I was telling someone recently that Kwezi is beginning to make me feel old (or is it older?) because all of a sudden, she has become a handful. I already have some grey hair strands that sprang up on me from nowhere, but I think besides what sometimes feels like a series of mild heart attacks, her actions have added a few more grey strands.

I already told you about the day she decided that my phone needed a good wash. She got soap and went to the sink and spent a number of minutes washing the phone. I was too shocked to say or do anything since that was the first time she was doing something that crazy.

Recently, she looked for the packet of detergent that I had just bought, opened it, filled a bucket with water and went to the wardrobe and picked a few clothing items from the wardrobe and soaked them. We only found out when bubbles started finding their way to the corridor.

The most recent incident is what scared me the most. I was taking an afternoon nap when I was woken up by Kwezi’s loud screams. The only thing that she was saying in the middle of the chaos that was coming out of her mouth was ‘gate’. When the nanny finally heard my voice over the noise, she came and informed me what had happened.

Apparently, Kwezi had managed to find keys and she had opened the gate and was heading to the nearby shop to buy ‘gorillos’. The maid had only been curious because she heard the gate make a banging sound and went to check only to see my child walking majestically away.

You must be wondering why this almost gave me a heart attack but I will give you context. Our gate spills straight into one of the busiest streets I know; bicycles, cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians are moving what seems to be 24/7 on that street.

Kwezi never walks out of that gate unaccompanied, so you can imagine what was going through my mind. What if she had seen someone that she knows across the street and run across the street just because a child’s brain doesn’t think about being hit by a car? What if she had gotten lost? What if someone had abducted her? I know some of these thoughts may sound outrageous to some of you but I was seriously freaked out.

The most annoying thing is that when I tell people about this stuff, they mostly suggest that she needs a sibling to play with. I believe what Kwezi really needs is a good whipping but before that, I am welcoming ideas of how to keep a four year old entertained.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com