So it's not yet Easter holiday and this happened...
My mama called me through my boss's (my cousin's wife) phone and told me that my dad wanted to know if I would like to go back to school. Well, I first thought through it pretty fast and asked her what she meant because I had another dad which I knew he wasn't my biological dad anyway and he had passed on in December 2005 when I was sitting for my KCPE exams. I asked my mama what she was talking about coz my 'dad' had passed on. She told me that it was my biological dad that was asking. I asked her where he was and she said that he was in states (the only word we knew when someone said they live abroad – ni states by default). Weh! Okay! I take a deep breath and can't hold or come into terms with my excitement. I asked her how it happened and how she got hold of him and she explained to me what had happened.
So she told me that she was gonna come to Mlolongo the following Sunday for him to call through my mama's phone so we talk. So my mama shows up on Sunday and we wait for that call from my dad which never came through. My mama decided to go back to her place because it was getting dark and I was all left thinking what if he had changed his mind? So many things were going on in my mind.
So after my mama got to the house she called back and told us that dad eventually called but she informed him that she had already left and I was not with her. She promised to come back the following Sunday. This time round we had a tip - to buy credit and send a message for him to call. One sms costing 10bob which to me was expensive - I sent 3 messages (please call me). This yielded fruits because he actually called. Njoki holding the phone and all jumpy and finally I got to hear his voice.
We talk on phone and he asks me all these questions and he asks me to say hi to my siblings from the other side. Njoki is there shining with her Swahili yet the siblings don't even understand Swahili lool! I felt so embarrassed because first of all I never knew how to speak in English as such - having grown up in the village, didn't go past class 8 you can imagine the kind of English I knew. But either way I shined with the little I knew and it was all good. I hope they understood me :-)
So my dad asks me if I would like to go back to school. If I have a phone. What my shoe size is. What size my clothes are. And I was there asking myself: where have you been all my life? Seriously! Where dad?
I was so excited when I was giving back the phone to my mama. Prayers answered in less than a week - because the discussion on radio was like on a Monday and my mama called like on a Thursday to tell me what had transpired. Fast answered prayers.
So plans were there to meet him and his (my other) family on Easter holiday at home - my grandma's place. I couldn't keep calm.
Easter came along and I saw myself at my granny's for the long awaited day. I remember we were sitting outside the house with my uncles and one of them mentioned his name and said that he heard that my dad had dreadlocks. And you can imagine what came into my mind when I heard that...I had this very vivid picture of him which made me impatient. I yearned for the moment. I longed to see him. How was my dad like? How would we reconnect or relate to each other after 17 years? The thoughts kept racing through my mind.
In no time I heard one of my uncles say 'ndio wale wanakuja. unaona ako na dreadi'. Lol! I quickly looked up and I saw him and honestly I can't explain how I felt. My heart was racing. My blood through my veins and couldn't understand what was happening. Greetings moment and when we made contact I felt like two worlds became one.
They were invited to get into the house and as they moved in, I quickly rushed to my aunt’s place to just get hold of my feelings and myself. Tears were almost running down my cheeks. God had answered my prayers. My dream of going to school was finally becoming a reality. For once I believed that there was a God that lived. My mama called me to join the rest of the people in the sitting. I rushed there and sat next to my mama and on the other side was my dad's elder brother. Silence in the room....
Gosh! Just run out of ink :-) ... can we finalize this on Friday? I hope. See you on Friday. Keep safe. I love you all and thank you for reading and following through. You're precious.
My mama called me through my boss's (my cousin's wife) phone and told me that my dad wanted to know if I would like to go back to school. Well, I first thought through it pretty fast and asked her what she meant because I had another dad which I knew he wasn't my biological dad anyway and he had passed on in December 2005 when I was sitting for my KCPE exams. I asked my mama what she was talking about coz my 'dad' had passed on. She told me that it was my biological dad that was asking. I asked her where he was and she said that he was in states (the only word we knew when someone said they live abroad – ni states by default). Weh! Okay! I take a deep breath and can't hold or come into terms with my excitement. I asked her how it happened and how she got hold of him and she explained to me what had happened.
So she told me that she was gonna come to Mlolongo the following Sunday for him to call through my mama's phone so we talk. So my mama shows up on Sunday and we wait for that call from my dad which never came through. My mama decided to go back to her place because it was getting dark and I was all left thinking what if he had changed his mind? So many things were going on in my mind.
So after my mama got to the house she called back and told us that dad eventually called but she informed him that she had already left and I was not with her. She promised to come back the following Sunday. This time round we had a tip - to buy credit and send a message for him to call. One sms costing 10bob which to me was expensive - I sent 3 messages (please call me). This yielded fruits because he actually called. Njoki holding the phone and all jumpy and finally I got to hear his voice.
We talk on phone and he asks me all these questions and he asks me to say hi to my siblings from the other side. Njoki is there shining with her Swahili yet the siblings don't even understand Swahili lool! I felt so embarrassed because first of all I never knew how to speak in English as such - having grown up in the village, didn't go past class 8 you can imagine the kind of English I knew. But either way I shined with the little I knew and it was all good. I hope they understood me :-)
So my dad asks me if I would like to go back to school. If I have a phone. What my shoe size is. What size my clothes are. And I was there asking myself: where have you been all my life? Seriously! Where dad?
I was so excited when I was giving back the phone to my mama. Prayers answered in less than a week - because the discussion on radio was like on a Monday and my mama called like on a Thursday to tell me what had transpired. Fast answered prayers.
So plans were there to meet him and his (my other) family on Easter holiday at home - my grandma's place. I couldn't keep calm.
Easter came along and I saw myself at my granny's for the long awaited day. I remember we were sitting outside the house with my uncles and one of them mentioned his name and said that he heard that my dad had dreadlocks. And you can imagine what came into my mind when I heard that...I had this very vivid picture of him which made me impatient. I yearned for the moment. I longed to see him. How was my dad like? How would we reconnect or relate to each other after 17 years? The thoughts kept racing through my mind.
In no time I heard one of my uncles say 'ndio wale wanakuja. unaona ako na dreadi'. Lol! I quickly looked up and I saw him and honestly I can't explain how I felt. My heart was racing. My blood through my veins and couldn't understand what was happening. Greetings moment and when we made contact I felt like two worlds became one.
They were invited to get into the house and as they moved in, I quickly rushed to my aunt’s place to just get hold of my feelings and myself. Tears were almost running down my cheeks. God had answered my prayers. My dream of going to school was finally becoming a reality. For once I believed that there was a God that lived. My mama called me to join the rest of the people in the sitting. I rushed there and sat next to my mama and on the other side was my dad's elder brother. Silence in the room....
Gosh! Just run out of ink :-) ... can we finalize this on Friday? I hope. See you on Friday. Keep safe. I love you all and thank you for reading and following through. You're precious.