I SERVED MY FATHER'S HOME FOR SIX YEARS

BY REGINALD ANDERSON MTUI

In 1998 when I was in standard seven I used to do some little job at my fathers home. I call this my father’s home because we stayed there with our step mother. Among of the little jobs which I was doing there was to look for five goats and cut a bougainvillea fence of about five hundred meters. Definitely, I used to like this job because it matches with the things I like most. Cleanliness, organization, smartness and colorful plants. I used to chop it in a very rare style which impressed most of the visitors and also neighbors. I used a simple shears with wooden handles.

I used to carry my books with me when I was grazing the goats at my father’s fields. I remember a time when I was thoroughly caned because I went away to play with my favorite friends and left the goats inside. My step mother used to tell me that she liked me because I would do what I was supposed to do but the only thin is I have a flaring temper. When I would beat, I could spend a day without eating anything. I would even pass without greeting a person who beat me. So I was angry that day because I chopped some tree branches for the goats before leaving the home.

The eleven- room house is surrounded by a large compound which is decorated by green plants, fruit trees and with very colorful attractive flowers. Surely, it was a nice place for resting during summer and hot season. My father used to host his visitors there where they could easily get air and also cool their minds by viewing the most expensive flowers around the garden. If Iam not mistaken the garden looked like the one in the bible. The Garden of Eden which was very beautiful according to this historical religious book the Bible. Birds of different colors and sounds visited the unique place. They flew east to west; they laid their eggs in their nests attached on top of the fruit trees.

I noticed that one of the things liked by mzee were green plants. Because he used to buy land from other people and grew some crops in them. He was also known as a tree planter who had much interest in gravellier trees. What I know is he had some different plots around the village; ten acres in the north, twenty in south, thirty in east and forty in the west. Whenever I read the bible I imagine the story of a rich man who had a vine yard that he resembled my father because he used to send his sons to take care of them. So I was taking care of my father’s beautiful garden, how wonderful it was for a son to do his fathers job appropriately as I.

I was friend with my father indeed, whenever the work finished he used to give mew some rewards. Oh these are his words “my son get me beer” he produced a ten thousand note which was blue in color by that time. I could buy five bottles for him daily and the change was always mine. He used to say, “This is yours, go get soda”. He would call me back after an hour and asked me whether I needed educational materials; “my son how is school, I have seen your report, the results are excellent, work harder I want you to be a pilot. Your brother doesn’t want to study but do not hate him” he advised me referred to my elder brother who was so stubborn.

The other relatives thought that anything belongs to my father would be mine. They were filled with envy and negative thoughts that I was always favored but that wasn’t the case. Another work which I was doing there was to make his shoes and his posh white corona clean. I was not taught by anybody to drive; I only observed my brothers and father when they would drive. I was a good driver at young age of ten years. I remember the time when I went to school with one of our black motorcycle. It was a bolt from the blue to all students and teachers who came out to observe me; I felt prestige like famous people.

Even now I feel much prestige to be where Iam because without respect, tolerance and patience God would not sympathize with me. Honor your parents and your days are going to be multiplied.

THE DREAM

By Reginald Anderson

When I was still a boy at school I used to dream about reaching University. So I studied harder to fulfill the dream. Perhaps it was not easy, thanks to Heaven that I made it. It added credit and made my reputation high. I remember my father’s words that “you are the choice of what you are”. In a simple manner it means that one’s choice always determines what he/she is. If one chooses to work hard he ends up achieving sweet things. “No sweat no sweet”.

I have now realized the same scenario at my recent work place where I labor as an intern to gain skills. Definitely, it is good for me to work with this huge intergovernmental organization. Sometimes I wonder why me! Is it because of my educational level or it is just God’s favor?

Yes, I had a dream, the dream of working with this organization since the time when I was at school. I used to see their beautiful, unique and expensive materials such as cars with distinctive figures. When I work with EAC I always feel much confident, dignity and with less fear. What I gain is probably in line with who Iam today. I can handle matters in the office like any other experienced worker.

All these skills which I gained are because of my internship. To be honest there was a time when we had a long recess of five months. It was absolutely long time for me and I could be bored at home since I had completed a 1-month internship at the Uganda Christian University Library. I got an idea to apply for an internship with the East African Community (EAC) which has its headquarters in Arusha my home city. But the efforts where condensed immediately after arriving at the reception of this wonderful institution. I recall it was a sad morning of 18^th February 2011. I wake up enthusiastically with much desire and confidence of talking to the EAC Languages and Literature Departmental administrators so as to allow me to work with EAC as an Intern.

