The thirty pieces of silver

A day like this, 16 years ago, my mama, my two brothers and I, Mteule, were going to church about 13 kilometers away.

We never got tired; we kept the faith unlike now where there is a record of so many churches per square kilometer.

But, I wanted to be left at home, to take care of the cows and the wool-less sheep. If that ever happened, it meant eating a lot of illegal eggs and roasting of the young maize.

Like all the other children in the large village, we were allowed to roast maize from the 15th of October. This bad rule was in our village katiba, which was under the custody of mzee wa kijiji.
At a certain junction, I spotted some 30 shillings which amid all convincing, mama adamantly didn't allow me to pick them.

It was so painful, especially when the pastor narrated on how Brother Judas, a cousin to Kariuki (what I heard) debited his bank account by 30 pieces of silver and credited his sales ledger after selling Jesus.

At one point, I was convinced it was the same pesa and that the apostle had dropped them for me.

Village sermons used to end at 6pm or at sunset, whichever came earlier. They were so good to attend especially when visitors from Nairobi were coming. As a fact the church made emergency contributions and cooked for them; mashed potatoes and boiled maize...and they ate very little...!

After church, I hurriedly walked faster than everyone else, but sadly I didn't find the ducats. Someone had taken them.... And to this day, I often remind my mama of it. Someone was bound to pick them.
@Mteule.