Skip to main content

I AM MY FATHERS DAUGHTER:



Alfred Cherogony Cherutich, is the name of my father, my hero.

Not just because he is my father, but because of the Journey he traveled through life. From one of the poorest households in a village called Kiptum, Osen, in Baringo District, he managed to study at Alliance High School, began a quest to open a school in his village, rose to be a curator at the National Museums of Kenya at a pretty young age, where he met my lovely mother and convinced her to marry him.

He was a man of many stories, though we didn’t spend much of our formation years together. In 1983 he was involved in a road accident that left him with a Spinal Injury, he couldn’t walk after that and spent 7 years at the Nairobi Spinal Injury Hospital, where we could come once every holiday to visit.

We loved it then, coming to Nairobi to see him, and immensely enjoyed being with our cousins who gave us the whole city touch. But we missed him at home, and though we were young, the 5 of us siblings thought and talked about him loads, we prayed for him always and hoped for the best.

He came home in 1990, then I was in standard 5, in a boarding school called Kitale Primary School.(Kitale Academy).I rememeber that weekend he came, I went with May, who was my best friend (sister almost) to see him at the Mt. Elgon Hospital. It was unbelievable and the joy was palpable.

A few days later he was home. And from then on the 'Sunday Out' days were a treasure to behold. The school holidays were spent making up for the lost time when we didn’t have him home with us. He loved telling stories, and we, the kids, loved to hear them. He told us stories of his up bringing, his struggles, he was a real hustler that man. He was a man who stood for integrity, his outlook on life was amazing even if he was confined to a wheel chair and bed rest.

He taught me to write. He would dictate poetry and prose, and when he would finish I would read them out; he taught me to pronounce words properly, to speak confidently, and to recite. My Poems, my love for writing and my desire for learning are a constant reminder that I am my fathers daughter.

So does my stubbornness. During my teenage years we fought a lot, and more than once he threatened to send me to live in our farm, at a place called Moi’s bridge, where there was only a little hut and the caretaker’s family. We fought about everything, but my grades were always good, he made sure to that.

He taught me to fight, and he taught me to win. And I’m reminded when I win my battles that I am my father’s daughter.

I read Bob Geldof’s autobiography when I was 14. He had a signed copy and I read it from cover to cover, then we would sit and talk about the Boom Town Rats, the Beatles, Memphis and dreams. His Dreams, My dreams. And now, when I sit in history class and I can tell the story of Alexander the Great like I lived in that era, I am reminded, that I am my fathers Daughter.

I was to post this on Fathers’ day in Memory of his years in My Life, I didn’t get around to, but Dad, if you were here, right now, you’d be proud.

I have failed, but I picked myself up and have risen stronger. I have fought, and won many of the fights life spins my way. When your life on earth was over, I refused to see you dead, and you will forever be alive in my eyes, in my heart, and in my dreams. I will hold on to my dreams, just like you did, it reminds me that I am your daughter.

I love you Dad.

Comments

  1. Hi,
    They say a picture is worth a thousand words...well,i guess words can tell a whole lot about stuff that happened,is about to happen or will happen in the near future.
    Your dad is more than a hero.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stubmled on your blog, i must say i like, really nice, i loved this piece most. Though i got into a different career line, I have always wanted to write and i believe i will get into it some day.

    Keep up the good work.....

    ReplyDelete
  3. As i read this through, am reminded of my father, all i can say is, fathers' daughter's are strong gals, they hold on, hold out until succeed. Your father was a hero..
    ps. i've found this blogsite today, grt articles.

    ReplyDelete
  4. @Anon and Maryanne, Thanks for dropping by!Writing must always be a career..so do take it on. Maryanne..it's a constant reminder..and I am glad to be my father's daughter..hope you both drop by again

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a great piece you have written and we have used this as one of our articles on our site on our Club SK Section that you can access on our site with full attribution to your blog. Feel free to send more our way on articles@wazua.com.

    ReplyDelete
  6. T.C,
    Almost no words to describe the way you've captured ur memories of ur dad.....just awesome.Thats truely from the heart

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks, Wazua Admin and Karani. I hope you will drop by again.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A story beautifully told. Thank you for sharing it.
    I have to say, I really enjoy visiting your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks Maureen, much appreciate the visits herein.

    ReplyDelete
  10. great article. Reminds me of my pop too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That is very deep Terryanne - hope one day when I have a daughter I can be a father true - like your father was

    ReplyDelete
  12. wow!!! such a creative piece of writing. you should think of one day compiling these chronicles into a book. am inspired.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wau,what a hero your father was! Surely emulate your father and try not to let him down. Bravo girl and my you be blessed.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Open Letter to Prof Makau Mutua, keep your predictions to yourself.

Dear Prof. Makau Mutua, “I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be.” ― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye Prof, you and J.D Salinger clearly share no beliefs. And maybe you shouldn’t. But I feel that you would be the man with an evil laugh pushing the thousands of little children off the cliff. Let me explain. Your tweet on the 23rd of Dec 2012,in Buffalo, New York "@makaumutua I predict a military coup in Kenya after t

SCANNING SCANGROUP

Scan group just annouced its full year results for year ending 2008 with Profit after tax up 24%. I got to speak with the man himself Bharat Thakrar (now second biggest shareholder (20%) after getting into bed with WPP Group (27% in october). The interview airs on CNBC Africa tomorrow. it's important to first note that the advertising Industry in Kenya grew by 21% in 2008. with the Company's current market share in East Africa at 46% the growth in the overal industry reflected well in their bottom line. WPP Group is definately a great lay for Scangroup.The two smart Joint ventures into discplines that Scangroup has not been doing exeptionaly well in, especially PR, which contributed only 3% to the entire outfit. But This is set to change through their latest joint Venture with Hill and Knowlton, which is among the worlds top PR companies, and also part of the WPP group.Ownership, 51 percent Scangroup and 49 percent by a WPP subsidiary. Exit Scanad PR, Enter Hill& Knowlton E

THE RICH AND THE REST: The Kenyan Story.

Aiming high! A recent title of the Economist publication read “The Rich and the Rest’. Before we get prejudicial as most of us do, I do not buy the economist on a weekly basis, sometimes almost never, I’d love to, but it’s an expensive habit to maintain. My former boss got me hooked though and once in a while, I will attempt to steal a copy, or go online to their website which has also now been squeezed to subscribers who can access it once they’ve paid for the 'Premium articles'. But this time, I painfully bought a copy, only because of its title; 'The Rich and the Rest. The special report on this edition focused on what they referred to as ‘The few’ then stratified into other sections such as 'More Millionaires than Australians’. The world’s water coolers – where the influential people meet and talk, ‘The Global campus- The best universities now have worldwide reach.' As I buried my head in the pages, Kenya’s rich (elite) made little flashes in my mind,