_LOVE_
A Story of Love and Crime
By Ian Job Onserio
All copyrights reserved.
Here is a story of love and crime …
Jon as he was named by his single mother had just finished his secondary education. He was now
facing the reality of being out there. Taking care of yourself as his mother was very keen on keeping
a promise of not supporting Jon after his schooling to somewhat give him freedom. So now he has
to sort out his phone bills, cloths and only the rent and food is what his mum is offering to him. But
there is a truce as the mother said if he failed his exams she will kick him out, she is fed up of
taking care of grown up men. Jon's father was no different no wonder they separated, he wanted to
be taken care of.
Good news is that if he passes his exams his mum has promised not to kick Jon out and he retains his
privileges of shelter and food. Jon is pretty much finger crossed as he surely knows failing the exam
is a likely reality. He would rather the world ends before the results are out.
He never wants to see the fury in his mother's eyes when she learns that her son just wasted four
years worth of school fees that would have been put to better use. Like for example his
mother buying her favorite junk, pizza with extra onions that makes even the driest mouths to salivate. Those
are her desires and chocolates too. Oh! She loves those, her yellowish set of molars are a testament to
that addiction. She also struggles with the holy herb and all if she could just save what she spends on
rolls of weed she would be on a Forbes most VIP list. But what she goes through as a single
mum on a low wage in this scorching economy only God has the right to judge her. She has really
tried putting a son through school actually she is the only one whose son has seen and been to a
secondary school exam room.
Welcome to Mathare, the so called slum. But without it the economy would have drowned. So it
plays a huge role in national development, more than the leafy suburbs do. That is why such places
never develop according to me though,it is a conspiracy to fund the government. Apparently I find
that in low end settlements tax is higher than in the opposite places. Take for example an open
market attendant pays daily fees where else the on the other side they pay only annually.
Anyway Jon and his mum live here. All mothers from this part of Kenya always depend on the their
sons to rescue them to the high life of meals that have courses rather than nutrients. So Jon being
in a tight spot has to survive or hustle as it is known in the ghetto. He goes about researching and
finds that environment related businesses are hot cakes for the youth. Self help groups sprouting
from every corner every day to get the grant funds’ share.
With drugs being the in thing in Jon's neighborhood almost all the self help groups have closed shop
due to corruption allegations and members wasting their fund on drugs. Some childhood friends of
Jon had the only functioning group and garbage collection outfit. They do not do the collecting in
the hood, as there is no profit in that. The model is to serve the leafy suburbs like Muthaiga, and
they dump the wastes back to the ghetto. One man's garbage is another's fortune so is a win win
situation kind of mutual benefit.
They apparently were scouting to get Jon to join them, but he was always busy studying. During school holidays his mother would lock him up in the house for him to finally get bored and
study and that helped him not get hooked to drugs. And he also had a mentality that he was
not that low and cheap to join a garbage collecting outfit. He kind of was influenced by the books and
saw himself at a higher status but reality hit him hard after finishing school.
He now even wished he could just pull a hand cart to get some earnings to spend and be happy. This
was after his mum withdraw some privileges. Like phone expenses. He had ignored the group's
offer to be their accounts guy, being the only one in high school from his hood it was logical for him
to be the guy with the numbers’ skill. The other groups had fallen out due to luck of accountability
and this was not going to happen to n2 as the garbage collection group called itself. The name meant
never to happen again. Named so after it remained as the only youth group that remained after all
others faded out mostly because of drugs and fund misappropriation. Now the organization that
looked after youth groups for the government wanted all the registered groups to have at least a
qualified book keeper for them to be eligible for funding. The book keeper was to be a member from
the same age set so Jon was most wanted, he had the only qualification of having attended
50% of fourth form secondary school education.
So Jon decided to accept an offer he turned down about a year ago. And this saw him becoming
second in command because of his IQ. The n2 each Saturday went to Muthaiga a leafy suburb just
across Thika Road now a super highway. It was a group of 2 but with Jon included they were now 3
but had 3 extra so called support staff that were not part of the founders. The group of six earned
well considering the garbage collection fees that they enforced in their business model after going
through government business training, that is mandatory for any youth group founders. Weekdays
they went about their personal duties and also following up on any youth group events slotted for
them by the ministry for youth development. Their main working hours was on Saturdays and they
sorted the trash on Sundays. And sold the sell-ables during the weekdays.
