Childhood in Land of Giraffes and Zebras

: A CAREFREE CHILDHOOD,TODAY’S UTOPIA….I WAS BORN IN KITUI IN KENYA,WITHOUT EVEN FAINT MEMORIES,AS MY FAMILY SHIFTED TO BUKOBA,TANGANYIKA, MY FATHER VENTURING IN HIS NEW BUSINESS OF DRESS MATERIAL FOR MEN,AVOIDING WOMEN’MATERIAL AS HE HATED THEIR INBORN HAGGLING HABITS.HE PROVED HIMSELF TO BE A .MODEL OF FIFTEES,FAIR,HANDSOME,CLEAN SHAVEN,A LADY KILLER,BUT NOT TALL AND DARK
PARENTS WERE CAREFREE OF CHILDRENS ‘FUTURE.EVEN SCORING GOOD MARKS IN WEEKLY DICTATION,EARNED CHOCLATE BAR…TOFFEES, GUMS STOCKED AT HOME,WERE ENOUGH FOR A SMALL SHOPKEEPER IN INDIAN CORNER
: OF HIS HOUSE.THERE WAS NO CONCEPT OF COMPETITION ONLY COOPERATION. THE EXCEPTION WAS OUR TEENAGER COUSINS,CRYING ASBTHEY SECURED SECOND POSITION AND NOT FIRST, WHICH SOUNDED SO FOOLISH TO OUR INNOCENT SOULS.SCHOOL HOURS WETE NOT SO LONG,PARENTS DROVE THIR CARS TO PICK UP THEIR WARDS,WHO HAD ALREADY TAKEN LIFT WITH THE OTHER UNCLE,WHOSE OWN KIDS WERE WITH KHAN UNCLE. THIS WAS THE CHARM OF LIFE WITHOUT MOBILES WHILE LANDLINES LANDED ONLY IN OFFICE..THERE WERE NO CLOUDS OF DOUBTS OF INTEGRITY,VILLAINS WE’RE ONLY IN MYTHS… ON SUNNY DAYS,WE DIDNOT RETURN HOME,WALKING DISTANCE FROM THE SCHOOL,ENJOYING CLIMBING ON GUAVA TREES,THE DARING ONES EVEN ON JAMUN N GREEN MANGO TREES…ON WEEKENDS EXTENDED FAMILIES PLANNED PICNICS ON OUTSKIRTS OF THE TOWN,ENJOYING DRIVE WITH ANTAKSHRI,UNTI REACHINS SMALL HAMLETS,OF TRIBAL VILLAGERS,ALL DRAPPED IN ONE PIECE, KIDS COMPLETELY NAKED LIKE CAVE CHILDERN,RUSHING TO TOUCH US AND DEMANDS OFFERINGS WE TOOK FOR THEM.. AND LO!BEHOLD THE JOY AND SPARKL IN THEIR EYES WAS JUST BLISSFUL…ONE HUMANITY….AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS,WE NOTICED THE CHANGE IN OUR PARENTS’PERSPECTIVE AND BEHAVIOR… WE WERE CAUTIONED NOT TO GO TO SMALLCHAIN IF GREY STONE ROCKS,WE HAD NAMED EVEREST,SHOUTING TENZING N HILLARY…”HIP HIP HURRAY”..THEY LEARNT LOCAL NATIVES USING THESE PLACES FOR NATUR’S CALL… WE BELIEVED THEM ,THAT THE PYTHONS OF THE GREY ROCK COLOUR DEVOURED KIDS, AND EVERY BEAUTIFUL DREAM COMES TO AN END EVEN IN REALITY.CHANGE IS THE LAW OF LIFE..WE CAME TO KNOW OUR SOCIAL CONDITIONIG,PREPARING TO LEAVE FOR HIGHER STUDIES,WITH TEENAGE KNOCKING AT OUR YOUTHFUL GROWTH…..THESE CHILDHOOD MEMOIRS ARE OUR SWEET COMPANY INTHE SECOND CHILDHOOD…ALL IS WELL