THE first day I held a phone to
my ears was when I was about to sit for my final UCE examinations in a senior
secondary school. I had walked on my bear feet for over thirteen kilometers all
the way from Salye-Buikwe to Lugazi town where there was the nearest Post
Office phone booth. I had to call my sponsors in Kampala to remind them of my urgent need for
school fees, for without clearance no student was supposed to sit for the final
exams. So after being helped to make that call, I had to trek again the
thirteen kilometers journey through the dusty Buikwe Road back to Salye to meet my
grandmamma.
In those days it was so hard to
communicate using a telephone. The only existing mobile phone service
providers’ charges were again a total day-light robbery. For any one to carry a
mobile phone, he was straight away considered a tycoon. These guys had also
created an ethos of the mobile phone class. For the ordinary people like me who
dwelled in the furthest ends of Uganda,
we only heard of the existence of thin phones which could also fit in someone’s
hind pockets. So we yearned to have a chance of seeing at least one billionaire
who carried a mobile phone. But years went by without seeing anyone in Buikwe
with the prestigious mobile.
When I had just left university
to face the harsh realities of the Kampala
streets, I got a chance of meeting a young lady who attended our church
Section’s get together bash for all Cells. By that time I had as well secured for
myself a cheap Motorola phone which I used to hide away when not in use. By
then girls were good at carrying very expensive phones which cost millions of
shillings. And yet of all the people who had come for the bash, I was the only
one without a job. Corporate ladies and gentlemen from respectable firms like
MTN Uganda, Monitor Publications, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company
Limited etcetera had turned up with their high sounding titles that made
everyone of us tremble. I suppose I was the least respectable among all these
guys. I had just finished my undergraduate studies, and yet I wasn’t sure of my
passing without a retake. Yet even the course I had offered at the university
could make my lips ashamed of mentioning it before such technical experts.
So the young lady who sat next to
me at the bash was this cute girl who called herself Esther and conducted
herself like the real Esther of the Old Testament Bible. She never uttered a
word to me, though I had offered a high five “Praise God” which she had
joyfully responded to. On my left, sat an extremely handsome gentleman who
spoke a language I think from Mars. He was a light skinned hunk who had come
with another modest lady who was also as silent as a grave. When drinks and snacks
were passed around I picked my piece of chicken and passed over the remainder
to Esther. She also passed it over to the rest of the bash members. I wanted to
share with her a drink but feared that she might be carrying a more expensive
phone than mine, so I held my peace and sipped my Pepsi as we listened to
riddles and the soft gospel jazz music oozing from the background.
The Master of Ceremony finally
suggested that we all introduce ourselves with names, job titles, marital
status and each one’s future prospective. I felt like the MC was hitting a
sharp nail right into my head. I began hearing CPAs, MDs, CEOs, Engineers,
Doctors, etc proudly introducing themselves. Unfortunately my turn came before
Esther’s. I just stood up, mentioned my name and instantly took back my seat.
Esther also did the same. The MC intervened immediately and asked me whether I
was single or married. I told the gathering that my marriage was in the
pipeline but my prospective wife was still blinding me with science. So I was
practically still single. When Esther also mentioned she’s still single, I
regretted why I had not straight away told the faithful that I was too single
and searching! My golden chance had been miserably blown up.
The bash ended with each member
going back into their flashy vehicles to drive back home. I was among the few
unlucky participants who had to foot back home. But the hunk who had sat next
to me offered to give me a lift towards the direction of my home in
Bweyogerere-Ntebetebe. When I entered the posh car, I found his silent date
conveniently settled in the front seat waiting for her future husband to take
her back home. To my surprise, the hunk took long to accelerate the vehicle. He
said he was waiting for Esther who was still taking some photos with the
party’s people thinkers. I wondered why this handsome guy was waiting for
Esther yet he already had a beautiful babe right besides him! But it only meant
that Esther would automatically sit besides me in the backseat as we drive
home. So it happened.
