My First Visiting Day.

So the special day had come, the visiting day. It was the first Sunday of the month and everyone but I was prepared to see their parents. In class seven, my dad had taught me perseverance during such special days by neither turning up nor sending someone to visit me but trust me, I used to eat on this day more than anyone.

Baraka was my desk mate and his parents never missed to come. “If my parents fail to come, heaven will break loose,” boasted Baraka whose father was a police officer while the mother was a teacher. For me, my father, a high school teacher knew his son was well, strong and studying hard to achieve his future dreams. Baraka was so kind to me for he always took me along to go and feast on those hot chapattis and kuku. I remember how Baraka had called his mother the previous day commanding her not to forget to bring more chapattis and chicken.

Few minutes after church service, parents began arriving. I was on my way to class when I met Linda. Yes, she had captured my heart. I know what you are thinking and indeed you are damn right. I loved her too. Haha! You are shocked a class seven boy would fall in love. Yes, and I was 11 years old. Were my hormones reacting so fast? That I don’t know dear but the truth is I was in love with Linda and she was too but we kept it a secret. We fell in love with each other over an exercise book. I won’t continue with how because I believe you know why, yes it is a long story!

I remember one girl by the name Esther being a doubting Thomas about our relationship because Linda and I were always fond of each other. She confronted me about my relationship with Linda and demanded to know the truth. “Linda is my cousin, and stop following us around!” I said to her as I walked past her. Esther was interested in me too and she was jealousy of her friend Linda. So Linda smiled at me and asked me to see her in her class to collect some goodies that she had been brought by her mother. She understood my status quo when it came to that day. So that day I had two black messiahs, Linda and Baraka.

I ran to class which was on fifth floor and watched how parents flocked in school some carrying heavy boxes full of shopping while others drove in with expensive vehicles that would take my dad a century to buy. I watched pupils dash to their parents and embrace them with much love. Some would ask for permission to drive around Mbale town with their parents and after watching all these, I would ask God in which family was I born.
 I did what the bible advises against. I coveted my friends’ parents, good vehicles, loving brothers and sisters who cared for them. This made me hungrier but believe me, I never felt angry. Why would I be angry when the sweet aroma of all kuku and nyama choma was breezing across the school compound even me sitting on the fifth floor balcony would smell it like I was the one holding them. Anyway, it was a catalyst for my appetite as I anxiously awaited Baraka and Linda’s parents to arrive.

“Nelson why are sitting alone here staring at people?” Asked Mr. Kundu the deputy headmaster. Teacher you me, I am never visited so I come up here to watch how my friends are enjoying themselves. Mr. Kundu was the best CRE teacher in school, he was my friend too. “Come on, take this, go get yourself soda and a loaf of bread.” He said while handing me a hundred shilling note. Funny enough, those hundred shillings times two was what my dad gave me for pocket money the whole term.
Some minutes after Mr. Kundu had left, Mustafa came to me running. He told me I was being called at the reception. I knew Baraka’s parents had come and it was my time to munch. The stairs which I used two minutes to get to ground floor on a normal school day took me thirty seconds and I was at the reception desk. However, on arriving at the reception desk, I saw what I hadn’t expected when I woke up that morning. It wasn’t even close to the dream that I would ever have even if I was forced to. I saw an old gray pick-up truck packed close to the desk. The plates confused me more because KCE O20E was the registration plate numbers for the only vehicle in my entire village, and my dad was the owner. “Maybe someone borrowed the car from dad.” I consoled myself. “Nelson my son!” A thick but deep voice called from behind. It was my dad.
An image of my friend running to their parents and embracing them with joy came in mind but I did the opposite. I majestically walked to my dad like a man that I was (yes a man because I was in love with a beautiful girl) and greeted my father. I didn’t know what hugging was. Beside my dad was my step-mother who was carrying a big Nakumatt bag.
We began walking to class when we met Mr. Kundu. “ At last kijana ametembelewa!” I looked at my dad and he was smiling. They were great friends but when it came to caning, Mr. Kundu put aside the friendship; he would whip me as if I had eloped with his daughter.

“ There’s no need to go to class the pupils’ mid-term results are here next to the staff room.” Said Mr. Kundu. We walked to the notice board and my father as always he would begin from top to bottom. I saw a huge smile germinating on his face when he found my name top on the merit list. That was the moment I also realized visiting day was not a special day but also the day of recon for those who had poorly performed especially when we had just sat for an exam.
We walked to the field where other parents and pupils were enjoying. I saw my friend Baraka also walking to the field with his mother. We smiled at each other. I saw him whisper at his mother. I knew he was showing her my parents. Baraka’s mother called me and made us sit with them near a fig tree.
Just as we had sat down and prepared to dismantle the foods that had been brought both our parents, I saw Linda pass by just three meters from where were sitting. I thick string of adrenaline ran up my spinal cord. She was with her friend Brenda. She stared at my dad as my dad was busy serving the chicken and chips. She stopped and turned towards where we were sitting. “ Hello Nelson finally I see daddy has come.

"Hello dad, my name is Linda and I am Nelson’s best friend.” Trust me, you do not want to know what happened later for I had introduced Baraka as my best friend!