I was sent home for school fees. Not once but almost every week, I almost gave up if not for my mother encouraging me with her words as I can vividly remember.
"My son, you are my hope, don't get tired. Just work hard and leave the rest to God." Her words always gave me a reason to work hard in class despite the challenges. I was top in class exams despite being raised by a single parent. I remember very well, I lost my father when I was still in nursery school. Though I wasn't yet grown up, at least, I remember how he used to be.
He was caring, loving and most of all generous. I remember he used to put up with me after classes in the evening. He would bring nice stuff for me. In the morning he woke me up only to do everything for me. He loved me so much. I remember how he used to buy new dresses for my mother. I know as much as I miss him my mother misses him more. I remember the day he passed away, he was healthy and he was not sick either. I vividly remember that day as if it was yesterday, after classes; I went to the school gate to wait for him.
It was afternoon so I waited like 30 minutes. He was nowhere to be seen. I was losing my patience. Other pupils were already taken by their guardians. I was left alone at the gate. The security guard came and started having a conversation with me. He asked me who was coming to pick me up. He wanted to know who my father was, at the time I only knew my mother's and father's names like a mobile phone. Where we stay in the village and direction still did not exist in my oblongata. I knew something bad had happened, either his car had broken down or he was in a fixed situation, but I knew he would send someone to take me off. After one hour I saw my aunt coming towards the gate. He had boarded the matatu. While seeing her, tears were shedding down my cheeks. She took me as she thanked the security guard. I don't want to ask why she took it and not my father. Her eyes were swollen, evident that she had been crying for a long time. We boarded the matatu again but did not talk to each other.
She looked like she was in thoughts and she had something to tell me but she was reluctant to say it. On the way, I calmed down my temper. Finally, I broke the silence by asking her where my father was. She was so troubled, after insisting she said my father was at home. That answer made me angry that he could be at home and fail to pick me up.
I wish I knew that morning was the last day to talk to him. He wished me a good day after Lighting up the car. We reached home late in the evening, I found so many people on our homestead. I knew there was a celebration. But on looking at people they were staring at me as if I was the superstar of a certain movie. Only to find out he was DEAD.
My mother had a big burden of paying school fees for his three children. I was always sent home for school fees, not once but at most every week, I was almost giving up if not for my mother encouraging me with her words. "My son, you are my hope, don't get tired. Just work hard and leave the rest of God." Her words always gave me a reason to work hard in class despite the challenges. I was not at the bottom during the examination results. I used to be top of the class. God had blessed me with the brain to capture information and retrieve it whenever it was required. My teachers liked me so much, so most of the time they would spare me school fees. I was known by the whole school for two things, number one, as a bright pupil and two, having a huge balance of School fees. I had good relations with other students, they loved interacting with me. I used to help them solve assignments. Despite those challenges I was also advantaged because some of my classmates used to bring food for me. I never craved food since it was available to me.
I even used to carry some food to my younger brother and sister so they could not starve. Days passed, hoping the future will bring some good fortune to us.
I did my class eight pass very well, I got sponsored by one organization, and they paid my school fee for the first two years. Unfortunately, the organization collapsed due to the misappropriation of funds. That was when things took a different route. I was disturbed both mentally and physically, of all, I did not give up, I prayed and asked God for a favor to help me finish my education and through prayer, I managed.
I am a Christian and that was the effort of my mother who took responsibility to make sure I don't get corrupted or involved in bad morality.