NEW YEAR

THE DAYS WENT BY SO QUICKLY. CHRISTMAS WAS OVER AND ANOTHER YEAR WAS HERE. I DID NOT SEE ANY POINT IN CELEBRATING NEW YEARS. I MEAN TO ME; EVERY DAY WAS A NEW YEAR. EVERYDAY WAS WORTH A CELEBRATION. BUT MAJORITY ALWAYS WINS. SOMETIMES I JUST LOOK AT THE THINGS PEOPLE DO AND I CAN’T DEAL. ANYWAY, I WAS TO GO TO TEES HOME ON THE 1ST BUT I ENDED UP GOING ON THE THIRD. MY MUM WAS LIKE NO YOU CAN’T GO BACK TO SCHOOL YET ITS A NEW YEAR FOR HEAVENS SAKE.

YES, I TOLD HER THAT I WAS GOING TO SCHOOL, COZ SHE WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN WELL TO ME GOING TO A GUYS HOME. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL AN AFRICAN PARENT YOU ARE DATING. THEY WILL BEAT THE SENSE OUT OF YOU. AND THEN WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH SCHOOL THEY WILL BE LIKE, WHEN ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED? DO YOU WANT TO DIE OLD ALONE? WE NEED GRANDCHILDREN. TO THEM EDUCATION COMES FIRST.

SO, I STAYED AND WENT TO TEES ON THE 3RD, BEST DAY OF MY LIFE. I HAD NEVER BEEN TO THAT SIDE OF THE COUNTRY. THE WEATHER, THE HORSES, THE NATURE IT WAS LIKE SEEING THE WORLD FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS TOWN WAS ACTUALLY THE MOST LOVED BY THE COLONIZERS AND IT WAS WHERE THE UPRISING BEGAN. 

IT WAS RELIVING HISTORY. SO, WHEN I GOT TO THE TOWN, I CALLED HIM AND HE TOLD ME TO TAKE A MOTORBIKE AND GUIDED ME ON WHERE I SHOULD FIND HIM. IN MY COUNTRY IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A NEW PLACE, YOU ARE GOING TO PAY MORE THAN IS NECESSARY, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CHARGED. SO YES, I OVERPAID THE MOTORCYCLIST.

I KNEW HE HAD OVERCHARGED ME COZ WE DID NOT TAKE TOO LONG TO REACH WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET TEE BUT I WAS FEELING GENEROUS AND I HAD MONEY AND I WAS IN A GOOD MOOD TO START AN ARGUMENT.

 TEE WAS ALREADY THERE WAITING FOR ME, HE LOOKED DARKER THAN I REMEMBERED. AND HIS HAIR, IT SEEMED LIKE HE HAD NOT HAD A SHAVE IN A YEAR. OF COURSE, I HAD TO COMMENT ON ALL MY OBSERVATIONS WHEN I SAW HIM AND HE RETALIATED BY SAYING SOMETHING NICE ABOUT ME AND I WAS LIKE, WELL PLAYED MR. MAN.

I HAVE NEVER LIKED PUBLIC DISPLAY OF AFFECTION AND TEE NEW THAT BUT HE WENT AHEAD AND GAVE ME A BRIEF KISS, I WAS SO EMBARRASSED, I MEAN THIS WAS THE COUNTRY, THE PEOPLE HERE WERE VERY RESERVED AND THEY STILL MAINTAINED THEIR CULTURE.

"BEFORE WE GO, I SHOULD WARN YOU THAT YOU WILL BE MEETING MY MUM " I WAS LIKE WHAT?

"NO NO NO, I CAN’T DO THAT, WHAT I AM I GOING TO TELL HER " I HAD NEVER MET TEES MUM, BUT I HAD MET HIS DAD A COUPLE OF TIMES, HIS DAD WAS ACTUALLY VERY FRIENDLY.

"YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, SHE IS COOL AND SHE WILL DO MOST OF THE TALKING "

"I HOPE SO " I WAS ALREADY HERE, I MIGHT AS WELL BE DONE WITH IT, PLUS I PLANNED STAYING IN HER SONS LIFE FOR A LONG TIME, SO THE EARLIER WE MET THE BETTER.

SO, WE WENT AS I REALLY ENJOYED THE PLACE, HE TOLD ME A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE PLACE AND I KEPT HOPING THAT THE JOURNEY WOULD BE LONGER BEFORE WE GOT TO HIS MUMS PLACE.