Moses Ruzigi Autobiography
I have a feeling that my life is too complicated to be written on a fullscape page. However I will try my best to express it. I was born on 9th September 1997. My birth complicated my mother’s life. I don’t think she even had the mood to celebrate. Her only relief was that she had safely delivered a healthy child. The child promised to be darker than anyone else in the family and in the neighbourhood. The child was strong and playful, she says. That was me. I like the idea, although years of lack reduced him to a quiet one.
My mother was a teenage mother. Her elder sister took charge of the infant for only nine months. The teenage mother had suddenly passed on. No introduction was done between son and dad. Nobody even now talks about him, not that it’s a big problem, they don’t like to mention his name. I didn’t have to tell this much but I thought you may be left with questions. So then my aunt became my mother. She took me to school when I was 6 years old. I learnt amongst smaller pupils who laughed at me all day because I was the eldest in our class. They called me “papa”. It drove me mad and made me avoid them. I kept to myself.
My first real trouble though came when my aunt’s husband did not want to feed an extra mouth. They quarreled about it and I had to go to my maternal grandmother. I went to class one there instead of two. By the end of the year, my grandfather agreed with my aunt that I should go back to her. The following January I was back to my old school, but sent back to class one again. I started wondering when I would ever join class two! If you had asked me which class I was in, I wouldn’t have known which. One term was all I got in one school or a new one. In the end I had spent 3 years in class one.
When I was about 9 years old a miracle happened! I visited the city of Nairobi. I thought I was dreaming the entire time. I wished my dream would not end. I was new and naïve in the city of Nairobi. The tall buildings played tricks with my senses. I was afraid to cross a road. I was afraid to walk up on the tall buildings thinking that they would fall on me. I stayed in the city for about two weeks. I enjoyed myself very much. At some point my aunt whom I was visiting sent me to the kiosk but I couldn’t find my way back. I spent hours looking for her house which was actually 100 meters from the kiosk. Someone was sent and he saw me loitering with a packet of milk and a loaf of bread. Breakfast had waited so long. I envied the urban children who had better clothes, toys, sweets etc. The food was better. Nobody in the rural area buys bread or meat unless on a special occasion. That’s why I was not happy when my tour ended.
Back upcountry I was received by another uncle of mine. That meant a new school! My head was full of memories of Nairobi. I tried to sleep at night but I couldn’t. The tall buildings, beautiful cars, rich people, good smells……………………! Etc. But you do what you have to do. Time passed and the memories faded away. I found a new passion – soccer. I enjoyed playing soccer. My healthy body managed through thick and thin. The food is ugali, sukumawiki (kale), cabbage, avocado, mangoes, cassava, sweet potatoes. For two years this was my life at my uncles house.
One day my aunt came home with an unusual request. She wanted a young girl who had dropped out of school to go and baby sit her infant, as she was to go for part time job. My aunt did her best but their was no babysitter found. To my surprise she picked one! Me. Me back to Nairobi. I said “yes” before my uncle could refuse. Schools had closed. My idea was to spend the holiday in Nairobi, while my aunt searched for a babysitter and then come back to school.
Back to Nairobi! I just smiled. My aunt was kind to me.The food was good, nothing like dry sweet potatoes every day. The month seemed to fly! I wished no babysitter could be found. Schools opened before a babysitter was found, and I said silently “HURRAY”! For six months I did not go to school instead I did babysitting. My aunt part time job ended and she took over the care of the baby. However, she did not send me back home her husband took me to a small school with 100 pupils. The school had no good buildings but there were teachers and books. Mr. Musumba laughs loudly. Mr. Raphael agreed to admit me, although he said the school was already full. I saw several “mzungus” [white people] with gifts, books, pens, bags, toys. One mzungu actually gave me a pair of shoes. I love Susie Marks.
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