. The alcohol loosened them up the stories and laughter grew wilder and louder. That was the night that would change both Kaleb and James’s lives forever.
Richard, though a trained engineer, did not practice. He revealed to his jobless friends that he was willing to help them earn a good living in Nairobi, but first, the two had to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, stating that what they learnt, they would not share with anybody else.
The guys were intrigued and excited about the prospect of finally being successful. They stated categorically that they were ready to do anything. Richard paid the bill and walked the two gentlemen to his car. Once inside, he pulled out his tablet and scrolled up and down to reveal the NDA. Once both guys had signed, he cleared his throat, sat back and told them the wildest and most remarkable story ever.
Richard leaned forward. “Alright boys, now that you are all signed up, let me break it down for you…”
“If this is some kind of elaborate con to sign off our souls, just tell us so we can stay prepared,” James interjected, attempting to be funny but exposing his fear and concern in the process.
“All this time in the village has made you a very scared foolish man James. Relax, let me finish!” Richard looked annoyed.
“James, let the man talk,” Kaleb said as he sat still in anticipation and intrigue.
Richard explained how things would work. First things first, the guys had to take a nail polishing class. They had to perfect the art of doing nails, painting them and everything else that women needed doing. But that was going to be the front for the real business which was going to women’s houses for nail polish appointments and sleeping with them for a handsome fee.
Richard explained that it was a secretive business that required references to get into. He told the guys how his cousin was the one who had referred him to the business. It was always built on secrecy and anonymity. A session would go for thirty thousand and the office would take five thousand. Your performance would be rated by the client and that rating would determine how successful you would be.
Kaleb finally had a question, “What kind of women are we talking about?”
“Most 40-year-old divorcees, widows and others who are separated from their husbands.”
“James, you remember that guy who was caught in the act with another man’s wife in our flats? Richard, we don’t want to find ourselves in hot soup.”
“Guys, this is Nairobi, no such thing has ever happened. Besides, the meetings mostly take place in bed and breakfast houses in town.”
Kaleb was still unconvinced, “I don’t know man. It sounds a little risky. James! Why are you so quiet?”
“I am thinking, so how many clients should we normally expect in a week for instance?”
“I have had five this week. If you are diligent, you can achieve that too!”
The trip back to Kisii was full of thoughts for the two gentlemen. Each battled with their own conscience but acknowledged that they needed the money. They didn’t speak about the matter until they were back in the house.
Surprisingly, James did not think that they should do it. He reiterated that they had gone to school and put in the work to become professionals. Sleeping with women twice their age did not make sense to him at all. Kaleb’s perspective was that they would do the job for one year and raise enough money to open a consulting company. He showed James how this would be a stepping stone towards the future they always wanted.
One month later the gentlemen relocated to Nairobi, where Richard found them a cheap house, took them to nail polishing school and set them up.
*****************************************************************************
Kaleb suddenly felt a cold shiver take over his body as the boda boda he was riding on approached Mavuno Apartments; the location of his first-ever job. He took a few seconds longer to jump off the bike and his rider read the apprehension on his now pale face, “My brother, you good? You look flustered all of a sudden!”
Kaleb shrugged off the rider’s concerns by handing him his dues plus an extra two hundred shillings, it could have been a tip, but Kaleb was also slowly buying his loyalty and silence.
“Boss, you have given me more money than we had agreed…”
“My appreciation for being such a careful driver. Now that I have your number I will be calling you often for your services.”
“You are a kind man; may your day be good and your luck better.”
As the bike sped off back to town, Kaleb took a minute to take in the grandness of the building that stood in front of him. The exterior was painted a dark shade of red and grey. These colours made it look modern and contemporary, the clothes hanging out on every balcony however, served as a reminder that he was in downtown Nairobi. A place where maintaining architectural style and beauty is not a priority.
When he was satisfied that he had surveyed the building enough, he fidgeted a little to adjust the heavy backpack he was carrying. It had been weighing heavily on his shoulders all day. It contained all his nail polishing equipment and other paraphernalia.
He pulled out his phone as he was walking towards the gate and almost immediately, he received a phone call from James, his roommate and longtime friend who was in the same trade as him. He spoke without any real emotion but that was how James spoke.
“Are you there yet? Have you seen the client?”
“I just got here; I am at the gate now. The nerves are crazy though”
James finally got out of his nonchalant vibe and chuckled, “Bro, relax. Just go and handle business. I did it, now it is your turn. Remember, this whole thing was your idea!”
They exchanged some more words before Kaleb hit the red button on his phone; Prematurely ending the phone call because James was not the encouraging sensei, he thought himself to be.
