My grandma, Abiga Nyomolo was a colossus of a woman, towering at 7feet she was like an edifice. The size of her heart was equally enormous! Nyar Gem stood out! A pioneer and a fast among peers. She was the first registered nurse in our village as well as a pioneer church woman. She had many firsts. Her daughter, Jedida was the first girl to get into A-Level, not a small feat then! I adored my grandma, she was my radar, a compass that determined the trajectory of my destiny; and her death so many years ago practically threw me into an abyss of desolation. She was the epitome of goodness, a saint of a woman whose life reflected the essence of perfection. I think I will never stop grieving! I long for the signature smile of the old lady. The disarming amiability and beneath the stern disposition. Cruel love! But it was okay. It gave me a sense of purpose. Her teeth were distinct and protruding slightly outside. Its the only thing remember vividly ! There was also the steel charm that put you both at ease and a little awry! Truth defined her world and admission of guilt was paramount! Abiga was never footloose, she hated cheap village chatter, believing every moment should be spent doing something useful. Beyond all these, she was immaculate, clinically organized to a fault! Every item had its place in the house which was always spackling clean. Abiga loved children, her passion for grandchildren was palpable and I was at the center, she treated me as her own child. She took me to hospital and gave me an injection whenever I needed one! She was passionate about school regularly checking our books. And church was the climax of all activities. Every Saturday morning I knew I had to rise early to sweep and arrange the church. Grandma was Strict on matters of faith and any mistake in this direction drew instant punishment! She was a disciplinarian, but even when she punished, you still felt her love permeate! I was grandmas favorite. Actually I knew she was my mother, its only after her death that I learnt of another mother! Grandma bought me first trouser, my first pair of shoes; a sandal! Something that made me a celebrity on Saturdays. Both items never fitted well, they were huge and as the trouser swallowed my limbs, the feet were submerged in the sandak! Grandmas wisdom was that I would grow in them! I didnt complain , after all we had gone to Oyugis together. Oyugis was Nairobi! And an opportunity to go was rare, a privilege . I loved going to oyugis with grandma, tagging along her carrying her basket . In the market we had to visit her friend Susana Abiero, where I was served with sour porridge with sugar! Eeei , cool drawn from a pot, the cooling effect was heavenly! You would escort it with a thick mandazi! I loved this it made the long journey worth it. The daughter of Filipo, a gentleman in all dimensions, never loitered in the market, soon we would be home. I saw Filipo and Odano too. Great grandfather Filipo Obonyo was a big man, great grandma Odano was a tiny petit woman with a sharp mind! I saw all of them! Strange? Filipo was a gentleman per excellence, he was a man stature and grandeur and much of it had rubbed on grandma. He adored his daughter. Sometimes I think he wished she was a man ! But when you came to Odano and grandma , you saw sisters. They spoke in each others ear giggling and laughing heartily late into the night. I would drift away in sleep as they chatted endlessly. She came to Oyugis and we visited Gem. Odano I think was the architect of my nickname: Abuki Bongeri! Im told that when I was young boy I was I noisy brat! So they called me Abuki Bongeri, after a noisy VOK radio announcer! And so for many years its the only name I knew! And so when we traveled to Gem it was big, we carried sweet potatoes and groundnuts and on the journey back we passed through Maseno, to greet grandmas brother, Nehemiah. He was grandmas replica! They were close friends and during such visits, they talked and talked! Grandma was a giver
Posted on: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 17:49:52 +0000
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