My second former was a friendly lad named Leon Osumba from the Luo community of Kenya. Leon was a bit hearing impaired, a disability he made up for by wearing hearing aids. He went out of his way to introduce me to other schoolmates in Chaka House that I was part of. His amiable demeanour explains why I have a visceral hatred for any sort of discrimination on the grounds of age, race, faith, tribe, gender, disability or sexual orientation. And it also explains why I wouldn't mind marrying from the Luo community, provided the woman is a lady of fashion and sense.
The 2002 Chaka House captain was Michael Mwangale who received the Chaka first formers of that year amicably, including me. He used to hold regular meetings with us in the course of the first half of Term 1. During those meetings, he would discuss a number of issues with us, such as the spread of HIV/AIDS. One night, he enlightened us that it is unwise to ruin our lives with two minutes of sexual ecstasy. And on the night before we broke for mid-term holidays in that term, he organized a small bash for us. We feasted on biscuits and drank plenty of tea during that bash. Those were the days!
I shall always remember Mwangale for a funny comment he uttered during one roll call. It was a day before we broke for a half-term holiday, an exciting moment especially for us first formers. After Mwangale was through with whatever important stuff he was telling us during that roll call, he asked us to greet our sisters when we went home for half-term.
Perhaps the Starehian who gave me the best reception in the school was Jesse Nyoro who was six years my senior and whose photo I have displayed above. When Nyoro heard that I could play the piano, he introduced me to music teachers of the school. And he uttered some very congenial remarks about me to my fellow first formers.
Later on, Nyoro encouraged me to accompany hymns on the piano during assemblies and gave me a music score of hymn no. 59 in Starehe Boys' hymnal: that wonderful old hymn in limerick form whose first verse goes as follows:
Turn back, O man, forswear thy foolish ways;Nyoro treated me like a brother despite the fact that I was a confused new student while he was a famous senior in Starehe pursuing a technical course in the institute division of the school. He still remains my friend who has counselled me on several occasions in recent years.
Old now is Earth, and none may count her days,
Yet thou, her child, whose head is crowned with flame,
Still wilt not hear thine inner God proclaim:
Turn back, O man, forswear thy foolish ways.
The other day, for instance, he phoned me to inquire how I was faring in life. I informed him that I am still working hard and praying for breakthroughs, to which he replied, "What breakthroughs are you praying for, Thuita? Don't you realize that your breakthroughs happened a long time ago? Do you know how many people wish they could own a website like you do and write as you do? Stop this business of saying you are praying for breakthroughs."
He then narrated to me the story of two disciples who walked with Jesus without realizing they were with Him until He gave them bread. The point he was trying to make in that reference to the two disciples is that God has already been with me and I only need to open my eyes wider to sense His presence. (For whatever reasons, I can't remember reading about that story of two disciples walking with Jesus without realizing it in spite of having studied the whole Bible from preface to index.)
After Nyoro finished recounting that biblical story, I clarified to him that by praying for breakthroughs, I meant earning money. And I wish I had added "like money from a lucrative advertising contract for this blog" but he cut me short the moment I mentioned the word "money" and said, "Thuita, money only accounts for 10% of happiness. So long as you have food to eat, clothes to wear and good health - those alone are big breakthroughs."
Upon reflecting on that Nyoro's advice, I am thinking that maybe I should begin counting my blessings instead of focusing on what I don't have. Or to borrow the words of that wonderful old hymn I have referred to above, maybe I need to forswear my foolish ways and proclaim my inner God. Actually, that's what I will strive to be doing. So help me God.