They also did normal teenage stuff, sports, entertainment and other hobbies during the weekdays.
Jon became fairly stable financially after a week at the n2. He could afford phone bills although all
his phone was used for was to find Jane.
Back at school he was unlucky to be in a boys boarding school but they had days out (called funkies back in the day). Such
as educational symposiums and sports events. Jon never participated in sports but due to good
behavior he would occasionally win an attendance as a cheer member after all he was always on the
noisemakers list. During this events boys would interact with girls' schools and Jon met Jane on a
mathematics�
�symposium. You guessed it he was just a cheer member.
It was fate as they completely met under coincidence. A girl drops her books, the passerby helps her
and they strike a conversation and before you know it they are having lunch and cementing
friendship. Jon refused her offer to settle the lunch bill although he had just a one note but the
heavens smiled and a colleague loaned him. Jane somehow noticed but ignored it.
Jon looked well off from the attire he had borrowed from his mono (junior schoolmate). He had
bullied his way to dressing to kill. It is what Jane liked at first. She was more materialistic, not to
blame her, most are. Let’s blame their dads who spoil them.
She, from a wealthy background, a contrast to Jon's roots. No wonder they clicked. They had
exchanged contacts, and Jon had to lie a dead phone number as he had no way of accessing one. But
he hoped hers was the right one. They talked over holidays and when school reopened the letters
made Jon flank in his studies, that is love. It is why they say I fell head over heels meaning the brain
fell. Is it true people in love are damn, just research most of those who are bottom in their class academically,
they have the best love relationships and those topping are miserable lonely hearts. It’s clue to how it feels to be in love. They
Now Jon had means to own a phone, so all he did was call Jane but she was always on voice mail.
There were charges especially when you dial a voice mail. So Jon's credit cards got wasted on the
voice mail expenses, he was so determined. He was in love after all. One time on their job in a
neighborhood Jane was rumored to be living in, Jon met a girlfriend to Jane. They had met the same
time Jon met Jane, she was somehow into Jon and Jon knew this. He asked about Jane and came to
know that she was attending some art lessons before she goes abroad for university. Jon froze to the
possibility that Jane might leave without him seeing her.
Jane's friend Ann realized that Jon was not from the same social status as them cause he could not
be hanging out with garbage collectors. One time Ann joked to Jane what if Jon was a ghetto boy,
Jane's materialistic nature showed as she would have none of that. Simply, if Jane was to know that
Jon was from the ghetto she would dump him and Jon dreaded that. He could do anything just to be
with Jane. Ann had no problem with that she saw Jon as the best boyfriend so she was optimistic
that after Jane dumps Jon she will have him.
Jon asked Ann to keep the ghetto thing between them and after exchanging numbers they agreed to
set up a meet with Jane a week later. Jane had many admirers mostly spoiled rich guys so if Jon
turning out to be broke will be his loss. To Jane, Jon appeared as a generous rich guy unlike
most of the other admirers who wanted sex to part with some of their money. That is why Jane was
interested in Jon, he was also funny. And he made her feel like heaven. But there was John.
John was a fellow wealthy kid and had much in common with Jane, back when Jane had disagreed
with Jon John was there to offer a shoulder to Jane. In Jane's mind, Jon was more rich than John that
is why he still has a soft spot in her heart. By this time since Jon was missing in action Jane hang
out with John as a boyfriend of course. What Jon doesn't know can't hurt him, Jane used to assure
herself.
John also was flirting Ann but she respected Jane. Ann was a reserved girl who knew how it was to
be poor and rich so she was not as spoiled as the other two. Her love for Jon really escalated by the
day. But she contained it since Jane was also interested in Jon. The day for the meet came and Jane
and Jon were in high spirits. He had borrowed an attire that showed no clue that he ever was from the
ghetto. And in a famous elite cafeteria near Jane's home was the rendezvous. That turned out to be a
complete success to the extent that Jane decided it was only Jon from there henceforth.
