The Gentlemen

#FirstBorn #Forgiveness The dream that I just had before I woke up mirrors my life. After our father’s death we grew up a tough life, I was lucky to get a job soon after A’Level at the age of 20, I vowed that my 4 younger siblings would never suffer as I did. From my 1st salary I considered myself as a parent. I bought furniture & appliances we had never had at home from TVs, fridges etc. In my home in Harare or Chitungwiza I wouldn’t have much but I would make sure the colour TV, the fridge I bought etc goes home to Marondera to my mum for the kids, I remember watching 1998 soccer World Cup in a night club because the 14” WRS colour TV I bought from Miekles Store I had sent it to Marondera for the kids. I took over paying school fees, buying clothes, food etc. My sister who comes after me had eloped soon after failing form 4. I saw the way she suffered with her child, I was teaching in Mudzi and later Murehwa. During school holidays I picked up that she & the baby were coming home everyday for meals, she was not wanted by the boyfriend. I knew the guy we grew up together he was a nephew of one of the neighbours. He even stopped paying rent for the room they were renting, he clearly didn’t want my sister. As the father figure I spoke to mum & told her with the way my sister was leaving she is better off coming back home or else we might lose her even to suicide. My sister & the baby came back home she went to night school & passed her O’Level very well. I was staying in Avondale not far from UZ, I knew there was a good A’Level night school at UZ, my sister came to stay with me & did her A’Level. She passed two subjects and got a job as a cashier at a prominent wholesaler, her life changed. I continued paying fees for the younger siblings, when I met my wife she knew about my situation. After we got married my wife was working and she helped me look after my siblings. My mum died 5 months after I got married, we had even more responsibilities. At some point all my siblings and my nephew moved in with us and we rented a house in Chitungwiza.I did my best everyone finished A’Level. I paid for my siblings to go to better schools as I did and not to suffer like I did such as walking long distances to school and being hungry the whole day at school. I remember in my home in unit H around 2003, I had an argument with my youngest sister and she told me to my face that I did nothing for her, something died in me that day, I had never enjoyed my money like what my peers did, I always considered the situation back home. Eventually everyone moved out by 2006. I later picked up that all my siblings except my middle brother felt that way, that I did nothing for them. It’s not like I expected to be paid all I wanted was an acknowledgment of the sacrifices I did, my own uncle failed to educate his children. It took me years to heal, I thought I had healed. I genuinely believe that only God can bless you for doing good, I know that I am blessed, most of the things I touch turns into gold. In the dream I was telling someone that you know that I paid for my brothers school fees from grade 4 to form 6. With the way I was treated if I had to do it, I will sacrifice for my siblings so that I have peace that they will be ok. I forgave and moved on, I always reach out and solve their problems, MaNyoni always insists ipa vana mari whenever they have a problem 🙏🏿 – at Centurion, South Africa