The day l have been eagerly waiting is now here. I can't believe that l will be leaving my village travelling to a new environment that l have never been there oooh how sweet.
Being the only child of my parents l felt pity for them that now they will be left alone. I am going to miss them greatly. I have leaving alone with my dad and mum alone everytime l asked the.about why l was alone and l have no brother of sister to play with my mum could avoid that topic and tell me to go outside and play with my friends, Mary and Mike they were my brother and sister since l was a toddler. Although Mike come from and extreme rich family he never stopped to play with us or look down upon us. My mum was his nanny and my father was their driver so sometimes l used to spend time in Mike's mansion. He could pursued his mother to let me spend a night in their home but his mother could look at him agrill with a look that could kill and she could say the way l am am not supposed to stay away from my mother or else my mum could die from loneliness. Who could not be scared with the deathof a parent.
Since my Parents were working for them Mr Wanyonyi enrolled me in the same school as his son mike. Elite group of school. I enjoyed the same treatment as Mike courtesy of his father. He paid scho fees for both of us, and my father used to pick us from school every evening. I was so close to mike, he was like a brother to me, a brother l never had.
Everytime l got bullied in school Mike could stand up for me and l was so happy. I was looked up to him he was always a knight in shining armor everytime l find myself in a.difgicult situation.
My mind was jolted back when l knock came to the door. I stopped my flashback and walked towards the door to open it.
"Lily what are you still doing you are seated yet you haven't parked anything what's wrong with you don't you want to go? , I wish l can grab this opportunity from you lily" Mary said to her
Mary was always the big sister l dreamed of having,she was always ready to help. I feel bad for her since she didn't get to finish her 8:4:4 system of learning of my beloved country.
" I am just confused Maria" maria is the name lam.used of calling her though she doesn't like it but she only allowed me to call her.
Maria is the kiswahili version of Mary
.
"Like al have a full wordrobe to park l have only some few clothese to park l still have time. You are talking about parking, am l going to carry my clothes in a nylon bag,
paperbag
or what l have no suitcase Maria"
"Who said you don't have a suitcase? I saw your mother with a leather suitcase when she was coming from the mansion."
We have only one mansion in that village, and that meant Mr Wanyonyi had bought me the suitcase.
"But l haven't seen it Maria, you know yesterday l slept early so l never saw mum coming in. I should check their bedroom' she must have kept it there"
Our house had only three rooms, a sitting room and one bedroom at each side of the sitting room. One was for my parent and the other one was mine.
I found the suitcase on top of the old table my parent use for the candle.
I dragged it into the seating room actually it was heavy. And l didn't know if it was mine or belonged to my parent who have already parked their clothes there.
I opened the suitcase as l sat on the chair, actually l was astonished to see a new set of clothes and four pairs of stilletoe and both were from GinaDen clothline and shoes lines. From the price tag that was still.on them l was amazed to see that Mr Wanyonyi has spent a quite amount to buy me this. As l continued to remove clothes
I saw a clutch l was astonished when l saw a brand name of the clutch with a sling from Gucci the famous and expensive brand all over the world.
" Lily Mr Wanyonyi loves you so much look at the things he had bought for you, he really adores you" Maria said to
me.
Actually l skilled to my self when l opened the clutch it had a box inside, wow it was a latest version of samsung phone a brand new. At that moment l really wanted to hug Mr Wanyonyi tightly and thank him. He is like a Father to me all of this just because l am joining University. If he can buy all this brand for me and l am not bloody related to him what about Mike his one and only child the sole heir of WANYONYI GROUP OF COMPANIES.
"l wish Mr Wanyonyi was here so that l can thank him myself.
" You can that Ma'am Eva" Maria said.
"Hehe maria that woman is always crumpy and she does like me so l will just text Me Wanyonyi or call him and thank him. What is the use of this phone anyway".
"Okay, okay, telling the truth am Jelousy of you Lily anyway put that one aside let me help you arrange all the academic papers that you will be needing okay.
******
"You better not let that daughter of yours learn the truth or else you will regret it. Mrs Eva Wanyonyi reprimanded her maid. "Is it it clear?"
" Yes ma'am she bowed as she said.
"It's yes bossy lady okay, now go back to kitchen l need lunch.
Mrs Wanyonyi continued filling her nails as she watched her favourite bollywood movies.
Eva's mother Mrs Felly Barasa had no choice but to do what she had been told to do. Although Mr Wanyonyi told her that her work was only cleaning the house,sweeping the compound and washing clothes but only that happens when he is around.
When Mr Wanyonyi is not around his wife always excises his full power as the boss lady she is. She lazy around as she orders everything to be done for her.
She had nothing else to but to always order Mrs Barasa around. Do this, give me that, l want this , prepare that is always the order of the day whenever Mrs Wanyonyi is alone.
*****
Time really flys it's already evening. I went to the bathroom and took a quick bath. I didn't want to be late, the bus might leave without me. The reporting time was six thirty in the evening. I was already fully prepared l sat on the stool in the seating room as l wanted for my parents to come and see me off.
"Lily hope you won't forget us when you get into the city, don't be consumed with the city life" Maria said.
"Don't worry l will be calling you everytime l am free, and take care of my parents for me okay.
"Of course yes,you don't need to tell me l will look after them for you" Maria said.
Maria was a nice girl, generous and compassionate. She was also a bright student. She could also be joining with me to the university but her dream was cut short when she stopped schooling in form three due to financial constraints.
Maria was brought up with her maternal grandmother single handedly she was the only grandchild. Her mother died when giving birth to her and she didn't know her father. Although she had rich uncle's in the cities, they refused helping her saying that life is hard in the city and their no money.