They scheduled several dates after that one until John got wind that Jane was with another guy. This
drove him crazy even though he was a player. He set out to find out who the idiot who dared cross
the line was. Who is this so foolish to mess around with a Don's property? John always inspired by
gangster films referred to himself as the king pin a Don. He also lived like one. So a kind of
research was started by John. He paid spies to get him information on Jon.
It was hard doing that as most of John's contacts thought it unfit to go to the ghetto. They had a
believe that they would get infected by poverty. But a determined John got ghetto boys to spy for
him, it was not only cheaper but also reliable. Some of Jon's neighbor boys would snitch to John
about Jon for a piece of cake, not just any cake but those creamy chocolate ones that melt in your
mouth with such exotic sweetness. To John these were readily available as one could get a pile of them
from their dumpster. There was nothing threatening to John about Jon, he was so low in the food
chain that he did not seem to be a threat. But the issue remained that Jane was avoiding him for Jon.
And he very much wanted to find out the truth. An intelligent friend offered a suggestion.
Ann was to say exactly why Jane was so into Jon. That was not to be easy as she would simply deny
it. But the actual approach was to find out what would make Jane be disgusted by Jon. And only
Ann knew this, but getting it from her was not going to be a joke. Jon had a crew of about six
friends but always walked with two. The clever one said they break her by attacking the younger
brother. Ann's younger brother was weak physically and was always a victim of the estate bullies.
Ann was the only one who stood up for him, the other siblings were busy with their own
adventures.
Many a times she rescued the brother and even got into several fights doing it. The exam results
were to be out in a day. The tension was so high, all candidates country wide wished the earth could swallow them beforehand. But after 48 hours the cat was out of the bag and it set some students free.
Starting with Jon. He had not met the threshold to join a university on scholarship. The only option
was to either repeat or just give up education as a whole as there was no school fees even for
college.
Mum Jon was so weakened by the result outcome that she went into a long trance. Even though she could
attend t
o her job and do other things, she started denying Jon. So clearly Jon had to fend for himself.
The group was enough for Jon to live off but Jon wanted more, Jane was always making holes in his
pockets and he was almost not keeping up with that.
Ann comforted Jon and they would bluntly joke on how Jane was eating Jon's finances literally. That went
as far as whenever Ann mentioned that she wanted to be his. Jon saw it as an impossibility, he also
did not want to break the friendship between Jane and Ann. Both Jon and Ann had not met the
threshold, but Ann's parents were to enroll her to a private university. With that Ann still wanted
Jon. They became friends and shared a lot in common. Whenever Jane was not into outings the two
would just have fun together.
Even Jane and John failed the exams but they were assured of going to elite universities abroad.
Jane was scheduled to leave the country in 30 days. Jon was devastated by this. So he contemplated
to just tell her the truth about his social status. At least if she dumps him on those grounds he won't
feel so jilted. And will move on easily. He shared this with Ann his new best friend. She giggled
inside and was so happy about it. God was beginning to answer her prayers after all.
Jane's father was finalizing the finances to make it smooth for Jane to move to Europe. To an ivy
league university. He was going bankrupt but the wife was not going to react well to that. She was
the one who pushed him to that, he wanted a local cheaper option but the wife had always had
her way ever since their wedding night. His company a supplies corporation was doing well but the
board of directors had frozen his finances due to mis-spendings and corruption. There was an ongoing
government tender to supply electronics, since he was running out of options he was ready to
embezzle the upfront cash to that deal.
So he organized with his right hand people at the firm, and some 9 figures were transferred to his
personal account. He had made all arrangements and it was Friday. On Monday Jane was to board a
1st class jet to London in the company of her mother. That Friday morning the representative to the
tender came to announce some changes. That the firm was to be re-vetted due to some noise made
by legislators over the tender.
Meaning the up front deposit was to be repossessed by the government.
