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Heavy responsibilities for elder aunt among the Logooli

With Seenge Fonesi. She is the elder grand daughter of Isagi and elder daughter of Amugasya. She is often present in functions involving the family of Amugasya. Pic taken on 18/4/2024. The elder sister soon becomes the elder aunt. It is this “seenge munene” (elder aunt) tag that she is tied to many cultural responsibilities – back home. To her marital family she may appear as any other woman, but she is not so in the eyes of her people. Marriage does not steal her away as it would happen with other daughters of the old man. To her, as days go and the old man and woman of the estate are dependents, she becomes increasingly present.  Her brothers also need her for almost all traditional markings. They are marrying, she needs to welcome the new wife. They are giving birth, she needs to come to midwife or “bless” the new born. They are paying dowry she needs to lead the women delegate. There is a conflict she needs to come for a hearing.  And many others. Traditions does not expect her to

One thing leads to another

You happen to be a reader and as one day you went to see a friend who sells books there cometh a second hand book dealer. Among the books he carried was Out of Africa by Karen Blixen- a book that I have been looking forward to find. One quickly jumps to a longed for moment. The book would then take a next sit as I quickly finished the present one. The rest on the shelf could wait a little longer. 

It would be that as I read the book did the otherwise normal environment started being seen by an inner eye. One develops thirst to experience things as the author experienced them either in agreement or disagreement. Ngong Hills would be the place to cycle to and Karen Blixen Museum no longer a strange place. Here is a diary that has 11th June booked for the hills. 


And such is the kind of life we lead. Though I would not term it a circle I would agree with a person who thinks that it is. There are new moments in one’s life; experiences gained from independent sources like dreams and accidents. These experiences may not really add to the circle but will surely enrich instances. 

If my friend had not scored a B+, he would not have joined University of Nairobi. If he had only sat in class and never joined a handball team, he could have never met the person he calls his wife. She was also a handball player. Today they took their two children to church as a tradition on Sunday. 

Another instance goes that my brother had this beautiful girl as a classmate. They were really fond of each other. I guess in solving each other’s assignment problems. He used to visit her as she visited back. After graduation, he jokingly told the girl’s mother –whom he had become used to- how it is hard to get a job. It happened that a vacancy was in the seminary where the mother worked. That is how he earns his living. 

How the circle starts that leads one thing to another may be something blurry to the character. Sometimes it starts at birth. Maybe it started a long time ago with the first fish that later was Australopithecus. Maybe the circle starts with God himself if He is not part of it. It could also be as open to ends as finding one’s family hierarchy.

In denying the circle then what can we say of such things? Speculate? Though human mind is susceptible to seeking patterns and their relevance in life we should not keep to the roll that that is how things happen. The happenings are nothing but one’s will to do something. From there a new experience will develop that man has to decide whether to follow or not to. Whatever the choice one may take  there is least connection between it and its herald.

It may not follow suit if you are not adventurous or rather employed (monotonously engaged). It is about positive risks that sometimes cost you without an assured reward.

And does termination of one cause the circle to curve in? Would it be an end to an inner circle? After ten years of a struggling relationship they decided to divorce. It is over. The beginning was not when they first met. The beginning was in their individualism- something that may go back as far as you may trace. But is that the end? Well, you may take a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’ as the neighbor thought. Not even in death can we get full confidence in a Yes.

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