Hidden in the cracks….
New days come and go but a friendship is forever.
It had been months since Ben and I talked so you can imagine how surprised I was to receive a call from him.
“Hey Gabu!”
“Sema Ben.”
“I’m sorry about acting a fool. Can we meet up and talk?”
“Sure, when and where?”
“Tomorrow at our spot in Tao.
“Sawa Sawa.”
The last time Ben and I talked things escalated quickly. To be honest it left such a bad taste in my mouth .Don’t get me wrong I was beyond glad to hear from him, I just needed an explanation why he gave me such a backlash. I mean it’s only human, right?
I got to town an hour earlier but had to look for parking which took me a whole thirty minutes.
*Nairobi parking situations *
As I walked towards the restaurant I was overcome by anxiety.
“Why am I feeling this way and this is the same person I’ve known for years?”
I took a deep breath as I walked over to where Ben was seated.
“Mambo Ben.”
“Poa.”
Before I could say a word Ben went ahead and addressed the elephant in the room just like he always did.
“I’d like to apologize for being such a nut, you needed a friend and I wasn’t there for you. The truth is I was jealous. Your life was progressing while mine was at a standstill”.
I looked at him in shock!
“What do you mean? Weren’t you promoted to head sales rep?”
“Yes I was, but it’s not what I wanted. Gabu, do you remember when we went to our first Art event; the plans we made?”
“Yes, we were to be the Ying-yang in business.
“Yes, you were to be the top notch Creative Manager and I the bad ass sales guy. So when you went ahead with your plans without me I was hurt and jealous.
“I’m sorry Ben; I wish you told me about this earlier. Are you still interested in getting into this business?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Business partners?”
“Yes.”
Just like that we not only mended a friendship but also got into a partnership. We left the restaurant knowing exactly where to go to next.
On arrival, we met Njoki one of the jolliest people we have ever met.
“Your timing could not have been any better. As Vuma chama account holders, you have the benefit of being part of our business club. On that point, we are having a workshop being held by Mr. Thomas Kipkemei Kiyai our current CEO this coming weekend. He is going to be talking about understanding and expanding creative businesses. I believe this seminar will help you a whole lot.
“Yes, it will.”
We went for the seminar and got lots of nuggets of wisdom. With the knowledge gathered Ben and I were able to map our next move which included relocating our art gallery to increase market visibility, and starting a fantastic new blog called the car seat nerd.
This move not only increased our sales by 10% in one week but also encouraged a good number of photographers and painters to want to work with us.
When I sit down and think about it, having a trusted friend who understands where I am going was one of the best investments I’ve made so far because we have the exact same goals and our turnaround time is much quicker.
As a team we #MakeThingsHappen