As we delayed in the street
traffic jam of Bweyogerere
Trading Center,
I was busy having a fair crack of the whip with the beautiful Esther. That’s
when I discovered that Moses is the name of the hunk driving us and he was the
big brother to Esther. Moses was an employee of the telecommunications giant
MTN Uganda, shared parents with Esther in their homeland Kiboga, and was
planning a mega wedding with the beautiful babe seated in front. When I reached
my stoppage, I asked for Esther’s phone contact. To my greatest shock, she
owned no mobile phone. So I gave her my contact and promised to pay a visit to
their home which she had also directed me to.
Every night on my bed back home I
could have reflections of Esther’s images crossing my mind every now and then.
I started regarding Esther as my prospective wife to be in case I had begun
chasing after her love. In some instances where we could meet at church for
Bible studies, I realized that she was a beauty beyond comparison. And one day
I paid her a surprise visit which lasted for two good hours of fun making. I
came to know that despite her corporate brother, Esther was unemployed and she
had a passion to work. I wanted to connect her to the consultancy I was working
for as a volunteer but things didn’t work out. However, she kept in touch with
me even when she had gone as far as her home village in Kiboga where there was
hardly any communication network. This impressed me greatly and I begun to
assure myself of having got a very potential wife to be-but I had not proposed
to her yet. One day I sneaked into their Cell meeting after dodging mine. To my
surprise, despite meeting Esther, I found there another very charming young
lady called Nicollet who caught my eyes. To make my matters worse, she was a very
close friend to Esther. Now I had to go back to the drawing boards and redo my
homework. My heart had been instantly stolen from Esther the way I didn’t
expect. I banged the table with my fist and moved out of my mind perturbed.
However, my relationship with
Nicollet did not last long, despite of my being a good friend to her mother.
Nicollet was a girl who could talk faster than a sewing machine. She had a
commanding tone in her voice which could make even the bravest of men tremble
in fear. So despite the good friendship that had been created between us, I
also cunningly played my cards right or wrongly and found my way out of her
life.
When I met again with Esther, she
didn’t even recognize me. She mistook me for a crippled street beggar when we
met at Church on one Sunday. “Eh, Michael,” she screamed on top of her voice.
“Had you not tapped on my shoulder and stared straight in my eyes, I wouldn’t
have recognized you! See, what happened to you? I can see you’ve grown too
skinny and you’re using crutches to walk!”
“Munnage, Esther I encountered a terrible accident. We were going
with my workmates to conduct a baseline survey on Health, Water and Sanitation
in Kiboga District,” I said with a cluck.
“Oh, sorry my dear,” said Esther
looking at me with her left eye turned red.
“Do not worry my dear, I am now
okay, and I am about to throw away these sticks.” I added.
I saw real concern and genuine
care for me in Esther’s eyes. When I asked for her e-mail address, she too
asked me again for my phone number. Since I was rushing in for the last
service, I had to say goodbye to her and promised to keep in touch especially
via e-mailing.
I took almost a full month
without communicating again to Esther until she called me herself. I was caught
unaware by her phone call. But I felt embarrassed for failing to take an
initiative in communicating. She talked for over three minutes on phone asking
questions concerning my current health status. When I assured her that all was
well with me and that I had even thrown away the crutches, I sensed that her
heart was dancing beneath her breasts. So I promised to send her an e-mail as
she hung up. I immediately fulfilled my promise by writing;
“Dear Esther, How are you? I hope
you’re doing well. I was so blessed to receive a call from you last time.
You’re a real fun when I hear your melodious voice on phone! How is work? For
me I have just thrown away the sticks and now I can walk without their support.
God deserves to take the glory and praise. And He has placed on my heart a
burden to see that His works are known throughout the world through
testimonies. I do write and develop such testimonies into literary texts. I am
glad that even your brother Moses, promised to avail me with his life-story to
be written. I suppose you too have one. And my prayer is that we keep in touch
especially via mail sharing experiences, heartaches and testimonies. We have a
lot in common and a lot to share. Thanks for sparing me this wonderful time. Be
blessed in the name of Jesus. Nice time. Michael.
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