Her Grandmother had paid her school fees from kindergarten to form three through earning from oddy jobs like cultivating and harvesting for people. Due to her advanced age she could not continue doing that leading to lack of school fees for her grandchild. She approached several well wishers but non of them was willing to help her.
Maria was tired being send home everyday for school fees. Some times teacher could embarrass her on the parent as the student with a huge debt of fee yet she is eating food paid by other students. Those who could not understand the situation always laughed at her and made fun of her everytime we could go for lunch.
She couldn't withstand the humiliation this decided to drop out of school and help her grandmother in provision of food. Since they lived with hand to mouth kind of life. She didn't want to tire her grandmother.
But here she is very happy of me, helping me with parking and keeping me company before l travel to my dream university: The National University of Kenya.
After a short moment mum entered. " Ooh sweetheart am so sorry l am late, you know l had a lot to do before l come" My mother said.
"It's okay Mummy l understand beside Maria have been with me all along helped me in parking, and mother before l forgot. Say my thank you to Mr Wanyonyi"
"I will hunny don't worry, you will be late how about we call for a motorcycle to take you to the stage hunny, the bus might leave you behind and l don't want that to happen"
"Yes Mummy, but amml going without saying a goodbye to dad?" Talking of him we heard a car hooting from outside. And that only meant one thing Mr Wanyonyi has allowed dad to take me to the bus stage with his Jaguar.
"I think your dad is here Lily,come lets go there is no need for us calling the motorcycle."
I pulled the suitcase towards the car as dad come outside and opened the door for me. He placed the suitcase on the back seat and told me to enter.
" Why can't you join me and take our daughter to the bus stage hunny?
"Even if you didn't ask me to accompany you, l was going to" my mum answered.
My father chuckled as he sat in the driver's seat. We fixed the seatbelt as the car accelerated from my village to the bus stage in Bungoma town.
Throughout the journey l was silent. I was just thinking how the city looks like,is it just like these town of mine or l am going to get lost. Since the day l received an admission letter from..the university. I have been hearing stories about the life in the city, the theft and numerous people and car. The flyover that l have never seen with my naked eyes only in the movies that l used to watch with Mike whenever schools closed for holidays. That was the only chance l had to see mike.
After our KCPE- Kenya Certificate of primary Education results were out. I got separated from Mike. Although l had passed very well with 385/500 marks while Mike had 412 /500. He joined a national school, Friends school Kamusinga boys, a national school.This was a dream school for every bit from western part of Kenya.
With my marks l had qualified for a national school or a provision school. I could have joined Lugulu Girls a national school or Cardinal Otunga girls a provision school. I joined either of them in return l joined an extra county school to the level of a village school. Not because l havent passed well for those school but because my parents could not raise the school fees through that merger earning.
I had no choice but to agree to join that school if l wanted to continue learning. Mike had pleaded with his mother to allow his dad to pay for me school fees to either a provision school or a national school. Mrs Wanyonyi refused saying that they had done enough by taking me to a good primary school. Now it's upon my parents to up from there and pay for my secondary school.
Mike promised me to be carrying revision papers from his school so that we will be revising. I really worked hard in school with the help of Mike's revision papers l made it to the University. I was so happy when Mike emerged among the top students in the country. So he had received a scholarship to study in Witwatersrand University in south Africa. At first Mike was not happy because he wanted to study in the country. He even refused the scholarship and wanted to have interuniversity transfer to come and study with me in similar university. But his mother Mrs Wanyonyi opposed that idea threatening him that he will seaze being her son if he does that. Its had already been a week since Mike left for South Africa. I was so happy for him.
No w am here seating at the back of their Jaguar as my father drives me to the bus stage.
" Lily we already here,come out" due to potholes on our village rough road the journey took half an hour instead of fifteen minutes.
When we arrived the bus attendant was parking the passengers luggages in the bus side boots.
I bid my parents goodbye as l pulled my suitcase and stand on the queue waiting for my turn to be served. I looked at the car as it drove to the highway. I felt like crying as l thought l am going to be away from them for almost three months how l wish my university could just be within the county so that l will be visiting them whenever l am free from lectures but those were only my wishes. As the saying goes if wishes were horses beggers could ride them.
" Ma' am may l see your booking ticket" a voice jolted me out of my thoughts. As l opened my clutch and gave him the booking ticket. He crossed two lines in the ticket with a blue pen as he said.
"Let me have your suitcase, your seat is number five 'A' on your left near the window"
I left after saying a thank you to him. I entered inside and sat on my seat. I opened my clutch an took out my phone so that l can familiarize myself with the features and setting of my new gadget.
I powered it on at actually l already had two unread messages. I opened the message app and read them. One was from my mum saying "Lily don't forget to call as when you departure and on the arrival in the city take care my daughter, we love you" l felt emotional as l read the text l wished my mum could be here now so that l get to hug her tight not only her but with my dad too.
I opened the next massage and l was surprised to see the sender of the massage. The message was from Mr Wanyonyi saying " Call me on the arrival in the school, take care"
It's through as Maria said actually Mr Wanyonyi loves me as his daughter. He paid my boarding fee in the school because the county was paying for my school fees for four years since l emerged the best student in the county.
He had given me Ten thousand shillings for my personal upkeep three years ago. He was too generous and kind to my family. I couldn't know how l could ever repay him. But the only repayment was to work hard in school and do my best. He is too kind to me.
When the driver entered the bus , l knew that we are departuring. I texted Mum and told her l had started my Journey.