Thorns Of the Urban

Episode 01: The roar of the bus engine mixed with passenger chatter, but Neema's mind was far away. She leaned her head against the window, watching trees blur past. Her heart pounded with both fear and hope. Every jolt of the bus turned her stomach — not from motion sickness, but from what waited for her in Dar es Salaam. In her hands she clutched a small, worn leather purse. Inside were two khangas, a few clothes, and a scrap of paper with her cousin Shamsa's phone number. She'd been holding it so tightly since morning that it was damp with sweat. Her mother's voice kept echoing in her head: "Remember my child, the city has no eyes. The people there are nothing like ours. Everyone lives by their own wits. No one will pity you. Protect your dignity." Neema was only 20, but the weight of her family was on her shoulders. She had to help support them and pay school fees for her younger siblings. Back in the village, there was nothing except hand-hoe farming, and this season drought had destroyed everything. Then last month Shamsa called and said she could get Neema a job at a clothing store. It felt like heaven's gates had opened. Two hours later the bus slowed. Tall buildings appeared in the distance. Neema stared in awe — she'd never seen buildings that big. The conductor shouted: "Magufuli Terminal! End of the line, everyone out!" Neema stood carefully, grabbed her plastic bag, and stepped down. The moment her feet hit the city ground, she was hit by intense heat and the heavy smell of exhaust. Thousands of people rushed in every direction. Touts yelled. Taxi drivers circled her. "Sister, where are you going? Cheap taxi here!" They tugged at her coat. Her head spun. This chaos was nothing like her village, where the only night sound was crickets. She moved to a concrete wall and pulled out the scrap of paper. With trembling fingers she dialed Shamsa's number on her tiny flashlight phone. The battery was almost dead. She pressed it to her ear and prayed. "The subscriber you are calling is currently unreachable." Her heart spiked. She tried again. And again. Same answer. Sweat beaded on her cheeks. Everyone around her was busy. In this huge city she felt like a single drop in the ocean. Fearing the pushy touts, Neema moved toward the main gate, hoping it would be safer under the streetlights. She sat on her bag. Then her phone vibrated. Shamsa! "Hello, Cousin Shamsa! I've been at the station since four, but your phone was off," Neema said quickly, relief shaking her voice. "I'm so sorry, I was at work and my phone died," Shamsa said over loud music. "Listen, I can't come get you. I'm on the other side of the city. Take the bus to Mbagala and tell me when you get there." "Mbagala? I don't know this place. I don't know which bus to take," Neema cried. "Drop the village fear! Just ask people. If it's dark when you get there, stay somewhere safe with other people. I'll come find you after work," Shamsa said hurriedly and hung up. Neema lowered her phone slowly. She stood alone in a massive, unfamiliar city as night fell, with only 10,000 shillings in her pocket — money her mother got from selling their last chicken. Dar was already showing her its thorns. She approached some young men near a commuter bus. "Excuse me, brother, where do I catch the bus to Mbagala?" A young man with a towel over his shoulder looked her up and down. "Mbagala? No direct bus now. First go to Kariakoo, then change to Mbagala." "Kariakoo? How will I know the right bus?" "Get on this one, quick!" The conductor grabbed her hand and pushed her into a packed daladala. "This goes to Kariakoo!" Inside, the air was thick with sweat. Her heavy bag was wedged between passengers' legs. She stood gripping the rail as the bus sped wildly. Every sudden brake threw her into other people. She felt completely helpless. After 20 minutes the conductor slapped the roof: "Last stop! Kariakoo, everyone out!" Passengers pushed toward the door. Neema dragged her bag, one hand pressed to her pocket where her money and phone were. Outside was Kariakoo market — even louder. Shop lights blared. Music boomed. People rushed like they were chasing something. Vendors shouted: "Clothes for five hundred! Shoes for a thousand!" Neema tried to walk carefully but the crowd made her turn in circles. "Mbagala! Mbagala! Rangi Tatu! Get your seat!" A conductor's voice gave her hope. She ran toward it, dragging her bag, scared the bus would leave her. She found a small Coaster bus, half full. She got in and sat in the back row by the window, putting her bag under her feet. This ride was longer and more exhausting. The bus drove through dark stretches, over big bridges, and through heavy traffic jams. Neema prayed silently at every stop. She had no idea how the night would end, or how Shamsa would find her if her phone died. It was past 10:30pm when the bus slowed. "Mbagala Rangi Tatu! End of the line! Fare in hand!" Neema woke from a light doze. She pulled out her crumpled 10,000 shilling note with trembling hands. The conductor glared, gave her 9,000 back, and said the fare was 1,000 because it was late. She didn't argue. She had no energy. She stepped off into a vast open area covered in thick sand, surrounded by container shops locked with huge padlocks. Few people were on the streets. Small groups of young men stood smoking and talking quietly in the shadows. The smell of m*******a and local brew made Neema's stomach turn. A fresh wave of terror hit her. Mbagala was dark and dangerous for a young girl alone at night. She moved toward a trench near a shop with a faint solar bulb, trying to hide from the men. She quickly pulled out her flashlight phone to call Shamsa and tell her she'd arrived safely and was waiting. As she pressed the button to light the screen, her heart dropped. A red warning flashed: 'Battery Low. Shutting down in 5 seconds...' "No, no! Please don't turn off right now! God help me," Neema cried out in a desperate whisper, trying to punch in Shamsa's number at lightning speed before those seconds slipped away. But before she could even press the fifth digit, the screen went completely black and shut down. The phone was officially dead, leaving her in the middle of the pitch-black darkness of her very first night in the city.