I was in Class 6.
Now i know that most of you won`t relate to my Story because you are Billionares whose dreams Came true But you Also had a Perfect Childhood.
Me;… I didnt have such a rosy childhood and i feel no shame in blaming my Dads Drunken antics as the major cause of most of my childhood misery.
(He is a changed man now and i forgave him and made peace with it a long time ago)
It must have been around midterm during the second term of class 6 and i remember it so vividly because its the only time of the year when i had money when other kids didn`t.
See,; My Alcoholic Dad was also the most responsible dad and for an Alcoholic,i have to give him full credits for the way he made sure that we never lacked anything financially.
It must have been the reason Dad gave me and all my siblings enough cash at the beginning of the month to cover our Busfare for the whole month plus all other tuition expenses as required.
I suppose that is how i learnt from a very tender age to manage my money.
My journey to school involved connecting two buses and that was just one way!..
This trip was repeated on the journey back home in the evening.
But then again, we are talking about the late 80s when there was Nyayo Bus and if you were half as smart as i was,you knew hat Nyayo bus only charged one bob for any journey as long as you were in school uniform!..YIpiiii…!!!
So the plan (if you wanted to save) was that you woke up early enough to catch the Nyayo Bus and then your dad gives you busfare for Kenya Bus or Ma3 and you save the Difference!
Its the only way i could afford to treat myself to Kashata,maembe pilipili,mabuyu and other snacks just like the other rich kids!..
But just about Halfterm on this particular year in my primary education; things have got so bad with my fathers drinking and he is now escalated to being violent Not just to mum but also to us!.... Me and my siblings are now living in Real Fear of our father and the saddest part is that we cant seem to find any solace in mum because she is actually more afraid and is the one that takes all the brunt from our drunken dad night after night and all we can do is hide and shiver in fear hoping that it stops before mum has to wake up first thing in the morning to make us a cup of tea and some breakfast while trying to conseal that Black eye and the tears rolling from her cheeks before she has to get ready to go to work herself!..
I had had enough of the Fear and unhappiness at home on this Friday just before the beginning of the Halfterm break and i had saved up 200 bob from the proceeds of the Monthly Busfare that was accorded to me by my otherwise Caring Dad.
My research had taught me that as a Class 6 kid,my choice of escape should be Mombasa because that is where all the Wazungus went to adopt kids. (How naive…)
I was going to pretend to go to school that day as per kawaida but instead of connecting on to the Bus that went to Kenyatta Hospital hapo Kencom, i would instead walk to Railways ,buy a one way ticket to Mombasa and be gone on the 5pm train never to be seen again!..
That was the Plan of an 1o year old boy who could not have taken anymore Abuse at Home.
As Fate would have it and to save you Bundles; the train had been cancelled at the last minute due to some engine problem and at around 4 Pm, i made my way back to join the que for the Number 14 Ma3s only this time owing an explanation to my mum as to why my other siblings hadn`t seen me at school!..
I learnt to persevere through my Parents fights thanks mostly to my Older brother with whom i shared my story and in whose Strength i have always found shelter whenever i was Afraid! He has a strong personality ... (he never let me out of his sight from that day and he hasnt since!..)
And if it wasn`t for my Older brother, I think i would have been a Chokosh Right Now.
I feel for that Boy that was on KTN the other night and for all you KTalk Billionares with Perfect lives;,just spare a thought as to the Plight that might have befallen the Next Poor Chokosh you meet on the streets tomorrow.