A Poor but Rich Family

When at school, it is difficult to really know the people you study with. Students from all over the country report to one school. Even though you wear the same uniform and share the same teachers, no one actually knows the details of another’s background. When I was in the Senior three, we visited one of our friend’s home for lunch. He was in Senior six then. I previously had no idea about where he lived, I mean, how could it be yet we were good friends? I just knew that he took the bus from his home to our school. We took a taxi, then a bike, then we walked for a very long distance—I didn’t complain because the way it looked, he would have been offended. The moment we reached his house (slummy place); I discovered that the staircases of his building were not so good nor was his home painted very well. I cannot describe in words what his home looked like but it was not even the type of house in which a typical middle class family would live in. One of the greatest things I did find there, were loving parents. We sat on the ground for lunch (there was a mat) because they didn’t have a dining table. His mother served us very delicious food, smiling throughout and showered us with care for the entire lunch session—that I can never forget. His father worked as a auto-mechanic and I wondered if he earned enough money to support his two sons. While we were munching our lunch, my friend’s father returned home to meet with us. When he entered the house, his hands were dark black and his clothes were very dirty. I remember my friend did not hesitate to introduce his father to us. He was proud of his dad! I think it is rare to see this in today’s generation. How loving this family was! It reminded me of a guy who introduced his dad as an uncle because he was hairy, lacked his front teeth and had a big tummy. Now, I am telling you the remarkable moment of the story. As soon as his father came in, after just four or five minutes, our friend asked us if we wanted «ikivuguto» (sour milk) to drink. Before we could say anything, our friend’s mother said there was no «kivuguto» in the house. Quickly, our friend asked his father if he could get something else. Very gently and kindly his father bought sodas for us, even though he was looking tired. He was gentle enough to go to the shop. Don’t you think of this as ‘Richness in a Poor Family’? I think all readers would agree with me. But the story does not end here; the interesting part still continues. Today, our friend is a team leader in a certain big organization that pays him well. He is able to pay a lot of rent in a hostel near his university and he is financially helping his brother to study while still helping out his folks back home. The moral point: The amount of money you make won’t win others’ hearts; the only way is with love and kindness. The second point is that struggle and bad seasons are needed in life for everyone, as it makes us stronger. If you have strong willpower, goals and also the attitude of hard and smart work, you can definitely be a successful person in some areas of life, if I am not wrong. God always helps.” I will always cherish this in life. I am planning to ask our friend for one more lunch or dinner at his home when he comes back to our hometown. I will always remind him and speak of the most remarkable day of my life—the day I had lunch with him and his parents. jamiefrings@yahoo.com