I REMEMBER in our school days, if
a young man happened to fall in love with a girl from western Uganda, he was branded a hero. This
was because most of the girls from the region were probably regarded to be more
beautiful than the rest. Boys from other regions of Uganda fought tooth and nail to see
that at least one has a girlfriend from Ankole.
I also joined the struggle at Makerere University and found myself in love with
a Mwiru girl from Mbarara called Katusimire. This girl was two inches taller
than me and she’s the one who initiated the relationship. But she embarrassed
me one day in bed when I discovered that she spoke in a deeper tone than mine.
I had whispered in her ear that since I was a Born-again Christian, it was an
abomination that we were sleeping in the same bed that evening. So when I
refused to let my pants down, she branded me impotent. But I took a risky step
of just proving to her that I was alive and kicking. When she went away, later
she claimed that it was probably because of our tribal differences that
prohibited me from sleeping with her. And since then, I topped her list of the
most wanted enemies.
Another girl from Ankole was just
as small as a stick, but I fell in love with her anyway. This was the exact
opposite of the first one. She was too careful never to step her feet in the
boys’ halls of residence. So she gave me a real hard time to convince her come
to Lumumba, my hall by then. But due to my persistence, Asasira finally gave up
on her resistance and accepted to visit me one day. However, she was too clever
to sit on my bed. She kept her distance whenever we were interacting until I
gave her a helping hand and graduated before me at the university.
Later I tried to chase after Asasira with
promises of securing for her a job in one of the mushrooming none-governmental
organizations in town. But when she discovered that none of my promises had
come to pass, she cut off communication with me. Though, whenever I talked to
her on phone, her sweet voice could just sink deep down into my soul and soothe
me all over. But she slipped through my fingers and deserted my life. I felt
embarrassed but remained calm with faith that there are plenty of other fish in
the sea.
When I joined Cell Ministry at
Bweyogerere Kampala, I found another girl from Western
Uganda called Catherine Tushabe. Cathy was more beautiful than all
the formers. And it was my joy that this slender light-skinned beauty was a
great fun of all my crazy jokes in Cell. So I took advantage of her jolly
nature and became her good friend too. But when I discovered that she had two
prospective boyfriends from whom she had failed to make a choice for a husband,
I left her in her own devices. She also shifted from Cell and joined another in
the north of Kampala
with claims that she was taking care of her big sister’s house. However she had
left a lasting impact in my life due to her rare modesty and virtue which was
uncommon by many Banyankole girls by then. So after a long awaiting without
hearing anything from her, I got puzzled and chose to communicate to her
myself. I sent her a message saying:
“Dear Cathy, This is Michael (KPC
Cell E1E3A) Bweyogerere-Ntebetebe. I am so blessed that I got your e-mail
address. And now I am confident that we’ll always keep in touch. My heart’s
desire is to share lifetime experiences with someone. Sometimes I go through
deep waters, sail on top of the highest peaks and pass through fire; but I
still remain lonely. I know God loves me. But I haven’t genuinely received the
love of people. On the contrary myself, I must also learn to love others. But
it is hard for me because many of them find it hard to understand me. And they
are right, because I rarely disclose my heartaches or joys to anyone. I really
need someone (probably you) to share testimonies, experiences, ins and outs etc
via e-mailing, for God’s glory. Thank you and kind regards.”
I never expected her to reply my
message soon. But to my greatest surprise, of all the people I had communicated
to that day, she was the one who replied my message first. I was really
impressed by her attitude. She said:
“Hi
Michael, That was so nice of you to think about me. I'm very fine thank you.
How are you and how have you been? It is really okay for me bambi to share whatever is on your
heart. Bless you, Cathy.”
Her
message caught my fancy to have my eyes only for her until I complete my
mission of digging deep into people’s lives to bring out the treasures hidden
in their most secret places. But I still had to lay a firm foundation through
regular communication. So I also wrote back to her saying:
“Dear
Cathy thanks so much for replying my mail. I felt quenched in my heart after
realizing that you’re there and you still remember me. That was so sweet of
you. Currently I am okay, but I have just recovered from the horrors of a
terrible accident I encountered in Kiboga three months back. My head was
operated after losing memory and staying in a coma for three days. One of my
thighs was also broken and I have been walking using sticks as a PWD. But I
thank God that I am now finding my feet after the trauma.
“I have
lots of stories to tell you, but since you’re at work, let me stop here for
today. By the way, on Saturday we were attending one of our Cell member’s
wedding at Kyambogo. Oh, sorry, he (Wasswa) is not our Cell member; he belongs
to our neighboring Cell. I had never witnessed a Musoga wedding oba a Munyankole oba Mukonjo all the way from Kasese! I really wondered why the guy
had to trek across the empires of Busoga, Buganda bra... bra till he landed…yet for some
of us from the slopes of Mt. Elgon can’t even afford to cross the Nile! But God’s love works in mysterious ways.
“Anyway
Cathy, I hope you’re doing well. Naye
bannange, how could you chuck us for that long? I almost thought that you
had flown across the seven seas for greener pastures, probably in Russia
like your bro! By the way did he finally come back from Siberia?
I feared to tell my Cell members that since you went, Cell had become boring to
me! But that’s a secret between you and me! I suppose your heart is at peace at
KPC North! Let me for now pack my belongings and fly out of this guy’s café.
You know his charges are real day-light robbery. Good time dear. Michael.”
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