Guess what was going through Jane's father mind. He started sweating in the cold weather of
Nairobi, shaking and fear consumed him. A loyal friend asked him to take a back door from the 30
floor glass sky scrapper. The government representative was coming to arrest this CEO who had
moved several hundred million from the tender account. He had come with the CID the most feared
police department in the East African region. Jack Jane's father ran into the fire exit stairs he was
alone. The men in blue bust into his office to find Jack's aid and they cuffed him as he was
somehow the exhibit, a suspect. Jack ran as his heavy body could carry him. The fire exit was not
available to anyone except the CEO. Others had to wait for a fire alarm for them to access it. The
CID had no idea there was one that existed.
Jack stopped occasionally for air gasps. With the abruptness that the CID came with they forgot to
ask questions. They were looking for a list of people in a piece of paper. Top Jack, the others
allegedly assisted him. A list of almost 6 people. The aid was to be the interim CEO after the ban on
Jack by the board of directors was ready. The board was shocked that Jack had the nerve to pull of
such a move. Employees were equally confused on what was happening as matters of
administration never got to the lesser employees.
Jack had reached the parking lot and his car was being guarded. He quickly remembered another
door at the ground floor. Even though that way had rats his fear made him brave enough to face
them. In 2 minutes he was some meters from his office building. He had escaped. With a laptop and
some money he bought a hat and sun glasses as disguise. Then he decided to pay an old friend a
visit in the ghetto. He boarded a bus to Mathare. And there he did not find his friend. He must have
vacated, almost 10 years since they met. As he was thinking of his next step he saw a beautiful
woman. Ooh! She swept him off his mind. She was in a road side hotel having a meal alone.
Jack gathered all his girl charm and approached, she played hard to get. But was also in need for
some cash and Jack looked like an easy target to mug. Jack had a weakness for women no wonder
his wife was controlling him. And here he saw an opportunity to get a place to spend the night,
rather than in a lodging that would easily make it easy for the CID to trace him. But a liking was
brewing between the two and a kind of friendship was being struck.
At Jane's home the CID were crawling all over and the two were under house arrest until Jack
showed up. And there was a time limit if he was not there by close of business that Friday the house
and all was to be auctioned. But Jack's controlling shares at his firm would take at least an year to
be transferred. Long story short they were to be bankrupt by Saturday. It turns out Jack had a lot of
debts and the government tender scandal escalated it.
Mother and daughter were in denial, they thought the richness was forever. The mother was not
ready to take care of the daughter all by herself, she planned to got to a boyfriend's. Jane knew her
mum was like that so was she but she saw it fit to go to Ann's place once her mum leaves. But they
had to wait for Jack.
Jack was having a good time with a stranger turned friend. Mum Jon was the woman. And she
wanted the money to pay her dues since she had borrowed earlier expecting Jon to be sponsored so
that she will get to work to repay her debts. So they went for a stroll in a park next to the ghetto.
They laughed and Jack somehow forgot his situation. Then somehow Jack trusted her to tell her the
truth after finding out that they were from the same local back in upcountry and had attended the
same school. What a world small as a village.
The evening came and Jon met Jack, they had once met when a dispute about trash from his
compound arose. The caretaker had not been notified that the garbage was to be collected. And they
had to involve Jack to solve and he favored the care taker who had a motive to sell the trash. The
group despised Jack but today it was a surprise that
Jack shows up. The other group members would
be so happy to revenge the shame that Jack caused them that day. Mum Jon was not surprised, she
knew the two will get along. And they bonded over supper. Reminiscing about those days when
Jack was the hot cake in primary school.
Saturday came and the CID released mother and child. Who parted ways. Jane went for Ann's
home. Her parents were out for their holiday. And Ann was in charge, she was not the eldest but the
most responsible. Jane stayed there and Jon got the news from Ann although he had figured from
Jack's explanation. Jane met Jon at Ann's and Jane looked so moody her usual vibe was lost. She
was no longer rich. During the same time Jon met Jane John showed up and dropped the bomb shell
. Jane was so hurt that Jon was from the ghetto. She was so upset that she left with John. Jon hurt
really bad as the two left hand in hand. Ann smiled as she saw an opportunity.