As he gingerly walked up the clean and tiled stairs, he swiped down to his messages and went under the contact “Judy”. In their conversation, Judy had texted the house number he was to report to and his expected time of arrival. Judy had also clarified that time was of the essence and that being late was not going to be something she would take kindly.
Kaleb glanced at his watch, and he was five minutes early. He got to the third floor and was met by a small group of children playing on the veranda. He stood against the wall to allow them safe passage down the stairs. The children looked at him suspiciously as though he had “stranger danger” written on his forehead. “He must be going to 370!” The children concluded amongst themselves.
370 was a house that had been turned into an Airbnb. The children were used to seeing new and strange faces going to that house. Anyone from young, loud revellers looking for a quick stop to travellers on transit to cheating spouses and their sneaky secrets. The children on that floor had been warned to stay away from the strangers by their parents.
Judy opened the door in a long dress that went down to the floor. She was almost as tall as Kaleb. Her hair was full and thick, strands of white hair poked out randomly all over her round head. “Right on time!” She said, signalling the rookie to walk inside the well-furnished one-bedroom house.
Whoever owned the house had done incredibly well to make the house feel warm and comfortable. The colours were well-matched and neutral. Decoration was minimal, there was only one wall hanging, a quote about choices having consequences and the importance of doing good even when nobody was looking.
Kaleb set his bag down on the beige couch that looked new and let out a sigh. Before he could think about what to say, a glass of juice was already on his face. Judy felt like a great host so far. She sat next to him, close enough to see the two rivers of sweat flowing down Kaleb’s forehead.
“Don’t be nervous”, she comforted him, adding, “It might be your first time but soon you will grow wings, and you won’t even remember what you were scared of.”
“Thank you for the juice. I am not scared, just a little hot. This February weather is going to be the end of people who don’t have cars!”
“You are funny. Come let me show you around!”
Twenty minutes later, Kaleb and Judy were naked in the bedroom. He was doing things for her that were far more intimate than fixing her nails. He was working hard nonetheless, keen to make a good impression on his first client. It was the first time he had been with an older woman, far older than he would normally have agreed to. But this was business, anything personal was thrown outside the window.
There was a reason why Judy was wearing such a big dress. Just before their lust session had begun, Judy explained that she had once been overweight and that the dress she was wearing fit her at some point. She worked hard and lost a ton of weight but now she was struggling with extremely loose skin all over her body.
“I just want to warn you that it is not going to be pretty. But I will be expecting my money’s worth, so I hope that it won’t be a problem.”
“It is okay madam. That is not going to be a problem. Congratulations on losing all weight. I bet it was not easy.”
“It wasn’t. When you have a husband who is always making rude remarks about your size and calling you all manner of names, it lights a fire in your belly.”
“Sorry you had to go through all that”
“Don’t be! I lost all the weight, he is hardly home, the children are all grown up and I have you put a smile on my face. Shall we?”
Kaleb had been warned about turning down clients or making them feel like they were undesirable in any way. Richard, his “mentor” had become philosophical one day and told him that they weren’t in the business of sleeping with women for money, instead, they were to bring joy to women’s lives and were getting rewarded for it.
Kaleb initially had trouble performing because he just wasn’t physically attracted to Judy. But he was looking for a five-star rating, so he got over himself and envisioned Schola, his high school crush who he never approached or said a word to. With her face and frame in mind, he rocked Judy’s world. At the end of the day, they both won. He pocketed twenty-five thousand and Judy slept soundly that night.
Bookings were made on an anonymous Telegram channel. The young men, code-named “players”, would be given stars according to their performances. The women, code name “Clients” would select their favourite players by looking at their bio. This included a passport picture, full frontal nude picture, height, age and star rating. Kaleb had four and a half while James had a four.
Over the next few months, it became a game between the two gentlemen to see who would have an edge over the other. James got more clients and naturally, he had a better record than Kaleb. But Kaleb had more returning clients than James so there was that too to add to the argument about who was better.
The two friends amassed a lot of wealth over a very short time. They both moved out into their own houses. Kaleb in Kilimani and James in Ruaka. As a front for their escort undertakings, the two opened an auto shop business where they sold vehicle spares. It was successful enough to blur the lines of how they managed to live with such luxury as nail technicians and professional masseuses. What was supposed to be a one-year gig turned out to be a decade-long experience full of money and sin. It would also lead to the death of one of them.
What happens next? Find out here A Web Of Lies, A Hidden Life, And The Moment It All Came Crashing Down: Part 2
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