I clearly remember the advice given to me when I was toying with the idea of becoming a scribe. “Don’t take up journalism as your career if your sole aim of life is to make money. In scribing you only earn a name but not money,” my mentor told me. He Quoted Somerset Maughan and said, “Money is the sixth sense without which we cannot enjoy the other five to the full! Even allowing for the sort of ostentatious life, anything in excess is just adding zeros to one’s bank balance and gloating over bloated bank statements every month.
And not him alone but even the country’s education system took me far from scribing. And the gods of the highest education ensured I land into UON ( University of Nowhere) to format me into a tax collector. My own father supported them and cursed the gods’ of scribes quoting Jesus, he said. “Woe unto you scribes……………
After a year of locking myself in a room to cook figures, I sneaked into one of the late Wahome Mutahi’s (My Mentor) comedy shows and our worlds met again and this time he ensured I turned into a scribe.
My own Dad, despite being a long term English teacher could not hear of it and he swore never to accept it.
Despite the lack of a consensus, I continued depreciating fingers. But one day I heard a flowerly call telling me to leave newsroom to the world of flowers. He confided to one officerless and Wilfred Munyao of sian Roses. He also secretly gave the same message to a one Tom Ochieng of Penta Roses.
So as I celebrate eighteen years as a flower scribe, and fifteen years after the launch of Floriculture Magazine, I have never earned a great name like colleagues in newsroom nor have I added a lot of zeros in my bank balance like most tax collectors but I have enjoyed my call. No wonder I have turned into a flower consultant.
Just a quick glimpse into my diary; it is early evening and a fellow scribe calls, “Hi, Mr. Maua, I picked a fight with my wife, I need some flowers to appease her, what is the best in such a situation?” After a cheeky laughter I recommend, “go for red roses, a sign of true love. If you were on the wrong side you need some daffodils which signify respect and joy”. Before long, a young dude taking his girlfriend for a date calls. Straight away I recommend tulips for passion and love; dressed with orchards which stand for rear beauty for she is a real catch.
Early the following morning, I’m back to my office. I open my mail and a friend’s wife is inviting me for his son’s circumcision graduation party. But as usual she drops a line, which are the best flowers for the occasion? “Go for lilies a sign of happiness and hyacinth for playing joy’, I recommend without hesitating. Next mail is a doctor friend who wants to ask his girlfriend for marriage. “Daktari you need a red rose which signifies true love”, I answer.
As I settle for the day’s schedule, my MP calls, the president is visiting his constituency and he wants the best bouquet for him. Though I contested against him last elections and he beat me through some stolen votes, I advice him, “Mheshimiwa, you need a bouquet of roses with pink indicating happiness, white for the calm of the country, orange for passion and yellow for joy”.
Immediately after the MPs call, the secretary informs me of a waiting visitor. It is Annie, a long time friend and an accountant with a leading audit firm. After the normal nitty gritties, I ask, “and what brings you to my office?” Without mincing words, she says, “there is a guy I have fallen for but it seems he is slow to notice, I know flowers can communicate, what flowers do I give him tonight when we meet?” You need a tiger lily which states I dare you to love me. You can add some calla lilies, for maiden, modestly or beauty. After a long day of consultancy I walk home with pale pink roses for my daughter in remembrance of God’s grace to us.
Annie called me around midnight. “This guy bought some orchids and daffodils what did he mean?” she asked. After a long laughter, I answered; “Orchids show love and beauty, it seems the guy is falling to you”. Daffodils meant you are the only one,” I said. I could hear her sob and what happened next is for all to guess.
The following day a top executive and a college mate gave one of the best speeches I have ever heard in life. On my visit to him I carried Irises. He was amazed and asked what does this mean? Irises say, your friendship means so much to me, your eloquence, faith and wisdom is excellent. “So, what do I take to my wife tonight,” he asked,” Well…… some Red tulips a declaration of love and some variegated tulips for beautiful eyes. If you need to surprise her get some yellow ones which means, are you truly my love?” I summarized.
Later in the day I dropped by to see officerless with me was some pale pink roses. “Good old boy what does this mean,” she asked. “Pale pink means grace. It is by grace I received your call into the world of flowers, it was never meant for me”, I answered. She pulled out some Pink Roses for thankfulness as we all laughed. “And what should I give to her,” a colleague and a fellow scribe asked. “Yellow for friendship, coral desires and rich modesty” I answered.
Back home my wife had bought some orange roses, which said, “Iam fascinated by your love and innocence.”
My call has never enriched me or put my name into the world of Oprah Winfrey. However, I will never regret the call Munyao and Ochieng confirmed to me. For a flower a day livens the live of all.