An hour later Jane came back crying saying all John wants from her is her body. Jon got a chance to
comfort her but all she wanted before she can decide what next was to see where Jon lived. So they
went but found a padlocked door. Mum Jon had locked Jack in the house to lay low for some time.
Outside the house Jack could hear his daughter dumping Jon for John cause he was well off. With
Jon's tears struggling to come out he made an offer. He told Jane he will rob a bank for her and give
her the money just to show her his love.
Jane laughed sarcastically but Ann knew that was Jon being serious and this made Ann love Jon a
little more. Jon gave Jane a two week time frame. If he does not do it by then, she is free to go with
whomever. Jane agreed and left. Jon had a mission now to live for.
Jack never liked John that much, he always was spoiled and never worked for anything he had all
he wanted. So Jack offered Jon help with his mission, Mum Jon bluntly told Jon to look for another
mother if he decides to go through the stupid plan. Robbing a bank is not like waking up and
deciding to wash one's face.
Planning was to be done and no one single handedly ever robbed a bank in Kenya's history. All
those who have attempted are all dead. Buried with at least 20 bullets in them. This was clearly a
signed death warrant for Jon. But Jon was blinded by love. Jane refused to speak to him until his
time is up. Until he fulfills his promise.
Jon starts by picking a famous bank in the CBD downtown Nairobi. It is the Ianovich world bank. A
bank more guarded than the current world super power nation. Most of it's clients are the super
wealthy so you will never get a bank account with less than 6 figures at any one given time. The last
attempted break in was about some ten years back and the thugs never went passed the counter
when they met an unfortunate painful death by the bullet from the bank's guards police came some
30 minutes. At that time business was as usual like nothing had happened. And the thugs had been
already buried like stray dogs. They were a group of over 20.
A TV report reveled that they had more than one year planning. How about a one man job. Jack had
a gang that had lend him 20 million and he has always invaded them through him being the CEO,
he was untouchable then but now being wanted he is as exposed as skin.
He dreads the gang than going to a federal maximum penitentiary for the rest of his miserable life.
He sees Jon's plan as his only option out of this. The money he used to set his daughter up
obviously had been recovered by the government and all he had was a laptop and several thousands.
Those could start a very viable business in the ghetto, that he could use to start a fresh again. After
all he was not sure if Jane is his blood and his wife always showed signs of being in love with
he usually researched about bank robbery at night as during the day he was doing garbage work
with the group and scouting around the bank in town, to get intelligence. Also talking to Ann who
he was becoming addicted to, just talking not love.
4 days have passed,10 days to go. A plan is nowhere to be seen. Jon had clues of how to rob a bank
from the DIY manuals he read on-line. One prominent clue is to get a clue which is obviously out of
his plans, he is the one who loves Jane not some crew. And he is so determined to do it. He must do
it in order to be able to live with himself. Some of his friends tried to talk him out of it. Their
advices were long over due. Surprisingly the only one who could talk him out of it was Ann who by
the way was his only best friend. But she did not, in fact she encouraged Jon.
He did a Google map pull of the bank and came up with a top view of the exact building. Which he
printed and also he organized with the the town garbage group to sell the papers they get from the
bank's building. Some of those papers had information on routines of the guards shifts and support
staff payment information. He thought of an option to infiltrate in as one of the support cleaners and
get out with a bunch of thousand note bundles.
One bundle contains like 2 million dollars, that one you will obviously be seen that you are carrying
money. That is almost 160 million Kenyan shillings. Jon is aiming at 2 bundles. A tune of 400
million Kenyan shillings. With that kind of cash he and his mother could buy almost have a
province worth of land and be rich up several generations of their bloodline down the line. On the
other hand Jon's family could be hunted down and hanged outside court settlement of course on the
bank's authority. Plus all those related/associated to the robber.
The clock was ticking with only 8 days left, Jon met some guys who too were into breaking into
banks, call it the law of attraction, they were foreigners. Mostly hackers in exile. He had no choice
but to let them on the plan. They wanted in, but disagreed on Jon leading them. They were the H3, a
group of 3 but had silent members from local gangs. Who did their hand work and the 3 did
planning and they shared the loot. Although they never met, business went on smoothly with a few
hiccups occasionally.
