Has Reggae Stopped?

By Emmanuel Opiyo

Has thy reggae been stopped by human nature or is it thy natural science a story by God for God.

In the heated atmosphere outside, away from the comfort of the smart box and the smart sound system, men and women are sweating it, burying their heads deep into thought and action. Things are thick, less money, constant expenses, less work, more spending. Every focus now has shifted to food, food, and more food. The mothers and fathers are concerned about the future but have very little to control it. How fast things change! Just Yesterday KFC was open for business, Family Kitchen and its fish delicacy was open, men and women were on dates sharing titbits with chunky laughs, kids were in school away from there annoying mothers and fathers learning CBC- Competency-Based Curriculum- and parents were pleased to have teachers take up 8 hours with the kids every day. Ooh! How reggae has changed!

As I walk across my small community I meet a mother deep in thought by the roadside, holding a tomato not knowing who is going to buy or when the stock of tomatoes she has will be depleted. Am guessing her thoughts drift to when those wholesalers she buys from will stop selling? Right next to her a man just walks in staggering and shouting Reggae has stopped! Reggae! Baba! BBI! Reggae has stopped! -BBI to mean building bridges initiative. To him, it seems the curse of COVID-19 is a welcome call. Now we are all the same, God in His wisdom has stopped Reggae. He seems stressed as he walks past the mother and remembers that mathe normally gives her biting’s whenever she can and today the mathe seems deep in thoughts and it hits him hard that Reggae may have just been stopped right at home.

As I continue to walk, I see children playing outside a great opportunity for them to enjoy the outdoors, here the fathers and mothers live in small spaces so staying in that one space together for 24 hours every day for 14 days is confusing, one must give way for another. So they play joyfully oblivious of the concerns of the parents and the hard times at their doorstep. I remind them to wash their hands and they reply CORONA! Almost in unison

Before I get to the market, my final destination, I try to sieve through the conversations around me. The boda boda guys are discussing CORONA and the number of deaths currently in the country, a group of mothers right ahead of me are trying to figure out where they would get sanitizers and masks if CORONA! Gets thick and fast. The local shopkeeper asks me where I am headed. My only response is CORONA. We laugh and leave it at that.

Wherever CORONA has found you, whatever Reggae it has stopped in your life, whatever beliefs you have ….One fact is that CORONA is here and has changed the world in a twinkling gasp of air. STAY SAFE STAY HOME, PRAY, READ, EAT, SLEEP remembering you can be part of the change. We may not know what tomorrow brings but life must be lived making a difference physically and spiritually today for tomorrow.

I hope you take this period to grow yourself and become a more reflective person

Emmanuel Opiyo is a Youth Leader based in Kisumu.