A Friend Who Values Education

In one of his books, the late American novelist Henry Miller observed, "To have a friend who understands and appreciates your work, one who never lets you down but who becomes more devoted, more reverent, as the years go by, that is a rare experience."

After reflecting on the impact my childhood friend Francis Kariuki has had on my life, I couldn 't agree more with Henry Miller that to have a friend who remains loyal as the years roll by is a rare experience. Okay, let me tell you about my friendship with Francis Kariuki, or Karis as some fondly called him.

I first met Karis in the year 2000 at our hometown Catholic church where we both took piano lessons. Although he was older than me and a year ahead of me in school, we became close friends right from the start.

Karis must have valued education in those days given the way he would sometimes ask me what I learnt from the church services we attended. And he once shared with me an Agikuyu proverb that says, "Muti urugawo we munini. (A tree is straightened when it is small.)" The moral of that proverb is that the best time to correct a person is when they are young.

In December 2000 when Karis was circumcised as it is required of boys from our Agikuyu community after they finish their primary school education, I went to check on him. It being the first time I was visiting his home, I had difficulty locating it. But after much walking and asking for directions, I finally arrived. Theirs was a modest home nestled between heavily cultivated farms. And I noted they didn't have electricity.

Karis healed from his circumcision before the results of that year's national primary school exams known as KCPE were released. And alas! Despite valuing education dearly, he didn't make it to a top national high school. He got an average score in KCPE that had him admitted to a local mixed-day secondary school known as Oloolua High School.

When Karis joined Oloolua High School in early 2001, his brain opened up like a parachute. He consistently topped his class right from his first term in Form 1 till his last term in Form 4. And when I was also in high school, he used to engage me in lively discussions about the stuff we were learning in school.

In addition to studying for his schoolwork, Karis also continued taking lessons in piano and music theory from a certain Catholic priest in Nairobi. I once came across one of his musical compositions which I never got to analyse whether it was as excellent as those of W.A. Mozart, his music hero.

Karis and I drifted apart after we finished our high school education. The little I heard about him was that he scored an 'A-' in his final high school exams and then matriculated at the University of Nairobi in 2006 to pursue a law degree.

One evening in May or June 2011, Karis and I met at a food cafe in downtown Nairobi. We had a profitable conversation over a meal of chips and chapatis. He informed me in the course of the conversation that he had lost one of his sisters and gone through some hardships that opened his eyes to the ways of the world.

As we left the cafe that evening, Karis told me that he read my writings, though I can't seem to remember what he said about them. But I do recall that when I shared with him my dreams for the future, he warned me that I would face opposition, even from loved ones. He truly appeared to have known the ways of the world.

That rendezvous we had in 2011 was the last time Karis and I have ever met face-to-face. But we have kept in touch over the years via Facebook and WhatsApp from which I gathered that he went ahead to pursue a master's degree and then a PhD. Him earning a PhD in his mid-thirties didn't come as a surprise to me since I have known him as a person with a hunger for knowledge.

Judging from his social media updates, Karis has grown into a wise, God-fearing man. Sometime back, I came across in one of his social media platforms a statement that said, "What you believe is what God delivers." And his current WhatsApp profile photo is a picture-quote that says, "As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, O God."

Ever the loyal friend, Karis has encouraged me in my blogging career. He has sent me positive feedback on the stories and videos that I share on this blog. Seeming to approve the path I have chosen in life, he has on two occasions sent me money for buying books to quench my thirst for knowledge. May God bless him for being such a good friend to me.

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NEW! NEW! NEW! If you missed my social media update three days ago, let me take this opportunity to inform you that I have produced a new hymn which is available in the videos' section of this blog. Just click on the "videos" link on the menu at the top of this blog to access the hymn.