THE DEBT ON YOUR PLATE 🍽️
The Price of 'Free'
Have you ever tried to untangle your earphones while in a hurry? You will concur with me that it's frustrating. But you know what takes frustration to the next level? Being stuck in a snail-paced queue that seems to stretch for miles! If you have ever embarked on the daring quest of landing an IEBC job or chasing down a bursary application form in your local constituency, you'll firsthand understand the kind of frustration I am talking about.
A little while back, I found myself trapped in this very spot for nearly 30 minutes after I had joined the queue. Anger and hunger were gradually taking hold. As I waited with anticipation for my moment this remarkable Homo sapiens glided past me with an ease that made me feel like a mere billboard by the roadside. Nobody dared to say a damn thing. Or maybe they didn't want to spark up unnecessary drama, so I presumed. Well, this seemed to be the way of life because a few moments later, 3 gents maneuvered past me threading through the queue and making their way to the front. Am I the only one who subscribes to the thought that patience pays? In my mind, I found myself pondering, who the heck do they think they are? Are they special or what... Despite having all this inner struggle, I didn't have the balls to raise my complaints. I was helpless and so I kept my mouth shut. Hata kama ni wewe unge do!
In my capacity as a chemist, I have finally unraveled the puzzling utterance that Dr. Waudo once exclaimed during a lecture referencing one of the most pivotal laws in the universe: the Second Law of Thermodynamics (Entropy). You see, The Second Law of Thermodynamics tells us that everything in the universe tends towards disorder. And in complex systems (just like this shitty place that I was in), chaos is the norm. So, you'd naturally expect the universe to be messy. I sought solace on my phone, engaging in a mindless scroll through Instagram to pass time.
After what seemed to be an eternity, I finally got my frail body to the counter, and the counter cashier in a low tone politely asked for my ID: "Nisaidie ID yako". She scribbled my details in a book (she was slow and this explains the reason why the queues were moving slowly). She told me to place my order. "Chapo mbili- beans", I said without hesitation. I was starving. Ladies and gentlemen, I was at the students' cafeteria. No school will teach you this, but from the frustrating experience that I had in that queue, I have come to a profound conclusion on why it is called MESS!!! It's chaotic. What a messy encounter!
As I surveyed the surroundings in search of a suitable location to satisfy my appetite, an unusual scene commanded my focus, it seemed like a little party in there. Nearly every comrade was in possession of a soda bottle, accompanied by a brimming plate of beef stew and chapattis; a combo so foreign amongst campus students. Some had weird cocktails of chapattis, rice beans, and egg curry with coffee. I don't intend to argue but the customary ruracios that are held in your local villages can't measure up to the ‘breath-taking’ view that I saw at the mess. This was the true meaning of kuchafua meza.
So, you're probably curious about the scene at the mess. Allow me to enlighten you. If you're under the impression that fellow comrades were squandering the money from the controversial WORLD COIN, you are mistaken. This is the nitty-gritty: The previous evening my friend popped into my room and he couldn't hide the excitement on his face. He inquired whether my roommate and I had gone to the Mess that night. I informed him that, due to the extensive queue we had encountered, my roommate and I had chosen to dine at Wajeff, a nearby eatery situated by JKUAT gate B. Without hesitation, he proceeded to unveil the good news to us.
“My guys you missed a lot. Food ni free mess! I kid you not. You just need to have your school ID ama ufungue portal and you can order all that you want. Wata kata Kwa fees. Kwanza Mimi nimechafua chapati 3, rice beans, fried eggs mbili na coffee"
Dear, reader, tell me if that wasn't GOOD NEWS! He went further to explain the reason why the students were eating on credit and it was no longer business as usual of PAYE (pay as you eat)
The reason I endured that lengthy queue was to prove the truth behind whatever my friend had shared with us, ensuring that they weren't just mere story za JABA. I also wanted to be part of this historic moment. I couldn't hold back from this windfall. This was a giant opportunity and I wouldn't let it slip. As Comrades, we had chosen to savor each and every meal that we could. Anything available at the cafeteria was up for grabs. The trending phrase that comrades blurted out was: kuinama ni kujitakia.
What propelled most of us to consume far beyond our financial capacities? (I refer to it as irrational eating.) This phenomenon can be understood through the lens of consumer psychology, especially when one encounters one of the most beloved words in the English language: FREE.
In his book ‘Predictably Irrational’, Dan Ariely sums up this concept by observing that; when something is offered for free, rational thinking goes out the window. When something is offered for free, you get excited and don't want to pass up that opportunity. This explains the reason why most of us are myopic about this new system of eating. We can't see any further beyond the bridges of our noses. We are all focused on today; on the here and the now. We fall victim to the illusion that we're consuming on credit, and it appears costless in our eyes. We forget the reality that sooner or later this debt will be paid.
As children we were taught when the deal is too good, we should think twice. But here in JKUAT we have decided to turn a blind eye to that notion and in unison, we have become wise men by coining our own proverb: When the deal is too good Eat twice (or thrice). In as much as our parents and guardians will bear the burden of paying the extra school fees, that doesn't give you and me the leeway to eat like there's no tomorrow. I got a premonition that all these won't turn out really well for some of us. It's going to be some kind of bitter-sweet experience for some. Pengine Kitaturamba. Who knows. Only time will tell. Let's eat responsibly. On that note, don't be mesmerized when you find that you have accumulated an estimated debt of 30,000 plus in food expenses. "Did you go to school just to eat?" Your parents won't hold back from taunting you. When the day of reckoning arrives, in the immortal words of the 5th president of the Republic of Kenya, H.E William RUTO; NA NILKUWA NIME WA WARN
Live and let live.
Adiós
It's in deep a sad state of affairs. Call it the calm before the storm ⚠️
Well put 👍... It's high time people increase their range of sight...what people see fit now should also be fit in their eyes many events over... That's how people should make judgements.