A HUG AND HEAVY PATS ON THE BACK

It is not everyday that you wake up to an email that reads "Dear applicant, after careful review of your application for the 2023 Ghana to the world Summer school has been accepted"

Then attached to it is your admission letter and the requirements that you may know deep down you'll meet them.

Yet it's not everyday that you receive hugs with heavy pats on the back.

So let me tell you about these stories. I generally hate going through emails. I bet everyone does.

A time last year, I scrolled through my school emails and came across the poster Ghana to the world 2023 application.

My curiosity was piqued.

You see, I've never thought I'd be stuck in a Kenyan university. Back in highschool, my friend and I daydreamed about studying abroad and being the best aeronautical engineers in history. After our perfect KCSE grades, we were out to apply for something that would change our lives. To cut the story short, COVID happened. We blame COVID. We still do. So we ended up just here in Kenya eating smochas as our daily way of life. SMH!!

Back to the story; I went ahead and applied for it kama jokes bana. I got an email a month or so later asking what course I would consider during the summer program and I can't really recall if they asked for the transcripts but I did set out to the department to request for them.

Na ni Ivo kama tu jokes I replied to the email again and forgot about it. After all, most of my applications were unsuccessful and this fabricated life of mine held no hopes.

On 16th February 2023, I checked my email again after deserting that place for a month. There it was. An email from the university of Ghana.

"Dear applicant.............."

With it also was the provisional admission letter.

For a minute there, I thought I was being scammed but then I know university of Ghana had and is still working with the university of Nairobi in the SISTARS project. SISTARS is a project launch based on overall assessment of gender equality and women in STEM around Africa.

I was so excited. I still am somehow. Was my vision board coming to reality?? (I have a picture of travel safaris and passport pinned)

About the hug, I met her on Sunday. Our African mums and aunts have a way of hugging you till you feel your insides are squizzed.

That's exactly how she hugs and that's not enough. She hugs with heavy pats on the back.

"How are you senge" then tudumm a pat on the back.

"How are you? how is everyone. Chamgei chitogol?" Heavier pat on the other side of the back.

I swear even a passer-by meters away can hear the sound my back makes.

Ironically I do love her hugs because I like her. She's the kind of aunt who will ask about your cousins. When do you think they'll get married? She says my cousin is old enough to get a husband. Ama tumtafutie bwana like in the old times. You sit there with her planning for the wedding how y'all should be in line and start learning how to dance soonest.

We'll then sit and discuss her sons. How each of them makes her proud. How the other son is in Uganda crafting for the mzungus and the other one bought her an iPhone and the other son is in Mombasa doing God knows what.

I anticipate going home with her because she'll make brown ugali. I love her ugalis. She has a way of making ugalis in less than nine minutes. I take half an hour or so😂.

I sit there and decide to tell her about Ghana. Then her excitement draws all the hotel's attention to us. She stands up and hugs me with a tap on the back. Heavier than all I have received from her my entire life.

"Kongoi cheptanyoo" tuduuum! My back hurts. I appreciate her.

You see when love breaks you and your heart feels like pieces she will repair it. The way she hugs will put your pieces back together. Your back will be patted and your chest squizzed. Perfect therapy right!!

If I go to Ghana I'll bring her a kitenge. Her favourite colour. Orange with a touch of brown.

Kalenjin Glossary

1. Senge – respectful way to call an aunt. Aunt’s call their nieces this too.

2. Chamgei chitogol- everyone is okay.

3. Kongoi – thank you. Also an expression people make when hugging.

4. Cheptanyo- my girl.

Hello lovely readers!!

I know it’s been a minute.

No excuses this time.

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So much love for yáll.

If you have an intriguing tale reach out to me on my email bettcaro92@gmail.com

Or my socials Instagram _mutai.mutinda

On SC….. mutai_m

To my lovely readers my current reads are:

1. Atomic habits (self-help book. This is not the kind of books I read so it’s a struggle but page by page I think I like it)

2. Vicious by V.E Schwab. (still at it and I love love this one!)

If you know me well you know how much I love poet Mumbi. She went to study in Coppenhegan, Denmark so she hasn’t been doing much about poetry like she used to here in Kenya. She started a podcast called Mumbi’s Interlude. Not much of a podcast person but I anticipate for hers. You should too.