Roberto's turn to contribute to this series. He is the wife of M'buti Ayala, and the proud father of three darling children: Jubaki Miguel (just turned 3) and nearly 6-month-old twins, Eshe and Kibarake.
Howdy!
Roberto Sormiento here.
I am going to be 27 in October, and I have been happily married to my wife, M'buti, for about four years now. We first met when she was a patient at the hospital I work at (Nashville Memorial; I work in the Burn Ward), and I took care of her. We eventually fell in love, and we then got married.
I am 6'3" tall, weigh approximately 200 pounds. I have short, short black hair done in a Marine-style cut, dark-brown eyes, and tanned skin. I used to have my hair long (it fell past my shoulders and nearly to my waist) and I had a moustache; but when I went into the service, I had my hair shaved SHORT, SHORT, and I got rid of the moustache. It's been this way ever since. I am of Hispanic-American heritage; my parents were both born in Texas, which was where I was born (but moved to California when I was four). I am their only child. I am physically sound, and I am very well built. (I exercise every day, and it shows. I have always been in excellent health.)
My wife, meanwhile, isn't as fortunate. She has fibromyalgia, scars on her legs, backside, and rump from being burned (she spent nearly a year in the hospital recovering from her burns), hypotension (her blood pressure is so low she is prone to passing out if it drops below a certain point), and a low tolerance to pain. She is also a survivor of flesh-eating disease (medically known as "necrotizing fasciitis"). She nearly died, but somehow, through a Miracle, she survived! She can't walk without the aid of a walker or forearm crutches; and most of the time, she prefers to use a wheelchair because she gets tired so fast. She also has breathing problems and wears oxygen at night or if she is really out of breath.
Despite her problems, I still see her as an incredible beauty, and I think she is absolutely STUNNING. She is 6'5" tall, thin (she weighs 135, according to her last medical checkup), and gorgeous with wide amber-colored eyes that have a tendency to change color, depending on her mood, dark, sepia-colored skin, and short, short black hair done up in a short Afro. She was born in Africa, but became an American citizen a year back on July 4th, 2002. She was born in Kenya, Africa, in the little village of Thika, which is northwest of the capitol city of Nairobi. She is the youngest of three; she has two older brothers named Keserian and Naiser. M'buti and her family are of the Maasai tribe; the Maasai come from East Africa, in the countries of Kenya and Tanzania, and they raise cattle for a living.
We have three beautiful children, two boys (Jubaki Miguel and Kibarake M'baki) and a little girl (Eshe' Ayala). Jubaki is three (turned 3 in June, on June 26), and the twins will be 6 months old in three more days, on the 26th. (They were born this past February, on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2003.)
We also have two pets: a beagle named "Rodriguez" (I named him) and an orphaned cheetah cub named "Afiya". Both were raised together, and they remain the best of friends.
As I said at the start of this, I am a nurse. I have been a registered nurse since I was 20 1/2 (started nursing school when I was 16 1/2; I started early). I work primarily in the Burn Ward, but I HAVE been known to do a stint or two in the Emergency/Trauma Unit. My job is rewarding, but at the same time, it is backbreaking, physically demanding, and incredibly stressful at times. Still, I love the feeling of helping people in their time of need, and I love the thought of trying to help ease some of their pain and/or suffering.
The Burn Ward is especially stressful, especially if babies or very young children are involved because they really can't tell you what is going on, and they don't know much about what has happened to them or what IS happening to them, in terms of treatment options. All they really know is that they are in a great amount of pain, and at times, we cause more pain on top of the severe pain they are already experiencing, and it is a particularly upsetting and stressful situation on BOTH patient and nurse.
I was temporarily in the Service; did 6 months in Iraq right after September 11, 2001, happened, and it was hell there. Saw things there I should have NEVER seen. I was in the Marines, and still am (am in the Reserves; go to Memphis, Tennessee, one weekend a month for duty). I hate the thought of leaving my wife and children, but as long as it deals with serving my country, I shall do everything in my power to try to defend her from harm. (When I am away, we have our friend, Ron, stay with M'buti and the kids until I get back on Monday morning or Sunday night. That way, my wife and my kids aren't alone, in case something SHOULD happen to her or one of the children.)
I have many interests: I love to be with my children and my wife, and I love reading or riding around in my brand-new Hummer (which, incidentally, I won, at our city's recent Fourth of July "BLAST!" Celebration!) to unwind after a particularly nasty day at work, working out in the basement, where I have an exercise area set up, go to concerts (rock and country, both; I love everything from "KISS" to Loretta Lynn!), and go karioke singing from time to time. I used to play music on a semi-professional basis (even had my own band, "The Burpin' Cheetahs"), but nothing came to light with it, so we were forced to disband, and our group is now no more. At times, I still miss playing music with the guys, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be.
I also love to take the wife and kids out to eat at the Golden Corral (our favorite "waterin' hole"!) several times a week (that is, IF M'buti feels up to it and if the kids aren't being BOTHERSOME!), and I love taking the family to the zoo or someplace like Opry Mills, where we then go shopping for the day. Anything to do with my family, and I am a very happy man. I love my family, and they are everything to me.
Before I met my wife, and before I moved to Tennessee, I was regarded by many as a "renegade"; that is, I had a wild streak in me, and I was often called "Crazy". I was always looking for something interesting to do (for me, it was surfing; and I would often go surfing when I lived in California; and sometimes I would go to Hawai'i, just so I could surf some of the mammoth waves they had out there). I also loved to skateboard and to snow-ski in the winter months (I would go to Utah or Colorado). I was always doing something athletic to keep in tip-top shape; and I still do that today when I am not working or being with my family.
Because of my job, I make very good money. I have been able to travel (been to Africa twice, once for our honeymoon, and again last year, when M'buti's oldest brother, Keserian, got hurt when he was attacked by a lion; also have been to Sydney, Australia, for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, and to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah).
But since having the babies, we haven't done much traveling, as they (and my job itself, plus my military duty one weekend a month) keeps me hopping. We don't have to worry about bills, and with my wife's medical concerns (which are, by the way, covered by my insurance and the military both), that comes as a HUGE relief. If I didn't have the insurance, my wife's bills would eat us alive!
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Reviewed by Larry Low
7/24/2003
It is compelling reading. The story is not one that can be laid aside.
Take care,
It's almost Christmas. Lynn Basil is writing her last book about a secret entrance into the magical doll land of Sha Bebe that she loves so much. Bagannos have taken over the world! Lynn finally meets her dolls in real life. Can she write in a Secret
