In The Thick of Things
A Tale of Undying Hope, Courage and Determination
by
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I have been more harsh on my mother than I would ordinarily ever want to be. I cannot afford to be disrespectful to this woman. Indeed no child should ever have this right. A mother is the most sacred gift any child can ever hope to have. We have a saying that if a baby rejects its mother’s milk it never survives. We also used to sing during my early childhood days, kungu baba, kungu maitu na hunyu wanyu mwanderire na thina kungu achiari meaning praise you dad, praise you mom despite your ashen bodies, you persevered great pains so that I may grow up, praise you my dear parents. But my mother would have become a very different woman had she not lived through the events of her life. She would not have become the nanny of her siblings when her father was so wealthy. She would not thereafter have had to be burdened with the responsibilities of nurturing some of these siblings even during their adult years, some even into their senior years. Mom, like many millions of other moms out there would not have to carry this yoke. Unfortunately for my mom all four of my grandparents as well as my father are long departed and I see no point of stirring up the spirits of the dead. Given these circumstances, I have nobody else to vent my anger on. And mothers are forever forgiving. This one thing I am sure about. When all of you are done condemning me on behalf of my mom, I will go home to my mother; she will hold and hug me because I am named after her father, the late Kibugu son of Hurunjo, which is her other name, for there is no African without another name, and together with my momma we shall cry tears of joy and love as we hold each other in deep embrace after many years of separation. My mom will always forgive me. She is my only living parent and my walking goddess that I will forever treasure and adore in the deepest enclaves of my soul. I tenderly love and respect you deeply my lovely mom, as old and frail that I know you now must be. But deity or no deity is not the point. Let us think together. Mom will recommend certain things to me based on her blinkers because of the journey of life that she has been through. No. Love and emotions while enjoyable must be tempered with common sense. My mother’s journey begun on a wrong footing and she became victimized at an early age and for generations thereafter. Her blinkers are fixed and waxed with fear, confusion and events of past generations that men structured so that they may encroach and exploit others for their own benefit. Where do I begin to explain to my mother that the priest who gave her another name was also a material being who gossipped, dined and wined at the governor’s house, the local symbol of colonialism? To gain favors in the eyes of the administrator what did the priest say to the PC? I am quite confident it was about "these natives" and that included young Rachael who accepted the call of the risen christ at the tender age of fourteen and never looked back. Where do I begin also to explain to mom, Rachael, that she shouldn’t have been dancing for politicians who at the same time needed her vote as their licence to chew up her tax shillings while her children were dropping out of school for lack of supplies and fees? If you were in my situation, I am sure you would become angry and frustrated and consider speaking up to whoever has ears to listen so that they can change whatever they can, when they can.
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About the Book
"In The Thick of Things" is a journey of hope, faith, courage and determination.
The writer walks with you slowly, provocatively and elicits in you the feeling and the assurance that you can achieve whatever you set your sights on, your present circumstances notwithstanding. You are invited and encouraged to think and act creatively, courageously and purposively, unhindered by local prejudices and limitations that prevent us from reaching our full human potential. You are provided with a glimpse of what others have been through and yet they continue to persist and to endure. As a result, they have succeeded in immeasurable ways on myriad fronts that include having the courage and the ability to tell you their story. What we consider to be success is re-examined and redefined with a new freshness.
This autobiography exposes fearlessly and dramatically the life experiences of the writer and his relatives since 1886. In the process, the book not only captures in a highly authentic way historic moments and record of events and their impacts on the people socially, economically and politically but also preserves a people's literature. Our two societies in the less developed world and in the west are examined and castigated for not fully seizing opportunities for mutual good due to limitations inherited from our ancestors.
“In The Thick of Things” is different. It provides a truly genuine, albeit unflattering perspective of two worlds. It not only praises but also admonishes our cultural systems. In a rather fervent manner readers are persuaded to free themselves from the shackles of conventional norms that prevent us from challenging status quo. This book is loaded with general education, fun, historical perspectives, amusement as well as an indepth philosophical outlook to life. You are entertained page after page.
About the Author
The writer was born and lived in Africa for forty years where he overcame significant challenges in life.
Peter's ancestors lived and survived the eras of slave trade and colonialism.
While born "free", Peter has had to overcome many challenges in his own life. He endured poverty as well as the negative effects of trial and error systems of new governments in Africa before finally deciding to relocate his family from that continent.
Peter immigrated to North America, specifically to Canada, where it turned out, upon arrival, that the roll of your tongue, the size of your limbs, the shade of your skin and your ancestoral heritage were by far more important considerations in politics, religion, jobs and in social interactions than any amount of abilities, skills or training that you may ever have had. The Chinese stuck with the Chinese, the Russians with the Russians and of course the British owned all the land from coast to coast to coast. The Africans hoped to join in into any group. They were rejected! Men were spited by their women and there was no harmony in their homes. Teenage sons somehow acquired guns and shot at each other while their sisters, just as it was in colonial Africa, followed those that they thought were more able than their brothers until they got their own fatherless sons.
Despite being highly educated and qualified in his field, the writer quickly became confronted with the realities of his new society.
Instead of giving up hope he persisted and continued to do what he believed was honourable including keeping himself awake and relevant by pursuing professional courses at his local community college while sharing his life experiences with the world.
Mary and Peter are the parents of two sons.