MY STORY *MY BELOVED GRANDMOTHER WRINKLED HAND MADE MY LIFE

My Grandmother wrinkled hands made my life and my siblings bearable. I was born in a family of four children., I was the second born Girl child. The First born was a boy.
If it were not for my beloved Grandmother my would be hopeless. My mother was single so we lived with my grandmother while she was employed by the white Settlers as a Housekeeper/Ayah so as to educate her four Children.

Life was hard as much as our granny tried her best to make us happy, my mother would come once to visit us in the rural areas. My grandmother was loving to everyone even neighbours, kind, generous, and everyone loved her . She was a disciplinarian and very strict. We were the only children in the neighbourhoud who had good manners. I was the role model of girls of my age in the neigbourhood even at school. My grandmother was a mentor, she also taught me how to cook good food. I followed hers steps. I will never ever forget my grandmother . I loved her more than my mother she was like a mother to me, i stayed with her until i finished my Secondary School at the age of 19 years. During my primary education i used to go to School barefooted, it was quite distance from our home to School.

Our neighbours, other children who had both their parents, jiggers had infested their toes even their fingers. Most of Our houses were round mud-made houses the floor was not cemented. My grandother's round mud-made- house was ever clean she used to sweep the dust and water the floor so her mud-house was no fleas and we were not infested with jiggers as the children of the neighbours. On Mondays we had Home Science lesson Our Class teacher would call me infront of the other children, they would be asked to check my feet how clean they were not jiggers infested. We would then clean those children's feet who had jiggers and remove the jiggers there were no Antiseptic to wash. Also those who never took a bath were also were also bathed like kids. They were put a very painful bitter painful tomatoe -like (ndongu, in kikuyu) fruit which was so painful and they cried out loudly. we sympathised with them most of them started crying even before they were put in the jigger infested place. The worst moment was in the morning when we were going to School, we were going to School bare-footed. During the morning hours on the grass there is dew. So when the dew entered into those jigger infested toes the toes became numb then it was so much painful after the numbness. Those children were miserable throughout they could not understand anything in class because of pain. In mud-made houses there were also some rats. So when we boiled Arrowroots, Sweet potatoes for supper, then peel out the arowroots or sweetpotaoes and happen to leave on the floor and one happen to step on them and go to bed (was a sack put on the floor0 without washing your feet. The rats would eat ones legs on the fool, it was so painful when one stepped on the grass dew.

That's why i loved my grandmother than my mother. My wrinckled hands were much more better and beneficial to me and my siblings than those hands who looked mor beautiful and admirable. My GOD's perpetual light shine upon her soul and may her soul rest in peace till we meet again. AMEN

When my grandmother in her last days got very sick, i called the priest who came to baptize her she died immediately after. I was so much affected that, on the burial date i didn't go near the grave i was left at home i couldni't imagine that i will never see her again my beloved grandmother so they buried her without me.

She mentored and advised me thats why when my agemates (other girls) gave birth at the age of 15yrs and 14yrs i managed to finish my Secondary Education without having a boyfriend.

For the neighbourbood girls who gave birth, life was unbearable for both the child and the mother. Most grandmothers refused to stay with the their grandchildren to give their daughters chance to complete their education.
Furthermore, when the parents realized their daughters were pregnant. A "kangaroo Court" comprising of the elders of the neighbourhod would be called in a shopping Centre whereby the Girl and the boyfriend would be asked to narrrate the whole ordeal, where they were, everything i tell you it was so embarassing . I remember my friends case in a shopping Centre where most of the idlers and her agemates were listening. When the boyfriend refused and defeated her and the child. She cried loudly reminding the boyfriend how her dresses were torn by the barbed wires in his homestead going to visit him. The parents were so much embarassed. She had nobody to turn to the parents, relatives.

My beloved grandmother saved me from such embarassment, she had advised me not to have boyfriends while i was still in School. She was generous to all and she loved all mankind. she was social. That why she held my hand to become what i am now. Am a Voluntary Social Worker , I love all without discrimatination, the poor, rich, sick i serve them all. Even Abused Children i take care by reporting such cases to the relevant Government Offices without pay (a volunteer) in my neighbourhood.

Due to all these i have so many friends who come to visit me, the Youth, Children, Women and i thank GOD and i pray to HIM to help me do his Holy will. to serve all HIS people without discrimination AMEN

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