M'buti writes to her parents, who are deceased, to let them know what has been occurring in her life.
I have tried to post this story yesterday and again today, but had problems; but now it is FINALLY up! :)
HURRAY!!!!
May 19, 2003~
Dearest Mother and Father:
This is your daughter, M'buti, writing. I want to let you both know what is going on in my life since you have gone.
Much has been happening to me. I am a parent to not only Jubaki (who will be 3 next month; he surely is growing fast, and he is such a smart and loving little boy!), but now I am a parent to twins, a boy and a girl, named Kibarake and Eshe. Eshe and Kibarake are now three months old, just turned, and they are really getting big! They are now holding their heads up for brief periods of time, and they are starting to smile; and when they smile, I see you in them.
Jubaki is now in preschool, and he is learning how to write and knows most of his letters and knows just about all his colors. He also knows a lot of the animals and how they sound; he is definitely from his daddy's side of the family!
I am very sorry that you didn't get to meet your grandchildren, Mother and Father. They are all truly beautiful, and I know you would have loved them as much as I and Roberto love them! It is a shame that you had to both leave so soon and so suddenly; it doesn't make sense even now! How can people who are old enough to know better kill innocent people is beyond my comprehension. I also feel bad because I was in hospital when you were killed, and I couldn't go to the funeral or say goodbye; and that is probably what is most upsetting to me.
I am still not working since being laid off my newspaper job last year, and at times I wish I didn't have to depend on my husband or my disability check every month. I hate not being able to do very little for myself, and I hate depending on others! I wish I could earn my own money, but maybe it is for the best, seeing the American economy is so bad right now.
Roberto is doing very well at his nursing job at the hospital; he just got another raise, and he is still working nights in the Burn Ward. I don't know how he can be around such suffering, but he seems to enjoy it, as he knows he is doing a good service to others by helping them feel better in their time of need. He is also still in the Reserves, and one weekend a month, he goes to the Marine base in Memphis for training and Marine exercises. He didn't go to Iraq because of my health problems, and I am very glad he didn't go because if he were to be killed or hurt, I would have probably been going out of my head with worry! I don't know what I would do without him, I love him so! He treats me very well, like a queen, and every day he always tells me how pretty I am, even when I am in one of my "ugly" moods!
I haven't heard from Paingoni or Saitoti; I wonder if they are dead or mad at me. I certainly hope not, but I have been wondering what has been happening to them.
My friend, Miss Louisiana (remember her? The little nurse with all the children?), is busy, busy, busy. She is still working at the hospital as head nurse, and she is also busy raising her family of many children. They now have 50 special needs children that they adopted, and for a time around Christmas, they had two foster children, two sisters; but now the sisters are with a family in Texas. Frankly, Mother and Father, I don't know HOW she does it or HOW she finds the time; she reminds me so much of the pink bunny rabbit they show on the tv commercials for the batteries! LOL
Her husband, Bill, meanwhile, is just as busy. He is still working at Wal*Mart, and he has now been there for two years. He also got a raise, and he loves his job. He is very happy!
The children are all getting big, and the youngest one, Kwame', is now almost three, and he is walking and talking up a storm! Johnny is still having problems with his muscle wasting disease, but he is still a very happy boy when he ISN'T in hospital! As for Ronee', she is getting bigger, too, and she is now almost a teenager. She now wears a bra, even though she doesn't have anything to show for it, and she is still singing for others with that pretty, strong voice of hers! She was on "Star Search" back in February, but she lost; still, she had a fun time, and she was happy she made it as far as she did. She made it all the way to the semifinals before she lost.
We recently had storms here; lots of severe weather, with flooding rains and tornadoes, and it was all very scary. None of us were hurt, thank God, but Ronee' was in the hospital after being bonked on the head with some big hailstones, and she had a brain concussion. She was in hospital for a few days, but she is now home and is doing very well. She no longer has the bruises or the goose egg bump on her head. For a time, I thought we were going to lose our house because the winds were blowing so strongly, and the power went out; and I didn't know what to do or to think! The weather has finally settled down, but I don't think we need any more in the way of rain here for a while; we've had too much in such a short time, and the ground is soaked; and the rivers are at their banks; and any added rains could cause flooding in a short time!
I am still on my forearm sticks or my walking frame, and I still use my wheelchair for longer trips. I don't think I will ever be as I was before I got burned, and that really makes me very sad because I miss the running and being with the cattle and doing a lot for myself. I also have these ugly scars on my legs, buttocks, and back, and I still look like an old woman with all these wrinkles on my face! In fact, people still ask me if I am an old lady when they see me at Golden Corral, and it is very embarrassing! I don't like going out for this reason! I will go out if I have to, but I still don't enjoy it! I also still have times when I get dizzy and faint because of my blood pressure being so low; but with the medication I take, that doesn't seem to be as much of a problem anymore, and I haven't fainted in several months now. Other than that, my health has improved markedly. I feel better now than I have in MONTHS.
Our good friend, Ron, still has "Sambeke", our male cheetah, at his place, along with the cubs, "Kenya," "Nairobi", and "Satima"; and all are very happy there. "Sayidana", our female cheetah, died last summer of a kidney sickness, and she died after losing a lot of weight and passing bloody stool and urine. Ron and his animal doctor friends tried hard to try to save her, but they couldn't; and she died. She was only 5 years old, and we still miss her very much today. Jubaki remembers her, and he sometimes asks where she is or if she is coming back.
Speaking of animals, we have two: a dog named "Rodriguez" (Roberto named him) and a cheetah cub that was orphaned, whose name is "Afiya"; and they are the best of friends. They are always together, it seems, and they are always playing. It is like having two extra children around the house! Still, I personally think the BIGGEST animal is Roberto! He is still so crazy and unpredictable at times! Our lives here are NEVER dull, THAT is a fact! LOL
Keserian and Naiser are both well; Naiser is still working at the hospital in Nairobi, working with the sick little children, and Keserian is back to tending his cattle. He is getting better and stronger every day, and although he now uses sticks for walking due to the lion attack last year, he has come a very long way, and he is glad to be doing what he enjoys best again. If he needs help, he has some of his friends come by, and he is truly a Miracle survivor! I surely thought that for a while that he was going to die; but somehow he didn't; and he is still alive today! He may not run anymore or walk as well as he once did, but he is ALIVE, and that is all that matters!
I will write more next time; have to run (can you see me doing THAT, being on sticks or my walking frame?? LOL). Eshe is crying; either she is hungry again, or she needs to be changed. I am sure her brother will be crying next; it seems as if one starts to cry, and the other will soon follow suit!
Until next time, Mother and Father, please take care of yourselves in Heaven, and let it be known that I will always love you with all my heart and soul; and also know this: I will never, EVER forget you; and I miss you more now today than I ever have!
(((oh, karen))) i loved this letter to m'buti's parents...very well written, newsy, enjoyed reading how much m'buti has changed, and how her life has improved...(((HUGS))) and love, karla. :) i was captured from the beginning until the end...well done!
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