kijani there is an adage in africa which goes, "when two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets hurt." kijani, which in swahili means a single blade of grass covers the experiences of people from all strata of society. it provides an opportunity for the reader to experience the intimate feelings of a people, who like grass, found themselves caught between the past and the present, their lives forever changed in the time it took for the new flag of independence to rise. from the alley and the wooden roller board which polay, polay, a beggar in nairobi calls home, to the lavish homes and lifestyles of the filthy rich, the reader will live through each african character, one of the most trying times in kenya's history-the first decade after independence. would the dreams of aspiring millions be realized, or would they fall like withered petals from a once beautiful rose?