Humanist

It had been a while since I visited papa’s grave and my Alinga Farms home. These past three weeks, it was great spending time with my daughters, his granddaughters, honouring and preserving papa’s memory.

As we beautified and cleaned his grave, we reflected, remembered him and how he so loved us all. How he was a people person and how people would instantly come to spend time with him when he was resident at his ancestral home.

With my niece Agadi, daughter of my cousin sister, Kaire, daughter of my late paternal aunt, ija Agadi, we refreshed and planted beautification plants around his grave.

As long as I live, papa’s positive impact here on earth will not be forgotten and most importantly his memory will remain a meaningful part of our family’s history.

I remain forever grateful for the time we had while he was alive. Each day I gain new appreciation of all the good that he did for me that makes me the woman of substance that I am today.

Each time I visit and spend time at his grave it is an emotional catharsis and which strengthens my belief of our continued spiritual bond and emotional connection.

My niece, Esther Norah (my name sake), daughter of my cousin Opiio, son of my paternal uncle, late papa Malinga, was on mop the grave duty.

A few days ago, case in point, at 9:00 p.m. in the night, a criminal attempted to physically attack me in my Alinga Farms home, banging on the metal door of my house and threatening to smash all the glass on doors and windows. Guess what happened?

The criminal slipped and fell like a sack of potatoes, his pants dropped to his ankles and his jiggly bits were borne out for all to see, as those who saw told me so. The criminal retreated and never touched my house again. I am convinced that papa’s spirit came alive in my defence.

Yes, papa’s grave, as he requested it, is at my front yard at my Alinga Farms home, that is within papa’s ancestral home in Kadoki Village in Pallisa. Imagine the audacity of the criminal disrespecting papa’s resting place. Well, he was taught a lesson!