Rox was a plump, dark girl in her twenties. She and her siblings were brought up on Railway money, for her father worked for the said corporation since he had come out of school. The Railways was a huge entity which could be said to have created the capital, Iborian and opened up the rest of the country. For many years at the turn of the century the government could not balance its budget without the profits of the Railway. After that umbilical cord was cut by the Imperial Government in London, the Railways continued to grow in size and profitability such that it began to be said that it was bleeding the country, by no less than one of the richest men at the time, who had a seat in the Legislative Council.
This was the corporation that many years later employed Rox's father. As children they had enjoyed train rides to Asambom on the coast, as well as other destinations around the country. Their house was formerly the farmhouse in a white plantation, right at the edge of what was referred to as the White Highlands. They went to good schools in the city which attracted jealousy even from adults in their neighbourhood. After school Rox went into the Nyaga Technical Teachers' College, where she left with secretarial qualifications that allowed her to become an executive secretary, if she didn't want to teach secretarial skills in any of the numerous secretarial colleges.
One of her father's friends was the Attorney General who, some time after Rox had left college and was working, decided to dip his toes in politics. Having been the President's right hand man, he could be assured of smooth sailing. Indeed the member of parliament for that area was persuaded to step down in favour of Paulson Mugane, who was so Anglisised that he had married a woman from Britain who was, at the time, working as an expatriate. He wore pinstriped suits, some said to have his initials 'PM' woven into the fabric.
When he established his constituency office he wanted a secretary he could trust implicitly. "Where can I find a girl of good family who has the qualifications to be my personal secretary..." he started asking James, Rox's father. Then he stopped, and struck his forehead with the heel of his hand. "Of course your daughter! Do you think she would accept to work for a politician?"
"We can always ask her, though I cannot think why she would object."
Rox was delighted to have been asked, for a number of reasons, chief of which was that the new office was close to her home, thereby removing the need to commute to the city. Another was that the Attorney General had been a friend of their family for many years and was therefore likely to treat her with more kindness than her other employers; it would be almost as if she was working for an uncle.
On her first day at the new office she found that the slate was clean and she could create systems in the way that suited her methods of working. She spoke to the new Member of Parliament many times during those first days to ensure that he was in agreement. She found that Mondays were the busiest days as that was when he saw his constituents in the office. He attended Parliamentary sessions from Tuesday to Thursday. When the President appointed him the minister for Justice he shared his time between that office and parliamentary sessions. This august house went on recess at certain times and then he would give more of his time to his ministerial duties. But whatever else happened, Mondays remained strictly his constituents' time.
"My secretary at the ministry has had an accident and has been admitted to hospital. I want to you to report to Sheria House from tomorrow," he said abruptly one evening.
She was shocked at this development. But she reflected that commuting might not be as much of a problem now that her finances had improved since she had been working with Mr Mugane, now titled Honourable. The media nicknamed the Minister of Justice the 'Duke of Kabeteshire', due to his British mannerisms.
At the ministry she found there were systems according to the civil service model. She also found she understood it quite well in her first few days. Apparently Hon Mugane was impressed with her work, for when the secretary would have resumed duties Rox's boss informed her that she would henceforth be looking after both offices.
"In all honesty the constituency office is not all that busy," he said. "I am quite sure an intelligent girl like you can manage that." With that he walked out.
Rox sat back in her chair heavily and was plunged deep in thought. So on Mondays and Fridays she would report to constituency office and others at the ministry. What about when something was pending at one office and she was required at the other? What would she do then?
In the event these concerns did not amount to much, and she told herself she had been worrying for nothing. Soon she became more of a ministry employee than a constituency one yet drew salaries from both. Hon Mugane continued to pay her as if she were full time at his office.
One day a letter came from the British High Commission, inviting the minister to a cocktail party at the Commission. She put it in a separate document wallet from the usual letters as she placed them in his in-tray.
Later that day, after he had given all the correspondence his attention, he laid the High Commission's letter on her desk.
"You will accompany me to this one," he told her. His tone of voice did not seem to expect an answer.
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The tall, light man who had been looking her way came over to where she was standing to one side. Her heart beat wildly not knowing how she would respond to him, or if he even spoke English. The cocktail party at the British High Commission was in full swing.
"Good evening lady!" he said in a light cheerful voice. "I am Pierre Trudeau from the French Embassy. I am the trade attache."
"Good evening Pierre!" she replied softly in her most polite voice. "I am Roxanna Njeri. I work with the Ministry of Justice."
"Yes, I saw you walk in with the Duke. Shall I get you another glass of champagne?" She nodded. He merely lifted his hand and a waiter was with them in only moments. He handed her a glass.
Not knowing quite how to behave at these events she decided to ask him what he did at his job. He was more than ready to give her details of his work.
Of course he had a question or two himself, to which she responded readily enough. It seemed to astonish him that she could run two offices in parallel, which were nearly twenty kilometres apart.