Jon saw an opportunity in that but was still skeptical in fully involving them. Trust was a luxury Jon
had learned not to indulge in. 6 days left and a plan was almost brewing. The only hard decision
was what method to use for the break. One was to ju
st storm in with guns hold guys at ransom take
cash and leave. Two was to cyber attack the bank. Cause panic cause the bank to move the money to
their banker at unknown country side farm, and high jack one of the armored trucks en-route. The
last was to use a worm, infect the bank's network cause panic and move the money to off shore bank
accounts. When the panic is over they will not notice any irregularities in the database.
Jon was for the one that brings the money fast. Remember he is doing all this to prove to Jane that
he dearly loves her. With 5 days remaining Jon shocked the crew by suggesting all the above
methods to be used.
There was no need to bully Ann's brother to incriminate Jon to Jane. Jon had already signed his fate.
John is looking at working to stitch his reputation so that Jane forgives him. She now thinks
his like all others who all want to get into her pants and move on to another chick. But being a
player John knows that what goes around comes around. Jane called John and she clearly just
wanted his company but not further than that.
Jane is addicted to money and richness she feels whole around an atmosphere of richness. She used
John to get that feeling. At Ann's it was what she wanted but lacked spoiled people. At John's there
is always a party. Everyday is a party and his parents are never in the country. Also servants are at
anyone's beck and call. That is the life Jane wants. She thought Jon had that kind of life but now she
is so confused about life. She has lost everything in a blink of an eye. But what if Jon succeeds. She
will regain that life, but also if he does not she will be as poorer as ever with no future.
All she thinks about is the empty future in her mind. At the beginning of the week she was filling
forms for visa a to Europe and having dilemma over which university to go to. Now even her mum
does not care where she is and her dad is in prison for trying to make her and her mum happy. That
is what she thinks. But now all she has decided is to be a don't care and let whatever will happen to
happen to her.
Mum Jon has already settled all her debts from the money Jack paid to lay low in her house. The
CID are getting all kinds of leads. One is that Jack is in a neighboring country either Uganda or
Tanzania. The suspects were released, due to lack of credible evidence. Now Jack was in touch with
his aid. He would send some money through mobile money via mum John. They wanted to help Jon
so that they can get a share of the loot. So they were to fund the operation due in 5 days. It required
a lot of people for the first method. A lot of communication gadgets for the other two. Laptops too.
The hackers have tools but also Jon could use Jack's laptop.
The parties for the gig were Jack, Jon, the hackers and the gang. The gang was to implement the
first method. The hackers to implement the 3rd method. Jack and Jon to deal with the 2nd method.
The deal according to Jon was that each group was to take home whatever they took and they split
and be like they had never met ever.
There was a very low chance for them to be caught since the Kenyan intelligence take so much time
defining a crime scene. They will take like a whole year to just get the first lead. Since it was the
Ianovich Bank, they prefer internal security solutions. So they will not be a nation wide man hunt
but off the book bounty man hunt. This is bad since the orders are to kill on sight.
But that fact was not going to scrap the plan. The gang was in both legs, so was the hackers. Jon had
some fear but he was not going to give up now. The group might decide to kill him if he decides to
coward out. The three groups have not met face to face. Jon deals with Jack and the hackers, the
hackers deal with the gang. They are to do the break individually. But Jon was to count on the
hackers to initiate the confusing worm then he will have to find a way to high jack a truck.
The bank has an internal security outfit that does it's money transfers. They are not that guarded as
the trucks are unsuspecting. They look like ice cream trucks. Not even the media knows that one.
The hackers had got into the information system of the bank and found out that there are daily
money transfers to the Central bank and other branches country wide. Each truck carries 500
million Kenyan shillings.
Each truck is automated and has a computer for a driver. All trucks are driver less but they have
people at the bank who just monitor them. They have adapted to the notorious Nairobi traffic
nature. No body can notice that there is no driver as they follow the traffic rule such that cops
cannot approach them. In an event where a cop stops a truck the controller hacks into the cop's radio
and advices them accordingly.