See those smiles!!!!!!!!
Yeeeeeeeeeeey I am super duper excited today. It is my mum’s birthday and mine is just a week away next week on 22nd November. We share our birthday month. How lucky are we? heheh. This woman has been my pillar and guardian angel for as long as I can remember. She is not only my mum but also my friend. She is literally like my only sister since we are the only female species in our home of five males!! She is my role model. She really encourages me to work really hard so that I can have a better life than hers. Not that her life is bad, she just wants me to have the best in life. My mum has supported literally almost all of my decisions regarding school, work, church , as you read it in my previous post about my career journey. She is a traditional woman with a modern twist. I make her take selfies with me and even do the duck face hahaha. She is a slay mum lol.
Her trying to pout.
My mum is a teacher. She has been a teacher all her life.Okay almost all her life i think since she was like 20 years old. My mum being a kisii and a teacher in her hometown is like winning the jackpot! In her days,being a teacher was like being a doctor! So we were given respect as “watoto wa teacher”. I grew up mostly with my mum because my dad was working in Nairobi and us we were staying in kisii. So it was my mum, my bro Tony and I most of the time. My dad used to come during the weekend. I was always super excited to see him as he always brought goodies for us like new clothes,queen cakes, popcorns, and Orbit!! Orbit was my favourite. That was our life.
Sundays in our house are for cleaning. By cleaning I mean cleaning everything and anything that is cleanable in the house. My mum is a clean freak mtasugua adi mlango na mabati and wipe even cables in the house. She is typical African or Kenyan mum. You can’t sleep ati sijui until eleven in her house heri you wake up and just make movements in the house and seem busy rather than sleep. My mum also loves tea kama mluhya so if any of you wants to visit us please at least come with three packets of milk and you will have a new bff.
Fast forward to a few years later, we moved to Nairobi and started a new life in the big city. Mum got a transfer to a primary school in Nairobi which automatically meant i had to study there. Weeeeeh! let me tell you it is not so much fun when you study in the same school where your parent is teaching. You are expected to be the perfect student. Lead by example. Get 450 and above marks out of 500. The pressure was real. But who is Kemzy? I was always in the noisemakers list so punishments were the norm for me. Almost three days a week I was out there doing punishments. In the evenings I used to get ass whoopings from my mum aki! Ati namhaibisha. “Mtoto wa teacher” should be leading by example not embarrassing her. But of importance is that I performed well and went to Nembu high school where mum was not a teacher.
I joined the school on 14th February. I can’t forget that day because I even had a red basin (red=valentines) which was actually stolen the same night!!! I never even got a chance to use it. My mum had packed biscuits and queen cakes for me just to be told by the matron that snacks are not allowed and she went home with them. I was so pissed. I did not like the school very much as a form one so my dad was like finish first term then you will transfer! Never believe this lies! I was one of those kids who kept telling her classmates that “next term natransfer”. When I found myself in Nembu for a whole year I knew my transferring case was closed and I just had to settle.
I loved visiting days coz mum would bring alot of fooooood!! Our school food was shitty so getting home cooked meals was a relief. Mum would come fully packed as if she is coming to visit the whole school. She would bring chapos, kuku, rice, mandazi, biscuits a whole box ile kubwa, juice 3litres, crisps, queencakes yaaani enough food to last me the whole term. So anyway life was good, and as always I was in the noisemakers list with akina Cynto, Crunky, Shiro, Vicky (my desky), Daizy, Babz, Njoki,Wandia, Yvonne,Khadija , June,Olive Christabel and Nyaboory (my cuzo). We were the Nairobi crew. By the way,we got expelled in form four third term!!!!! We did KCSE from home(A story for another blog post soon). I have have even drifted to talk about myself and this post is about my mum.
I finished high school and joined campus. Mum was always there to provide extra money apart from transport and lunch which my dad used to give me. She used to give me pocket money. Adolescence was kicking in properly now but she knew how to handle me.Curfew by 7:30pm you should be in the house. No loitering on weekends instead stay home and read. When I got my first job which was only paying 500 bob per week she was there supporting me and telling me that doors will open. Shikilia tu apo for now until you get something better. My mum is not a quitter so she would not encourage her kids to give up. Read more on my career journey post.
I have seen this woman in her best and worst days. When her mum(my grandma) passed away it was one of the hardest moments. I had never seen my mum cry or look that weak before. It broke my heart. She became an orphan. I don’t think there is an age limit where someone stops feeling the pain when they lose a parent or any close person in their life. God’s grace is sufficient and He does not abandon us in times of grief. Let me tell you the truth. It is not a good sight to see your parent cry! It will shutter and break you in a million pieces no matter how strong you think you are.
This year like four or five months ago there was this delocalisation/transfers of teachers from Nairobi to different parts of the country most of them being Ukambani and Kajiado County. My mum got a letter to transfer to Ukambani. It did not hit her until the morning when she had to wake up and take a matatu to Kitui. That morning she broke down and cried asking God and I why she had to be transferred to an unknown place. We just sat in our kitchen prayed and cried together and I told her God has a plan for you and all will be well. I really dint know what God’s plan was I was just saying that to encourage her.
That was the beginning of a long three months or so of her being out of school trying to sort things out so that she can be transferred back to Nairobi.This meant that our kababy Mitchelle had to go back to her home as there was no one to take her to school(this was so painful but I hope once mum settles , she will come back). Mind you this time my dad was also admitted at Nairobi Hospital for almost two weeks. Our house was like a lodging. We leave in the morning, come back at night around 9-10pm just to sleep because no one feels like cooking, we are tired, all we ant to do is shower and sleep. Finally dad left the hospital, one problem down and things started looking well. If there is once thing I thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for, is the decision he made by saying that the teachers transfers should stop immediately as it was affecting the teachers, their families and even the pupils.
Mitchelle and I on our way to church.
So finally on I think 21st September 2018 my mum got a letter reinstating her to Nairobi County. She called me telling me the good news and we screamed like mad women! I was so happy for her yaani considering all the trips she had made to Kitui and back she really needed a break. You see God really works in mysterious ways. The first day reporting to work we left home at 5:45am to avoid traffic and reached town so fast at around 6:15am. Now since it was too early for either of us to report to work we just drove to a petrol station at Hurlingham near my workplace, parked the car and slept until around 6:50am hahhah. She din’t last two days in that new school. The headteacher, I don’t know if it was out of goodwill or hatred told her she should go to Nyayo house and renegotiate her contract and see if she can be given a school her home. Luckily or unluckily mum was allocated a school near our place, a walking distance and a place where her bestfriend also teaches! SEE GOD!
This year I have believed in prayer more times than my whole entire life! My relationship with my mum has improved. We were not always in good terms. We have had our bad times too but the good times are worth remembering over and over again. Thank you Mama and I am lucky that you will be able to see this and know that I appreciate you.
My mum and her sisters.
I can write a whole book about my mum but for today I just wanted to wish her a happy birthday and a prosperous new year. May this year bring peace, new things, new energy, new strength, more faith and hope and good health. Mum, as you are reading this just know that you are my number one role model and I could not ask for anyone better. May God grant you all your heart desires. Thank you is an understatement for all the sacrifices you have made for us, for your unconditional love, support and guidance. At least I am out here knowing that you are praying for me and wishing me the best.
My Queen.
Wajukuu watakuja tu usichoke kungoja. Nilishambiana vile ulisema unataka ng’ombe mingi, Farasi na mbuzi hahaha.
I LOVE YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ABUNDANTLY. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUMMY.
