So, Dad…
“My people, when will we build ourselves?…”
“…Let’s avoid mixing issues…”
“… Expose yourself to the world, travel and see how people live…”
These have been my dad’s most frequently used quotes. Most of the times, they have been said during intense arguments. In the past, I have been looking forward to writing an article on Father’s day honoring my father. However, I got too busy at the very times that I needed to come up with such an article. Read indiscipline & laziness.
I cannot really say I have a clear plan for this article, but I will rekindle some moments with dad. Allow me to use dad. Laziness counts. At some point in life, we had disagreed with him and it led to some major decisions in life. I grew up though, and left that in the past. Let us do memories. The very first in a red short and a blue sweater, cannot remember the tee, in his office, my chubby cheeks glowing and smiling for the camera. Next his transfer that saw me move from the public school that saw me scoop every terms cleanest pupil prize of a white bowl to a private school where I became an insignificant someone, being canned for various reasons most of the times. We used to read newspapers with him, he used to remove leafs he was not reading and I could do pictures until I was of the age of reading. I then moved to reading the Jokes on the ever-interesting Reader’s Digests and then looking at the pictures of the articles that seemed boring. There were more books and articles than TV in my early life. He bred the reader in me. This I appreciate much.
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| Katumani, Ukambani |
Travelling. My number one hobby, I would rather hitch hike my way to Rwanda and back sleeping in trucks just to see the roads and experiencing the life on those sides than sit at home watching movies. The very first trip I can remember was the Nairobi National Park. This has happened many times. Back then he used to be a lecturer and he ensured that we were on every trip they went to. So, I fell in love with the road quite early. Most of those times, I used to travel while seated on the engine (the coffin – as I used to think of it) of those old Isuzu buses. This taught me early that I needed not to be Queen comfy to enjoy a road trip. From there we went to Garissa, Mwingi, The Seven Folks, Timau Ranches, Isiolo, Mount Kenya Forest numerous times among others. This was as a young boy. He used to go to the extent of requesting the principal to have his children off school so that they could visit a new place. Fast forward to now and the culture lives on. Road trips lasting to up to two weeks, just crisscrossing our beautiful country. This I appreciate much.
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| Passion Fruits |
Love for Agriculture & business. He has and is still doing a lot in agriculture. His career revolves around sustainable production. He is currently in Livestock. He made sure that as soon as I could, I had my own pair of tiny gumboots, which we used to wear and go to the farm with. That was Kutus,
Tomatoes, maize and beans. We would then wait eagerly for the harvest, stack up the boxes and take them to the market. Come the time for the maize. I hated it a little. But we used to remove the maize from the cobs and this was my first experience with blisters. Fast forward to later life when he made it big and I saw horticulture take me through my high school life. Passion fruits, apples, oranges and mangoes were the thing and the little orchard was a great pride. Chicken came, the cows came and it is in those steps that I have followed to cultivate my passion in agriculture. Business was automatic in the distribution of these products, from eggs, fruits, and the buying of the implements for the farm. This I appreciate much.
Computers. He introduced computers early in life. This is after I complained that he did not pay for me the extra fee introduced to cater for computer studies in my then primary school. He braved the expenses I took him through, when I dismantled the computers, formatted the disks and lost vital information. I loved IT and at some point considered it as a future career, but after a few months assembling, messing and correcting my “blunders” with the computers, I decided to keep it as a hobby, and not a career. Currently there are like three casted system units in their house. That was all me, before I got to laptops. I now assemble and disassemble my own. This I appreciate much.
He is “The Father”. Most of me is him. I owe it to him. Even the influence and contribution to the decision leading to my enlistment in to the military, which has greatly made and nurtured my future as I see it I owe it to him. Points on my graph that I appreciate much.
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| Beautiful Erosion. |
We now hold bigger better conversations on phone, disagreeing less, laughing more, occasionally sharing a drink, travelling to far off places while we enjoy domestic tourism with the rest of the family. He discusses a book I have not read as a well-organized motivational talks and I do the same before we exchange them. We have come a long way. However, this year is different; I did not text him on this edition of Third Sunday of June, I called him instead and as word has already got to him, he was encouraging and elated to learn that I was stronger than ever.
Oh, He is also the father of my crazy sisters who have made my life awesome!
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| Somewhere in Ukambani. Yatta Plateau. |
I am happier.
Happy Fathers Day.
His Dad