Promise me that you won’t cry or weep. Anyways, I will allow you to wipe that little tear forming in your eyes at the end of this article. This was the surprise of a lifetime.
I don’t know where to begin, but I will try as much as I can not to let my own emotions interfere.
The pink card I picked at the supermarket that day, the card that lay next to the rose flower was well inscribed with words that truly described our mother, Christine.
Everything we are is because of you. Thank you for all that you have done for us. We will never be able to repay you for the time and love you showed us while growing up, but know that we love and appreciate it all, every single day. Thank you for the countless memories mama.
Signed Jade, Amara and Kate
My name is Jade. Amara and Kate are my little sisters. I looked at their beautiful eyes, their souls standing ajar ready to describe the ecstatic experience of surprising our mother with the beautiful 4-bedroom villa in Tigoni, a major tea-growing area that offers magical views of lush tea bushes descending in unending hills and valleys in Kiambu County.
“Are you ready to make the call?” I asked Amara, my favourite one.
“In fact, I was ready yesterday. Let us do this,” she stated with her captivating smile while holding Kate’s hand.
Our single mum made ends meet, sacrificed her life to watch ours grow, saw the irreplaceable impact on our life and celebrated every minute success we achieved.
Our dad passed away in his early thirties, leaving the responsibility on mum, to nurture, discipline and defend us. If he were here, he would have been proud of us.
“Take care of your mother for me,” these were among the last letters he left alongside his will. We were quite well off as a family.
We promised each other to love and respect her and ensure she has the best years of her old age.
There were days she would get mad, throw dishes around when we frustrated her, beat us for getting home late and forgive us when we expected her to discipline us. Like that day when Amara poured a washing detergent into the home borehole and stared at our mother with pity, tears streaming down her face.
Only for her to laugh, hold her waist and sigh “Poor child, get up, eat and go to sleep.”
Amara waited to be disciplined for a whole month only to be treated with so much love and kindness.
Or that day when I pinched my sister over which TV show to watch and I was scorned over how I ought to protect my sisters. The endless sibling rivalries she settled and how she held our hand every night leading us to prayers.
Knowing that we had her love and support allows us to push ourselves, fail and try again. She was our greatest cheerleader, celebrating us during school games, consoling us when we failed to be selected for tourneys or camps during our campus days.
Or how she walked me down the aisle when I married Ivy, wiping tears from her eyes and stating how proud I was and had grown up to be a man.
“When I was young, you held me in your arms, and now that I am grown, I hold you in my heart,” she stated.
How do you repay such love? How do you say thank you to someone you’d say so and still feel you have not appreciated them enough.
Words are never enough.
The idea to build her a home started during my fourth year at work and Kate’s first year. Amara by then had worked for two years and we had saved enough.
It was Kate’s idea, always the brightest but with the stubbornness of a last born. We identified a parcel of land in Tigoni and decided to build her a spacious villa that would offer her comfort away from our rural home.
We wanted her closer to us, who all stayed in the CBD.
The challenges were enormous, from getting a title deed, to a nice house design, but two years later, owing to our zeal and passion, the dream came true.
However, before we handed over the house, we still had some balances to clear in the electricity connection bills, installing the gate, and beautifying the lawns. We almost dug deeper and further into our savings until one occasion saved us all.
Kate and I were relaxing at a lounge in Westlands, drinking cocktails, listening to music and watching the English Premier league clash between Liverpool and Chelsea.
I was also keenly following up my multi-bet on Betika, and this was the last match.
“Imagine I put over 2.5 goals for this game but it is still 1-1 at the 75th minute. I cannot believe that I will lose this bet! This Liverpool team cannot even score despite Chelsea playing with one less after their defender was shown a red card,” I stated with the energy of a passionate punter.
Kate looked at me sympathetically, wishing she would have a solution.
“You do not have to worry. You said you bet with Betika? Huh,” a guy with a t-shirt inscribed ‘The Winning Team’ stated, clutching a drink in his left hand.
“Can I see the bet,” he stated and analysed my bet. “You can still win this bet. Betika have the Cash Out feature that allows you to take an early payout on your bets before they are settled, meaning you can get money back before the event is over and your bet is ultimately resulted.
“You will either make a profit, or get a portion of your initial bet back, depending on how your selection is doing at the time of your taking up the Cash Out. If the game is not going as per your bet outcome and you fear that you might lose, you have the option to opt out of the bet with the Cashout option. If you have a running multibet, You also don’t have to wait for all games to end,” the guy who turned out to be the bartender stated.
I wish you would have seen the smile on my face when I hit the Cash Out button immediately
More good news was on the way.
He added that Betika was also running a Grand Jackpot promotion known as Nduthika na Betika.
“Betika has the most Jackpot choices and arguably the most affordable for bettors in Kenya. At Betika, you can win Ksh100 million from a Ksh99 bet or Ksh50 million from a Ksh20 bet.
“You can also win a motorbike by betting on the Grand Jackpot - Each Grand Jackpot bet is a chance to win a Boxer BM 150x which are offered daily. Jackpot bonuses are also awarded at the discretion of the company,” he stated.
This was my next point of focus and the jackpot, two days later saved Kate, Amira and I, aiding us to accomplish our task and watch our mama smile.
She could not believe we had done it.
“Why didn’t you share with me? Ohh, how much I loved you all.” Mama said as she broke down into tears, hugging us at her bosom, making us recall her warm hugs when we came back home, when we were young.
Charley Benetto stated that when you are looking at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know.