You determine the winner of the Composition Competition too! Links for voting will be in the next newsletter, so be sure you're on our mailing list if you'd like to vote!
MOSES RUZIGI
I have a feeling that my life is too complicated
to be written on a fullscap page. However I will try my best to express it. I
was born on 9th September 1997. My birth complicated my mother’s
life. I don’t think she even had the mood to celebrate. Her only relief was
that she had safely delivered a healthy child. The child promised to be darker than anyone else in the family and in the neighbourhood. The child was strong and playful, she says. That
was me. I like the idea, although years of lack reduced him to a quiet one.
My mother was
a teenage mother. Her elder sister took charge of the infant for only nine
months. The teenage mother had suddenly passed on. No introduction was done
between son and dad. Nobody even now talks about him, not that it’s a big
problem, they don’t like to mention his
name. I didn’t have to tell this much but I thought you may be left
with questions. So then my aunt became my mother. She took me to school when I
was 6 years old. I learnt amongst smaller
pupils who laughed at me all day because I was the eldest in our class. They
called me “papa”. It drove me mad and made me avoid them. I kept to myself.
My first real trouble though came when my aunt’s husband did
not want to feed an extra mouth. They quarreled about it and I had to go to my maternal grandmother. I went to class one there instead of two. By the end of
the year, my grandfather agreed with my aunt that I should go back to her. The
following January I was back to my old school, but sent back to class one
again. I started wondering when I would ever join class two! If you had asked
me which class I was in, I wouldn't have known which. One term was all I got in
one school or a new one. In the end I had spent 3 years in class one.
When I was about 9 years old a miracle happened! I
visited the city of Nairobi. I thought I was dreaming the entire time. I wished
my dream would not end. I was new and naïve in the city of Nairobi. The tall
buildings played tricks with my senses. I was afraid to cross a road. I was
afraid to walk up on the tall buildings thinking that they would fall on me. I
stayed in the city for about two weeks. I enjoyed myself very much. At some
point my aunt whom I was visiting sent me to the kiosk but I couldn't find my
way back. I spent hours looking for her house which was actually 100 meters from the
kiosk. Someone was sent and he saw me loitering with a packet of milk and a
loaf of bread. Breakfast had waited so long. I envied the urban children who
had better clothes, toys, sweets etc. The food was better. Nobody in the rural area buys bread or meat unless on
a special occasion. That’s why I was not happy when my tour ended.
Back upcountry I was received by another uncle of mine. That
meant a new school! My head was full of memories of Nairobi. I tried to sleep
at night but I couldn't. The tall buildings, beautiful cars, rich people, good smells……………………! Etc. But you do what you
have to do. Time passed and the memories faded away. I found a new
passion - soccer. I enjoyed playing soccer. My healthy body managed through thick
and thin. The food is ugali, sukumawiki (kale), cabbage, avocado, mangoes,
cassava, sweet potatoes. For two years this was my life at my uncles house.
One day my aunt came home with an unusual request. She wanted
a young girl who had dropped out of school to go and baby sit her infant, as
she was to go for part time job. My aunt did her best but their was no babysitter
found. To my surprise she picked one!
Me. Me back to Nairobi. I said “yes” before my uncle could refuse. Schools had
closed. My idea was to spend the holiday in Nairobi, while my aunt searched for
a babysitter and then come back to school.
Back to Nairobi! I just smiled. My aunt was kind to me.The
food was good, nothing like dry sweet potatoes every day. The month seemed to
fly! I wished no babysitter could be found. Schools opened before a babysitter
was found, and I said silently "HURRAY”! For six months I did not go to school
instead I did babysitting. My aunt part time job ended and she took over the
care of the baby. However, she did not send me back home her husband took me to
a small school with 100 pupils. The school had no good buildings but there were teachers and books. Mr. Musumba laughs loudly. Mr. Raphael agreed
to admit me, although he said the school was already full. I saw several "mzungus” [white people] with gifts, books, pens, bags, toys. One mzungu actually gave me a pair of
shoes. I love Susie Marks.
Thank
you
No comments:
Post a Comment