Looking at him as he puffs his sportsman cigarette on the patio as he watches the sunset makes me appreciate what he does. On his other hand, he has half a glass of Keg, his favorite. After a long tedious day of hustling in the city, he rewards himself with a well-deserved rest and a treat. His wrinkly face paints the emotion of exhaustion and a bit of stress. On the back of his mind, he calculates how much he has earned and where he can make more tomorrow. Papa represents the words, a living legacy, because of what he has done and what he continues to do for us all. The efforts he puts in and how he goes out of his way to provide is unpayable. All we can give back is our affection, support and appreciation. A ‘thank you’ goes a long way to bless someone and makes them feel validated and appreciated.
He puts blood and sweat in to make sure we go to school, enjoy a few co-curricular activities, go on holidays annually and most important have our daily bread. That we too can smile and be happy with what life has to offer. At times he fails to come home because he commits himself to night jobs that earn him extra cash. I tend to imagine how energetic one can be. Where does he get the zeal to work through day hours pushing carts with goods over a hundred kilos and then going ahead to commit to a night job?
He is my hero. He is a walking figure of true hard work and determination. Some early mornings I find him all dressed for work staring into the mirror whispering, “I have to make it, for the sake of my kids“, and normally a slight tear is visible. But that’s how it is right? That men should not show their feelings, especially their tears. One time he saw me and as a little boy, I asked what the problem was.
He told me, “Son, when a poor man goes ahead to greet a rich man clothed in a suit, people will mistake it for begging, work hard my son“. Those words never left me, I embedded them deep in my heart. So now as I watch him snore on that old rocking chair, I know that he pushes himself for the best of his family. And one day I too will be in that position.
Even Mama is our hero. She makes sure we have the latest if not the best. As she shouts all day and hustles in the soko, it is for us. She also pushes Papa and calms him when things get tough. It is true that behind every man, there is a woman. Her prayers cover us and get us far. She is our rock and uniting factor. Mama has always kept us together and her greatest lessons were that we should be kind and loving. Mama, we love you!
Their love for us is undefinable. Mama once told me a secret, that her and Papa got a 99% in an English test because they never knew the definition of resting. Some deep message she had there.
Their grind is what shapes our future, and we are their only hope. We are the only ones who can repay their efforts.
Guncho