This morning I was able to pay the last of the school fees for this year, the water bill, and get some much needed maintenance done on the van.
I sent the van off with our mechanic friend, George, about 15 minutes till 9 a.m. My plan was to go and pay the school fees and come back to Cafe Guava and use their internet hotspot to download some updates and podcasts.
First stop was Equity Bank to pay a school fee for a young man we have been sponsoring for a couple of years now. He is top of his class, and graduates this term from high school, or secondary school as it is called here. I made the mistake of standing in the line closest to the wall. Kenyans do not know proper line standing etiquette. They come in, stand for a second in line, then go to fill out the deposit slip, withdrawal slip, or whatever paperwork they need. When they finish, they don’t go to the back of the line, but instead just jump back in wherever they stood for a second. I would have never thought that standing in line properly would be important to me, but after a hundred people jump in front of you, it can be frustrating. O, I forgot to mention that the lines or queues in banks here are longer than amusement park ride lines.
Then it was Family Bank, where I stood in line for another half hour or so. Thankfully no one jumped in front of me. The teller’s printer did have several technical issues, must just not like white people.
Barclay’s Bank was my final bank stop. It was the line from hell. I stood, and stood. Then guess what, I stood some more. I ran a couple of scenarios through my head about how to get to the front of the line, but the hefty looking security guards deterred me.
More than two hours later I was sitting with Ali drinking a soda. The van showed up a couple of minutes later, and I rushed home to help cook lunch.
Moral of this story: Never do business at Equity Bank, Family Bank, or Barclays Bank.
Johnny Brooks