 When I reached at the reception I found a receptionist, she was a pretty light skinned woman who seemed to have spent forty buckets of cosmetics. Obviously, the first step was I to introduce myself to her. When I said that I was a University student her mood was already twisted so she frowned her charming face. Eventually, I explained to her that I was there to talk to the head of Languages and Literature Department so that he could allow me to do a short internship with EAC to attain skills and the work demands. This time she seemed busy on phone calls I had to wait for unknown while. Her final response was accompanied by the action of placing back the receiver of the phone where is required “we have no room for Interns for your Corse here, try International Criminal For Rwanda (ICTR)”. ICTR is an International court which has its basis in Arusha International Conference Centre Complex (AICC-Complex) and it is also near by EAC.

God made me strong because I passed through this time of sadness and anguish, I remember the scripture in the bible that: “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing you will receive.” Matt 21:22. However much it was hard time for me God made me steady through his scripture and spiritual food. It was really hard time for me because I had nothing to generate income by that time. I used to eat full suit plain macaroni day -in day- out to ease the budget. Full Suit food is a gobbledygook used by the youth to mean the repetition of the same food cooked for lunch during supper or dinner. But that time I was alone there, my young brother who was a senior six student in a government sponsored school had to come back home for a one month vacation. I was in deep thoughts that; how would I handle to feed him yet myself to get a staple food was an extremely puzzle. I can’t remember well how we survived what I only recall is we used to share the same macaroni that I prepared. If that was the case then what would I do to get fees for the University? I used to question myself. Only God knew the answers he is great and savior, he is God of Orphans, deprived, widows and widowers. The support I got from my elder sister who was also a low paid in UK was not enough to fulfill our demands. We had to ask for help somewhere else from our Blood relatives and the family friends. Little by little I managed to raise a half amount of tuition fees so the dream had come true. On 2^nd May 2011 I left back to school with little money for paying fees and spending.

Generally, at the University one is required to register for a semester after paying at least a half of the required tuition fees where by a yellow a half paid stamped card is provided for half payment of the fees and a person is only given eight weeks to finalize the tuition balance. For the case of the full payment a person is given a green full paid stamped card. In order for one to sit for exams he/she should present the green card before crossing the door of an examination room. The university fee policy is clearly spelled out to all students through the joining forms therefore, no any of the student should claim for his/her personal case.

I almost burst into tears when I failed to raise the remain balance of the tuition fees which was required before 28^th October 2011. The all through day and night efforts I made did nothing apart from taking me to the halt of stress and tears. When I asked for assistance from my friends they only gave me moral support that: “you don’t worry God will help you”. What could I do? I was stranded, to make the matters worse, when someone pays for a half fees and fails to finalize the balance the money become dead and the person is given a dead semester. A dead semester refers to as a special period of one year given to those who fail to register in fully paid tuition fees in the beginning and the middle of the semester. My dream was already expired: one, if I was given a dead semester and stayed home for one year no body would believe that it is because of tuition fees; Two, what would I do at home yet I had nothing complete like a transcript to prove that I attended University; Three, I had to lose my friends whom I  studied the same year with; Fourth, when you are given a dead semester you repeat a fresh year therefore you start a fresh with the same subjects you did in first semester of uncompleted year; Fifth, age, I always felt to be with my little brothers and sisters because of my late join to University so it would add me more years to spend with young ones yet I’m already a man who is supposed to be employed and have a family.

The reasons why I failed to raise money for the fees were; one, the one who used to sponsor my education was detained in an Immigration Removal Center (IRC). During the London riots of 2011 all Migrants including Non-Britain workers were required to hand in their Passports for the green light. Many people’s passports were confiscicated by the immigration office and being sent to the UK Immigration Removal Centers (IRCs). My sister Rehema who lives in London was one of these people who were taken to the IRCs and required to go back to their home countries so she had lost her job by that time. For her she was taken to Yarls wood IRC and later being released after appealing.

Sincerely, I always dedicate everything I achieve to her because she saved me from many things. When I was at home roaming in the street with the street mongers she paid for my advanced level education perhaps her little payments. She even bothered to support my tuition for the most expensive private university outside Tanzania, Uganda Christian University (UCU). She deserves to be named an Iron lady because she played a brave role to call and inform me about the incident by using a security mobile phone when she was detained. She also informed her friends so that they could support my tuition and finally it worked because one of her close friends called Ramadhan sent me some 300 Pounds for my tuition. When she was released she paid back the debt of more than 1000 Dollars which I borrowed from my Kenyan buddy Peter Ndirangu to finalize the tuition balance.

I believe that, if these people didn’t appreciate my work they wouldn’t help me anyway. Even the bible urges us through the parable of a person who gave his servants coins of money that: the one with something it is multiplied.

For sure, I like to work because it has been written in the scripture that “he who remains idle shall not eat”.  If I won’t choose to work harder, to do the best for the best of my work then who am I apart from a worthless, poor, weak, pathetic and hopeless.