GRANNY DEAREST

I challenged a few of my friends to ask me personal questions in order for me to answer them here in my corner...I must say they asked great, thought provoking questions,  a couple of questions made me think hard about my past, and one made me reflect about my life at present.

Follow this series as I would be answering the questions weekly. 

Initially I thought I would answer all the questions in one post,but some deserve a page of their own, like this one :

Nozipho asks: If you had an option to go back to the past to meet a dead relative , or go to the future to meet your grand children, which one would you pi

For a moment I was confused,I asked if she meant a relative I have never met, who died before I was born or when I was too young to remember, but in her own words " you know what girlfriend, it could be a relative you know or you heard about, as long as they are past, just personalise the question"

It didn't take me a second to know who I would rather meet again, my partenal grandmother.

This one I have met, known and loved.

Paralysed,yet beyond strong in other senses, she held the entire family together, a compassionate, understanding human who embraced everyone.

Her home was always full,with family and neighbours. .

I'm especially fond of how us her grandchildren, would gather around her every evening during school holidays and listen to her telling 

folktales,eating roasted mealies( her favourite ) and peanuts. 

I still remember the lullabies she sang to my little siblings and cousins, which apparently she sang to me as well... ( we still sing those years later). 

How we adored and loved her.

Since she couldn't walk,we(my cousins and i) took turns tending for her daily needs,running her bath, rubbing her back, massaging her feet and even bringing her food,and these roles were delightful ,as she would often reward us with money or sweets...but it was her love , patience and sense of humour that made it all easy..and we would always compete for her affection,which she gave in abundance to every single one of her grandchildren.

I remember how she would send me letters and pocket money when I was staying in the city(Gaborone ) where I went to school,often adressed to 'Shado' as she fondly called me, and it is those little things that made it easy to love her.

It's been 16 years since she passed away,and I hope to see her again in the near future. I still miss her dearly,I often think about her, and re-live my 

favourite moments with her.

So why did I pick my grandmother over my great grandchildren?

I picked her for obvious reasons, I truly miss her,I would rather go back to  the past and spend a little more time with her.

And touch her soft hands and feet one more time,I want to comb her soft grey hair again (I inherited the grey,yes I'm 32 and my hair is greying )

....and listen to her laughter one more time

I want to tell her how much she has meant to me, how I appreciate her and the values she taught me.

I would rather go back so that I get the chance to appreciate every little moment I spend with her,soak in her tenderness.,and really look at her,so that how she looks doesn't fade from my memory....

But most of all I want the chance to tell her she is the best, and that I love her...

All these I would do if I HAD the option to go back to the past...

But what is most exciting is that I would get the chance to do all these things in the future when she is resurrected, she would meet my children, grandchildren and even my great grandchildren ...