24/08/2025
â˝ď¸ A Night to Remember â The Full Story
I remember vividly as if it was yesterday. It was the night of **16th March 2019, 2300hrs.** My boy **Cruz Benard Ruto** came requesting me to accompany him to watch a football match, PSG vs Manchester United, at one of the halls in the center. I was reluctant at first, tired from the dayâs hustle, but against my instincts I agreed to go.
Earlier that evening it had rained heavily, but luckily the power never went off. The hall was packed, fans buzzing with excitement. Just 2 minutes into the game **Romelu Lukaku** scored for Manchester United and the hall erupted with noise. At the 12th minute, **Bernat** equalized for PSG. Football lovers, especially United fans, know better how that night unfolded.
At half time, while we were busy analyzing the game, the unexpected happened. Two armed officers stormed into the hall while others surrounded it from outside. My friends on the front bench were ordered to walk out, and eventually it was my turn. Trembling, I tried to sweet-talk the officer, but nothing came from my mouthâmy tongue failed me. To cut the long story short, **nililala ndani.**
My friend Cruz, on the other hand, managed to sweet-talk his way out and was released. As for me, it was my first time inside, and what happened that night remains a secret to this day. The following morning, I returned home, only to be welcomed by endless laughter from my younger cousin and my brother **MC Chacha.** They could not stop laughing at me, especially because I came back without hair.
When I finally stepped out that morning, the sun hit differentânot because of freedom, but because my head felt like it had been introduced to the world without permission. Inside that cold cell, one officer decided my hair was not part of the uniform of the night. With no barberâs chair, no mirror, and no âhow do you want it cut?ââmy head was forcefully baptized by blunt clippers.
The style? Unknown in any catalog. Somewhere between âbald eagleâ and âunfinished construction site.â When I walked back home, my cousin and brother spotted me. First silence, then unstoppable laughter that shook the compound.
âChief, ulikuwa kwa game au kwa military training?â they teased.
For days, my friends gave me nicknames:
âG.I. Joe,â
âPrison Break,â
and the most painful oneâ
âBald Lukaku.â
Even Cruz, the same guy who escaped, couldnât resist the jokes.
But deep inside, I learned to laugh with them. Because sometimes, hair grows back, but stories like this remain forever. And to this day, whenever I pass a barber shop, I remember the night football, police, and fate teamed up to give me the most unforgettable haircut of my life.