George was an intriguing guy. He had stayed in the US for 5 years then and complained about missing home almost every other time. I had never met someone brought up in Africa and my first question to George was, “have you ever killed a lion.” “So many times, we kill lions for every occasion” he replied laughing his heart out. I was there wondering in my mind how brave not only to have killed a lion but killing lions was his way of life. “Ha ha ha I have never even seen a lion with my own eyes” he said that laughing as my face of surprise turned to disappointment. “The closest I have ever been to a lion is with a television screen between us” he concluded as we walked into the park.
I have always been intrigued with the African continent and her people. I have always had this feeling that Africa had a lot to offer the world but only if she could be given the opportunity to do so. As we found space in one of the benches in the park, I asked George how Africa is. The park was empty as it was a weekday and a little bit late for people to still be at the park. As George was sitting down he threw a stone that flew over the water at the park.
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“ Africa is the most beautiful place you can ever be in,” he began. “It has its challenges but interestingly beautiful at the same time.” He narrated that he remembers when he was a young boy and there was only one public telephone booth for the whole village. If a relative travelled he had to leave instructions when he would call and at the exact time of every week someone had to be there waiting for that most important call.
In the African setting people lived as a community. Kids were raised by every adult in the village and every one is related to any one even if there were no blood relations. Someone could come and explain that by virtue that his home borders someone else’s home that made them brothers and it brought a sense of brotherhood. George lived and went to school in the village until the age of fourteen and it was time to go to start his secondary education. George had never gone beyond the village shopping Centre and going to secondary school was the first time he was going to board a vehicle out of the village.
Before going to secondary school the father had to buy him school uniforms. “I was so proud putting on the school uniforms and it was the first time I ever put on a tie” George confirmed. That night he says he never slept. He woke up early in the morning to catch the only bus of the day to town. There was only one bus to town every day. The bus left at exactly 9 o’clock in the morning and if anyone missed the bus that person had to wait till the next day to catch the same bus. The bus was an old Leyland 63 seater bus. The driver had to have a co-driver whose sole purpose was to hold the gear leaver in place after the gear was changed. Without the co-driver the gear would slip back to neutral ant the bus would lose power.
That day as he boarded the bus for the first time, George acknowledged that he was also putting on shoes for the first time. He continues to say that he did not have them on for more than five minutes. He took them off and continued the journey in the most natural way he knew, bare feet. The journey to school was a bumpy one, according to George. They had to travel for more than half a day most of it on dirt road. As much as the journey was tiring, George admits that he was so eager to get to school that he did not notice the strain in the journey
When he arrived at the school gate, the first person to stop him was the school security guard, “where are your shoes?” He asked George. “They are in my bag. Here they are” he said that removing the shoes from his bag. “You have to put them on, you cannot be allowed into the school without official school shoes,” the guard demanded. George had walked for so long without shoes that his toes were all aligned in different directions. George then put on the shoes walked towards the administration office block and before he got to the admission office his shoe tore three of his toes popping out like they were so suffocated and needed the fresh air they were used to. George said it took him six months for his feet to get used to wearing shoes. The shoes had to be reinforced (literally) to keep his toes in check.
“ Life in High school was very interesting at first” George claimed, “I got to use water from a tap”, George added, “I was so used to taking a bath in the river, sometimes having to chase snakes from our bathing point before we could dive into the river”. George added that, going to school and having to shower in a bathroom with water coming from a shower was one of the new experiences he cherished. He however, concluded by saying that bathing in the river was so liberating as someone felt a sense of freedom standing stack naked on a stone next to the river then diving into the river with no care in the world who is watching.
George that evening made me realize how different the world is. He promised to continue with the story the next day but finished by saying, “Cherish the opportunities you have in life.”
