My hometown, as I was told growing up, was founded by my grandfather. According to history, this man had 11 wives, making my grandmother the last of his wives. She died while my father was still a child; he didn't get to know her well. My grandfather's first son was old enough to be my dad's father. He gave birth to a community, just one man.
My uncle was a clergy man and his children who wanted to go to school, went to school right to the higher institution, most of them of which were older than my father, what i didn't understand till today was the story i was told by my father on why he only finished his secondary education and never proceeded further, he was the last child among many children and normally, the last child i believe should have privileges the ones before him never had, he was supposed to be loved the most and should be better prepared for the future, education was not expensive then and it should be the easiest thing parent should do for their kids.
With as much experience as my grandfather had with having multiple children, he must have understood the importance of sending his children to school. My father will always claim that he was very intelligent and a bright kid during his days. Well, I believed him and still believe him because I am mostly astonished by how he lives and communicates. One time in school, one of my seniors, then in school, after speaking to my father, felt my dad was a better English speaker in comparison to me, and he had a doctorate. But this man according to his story, he was deprived from going to school by his father, that whenever he goes to school, he was severely punished by his father, it was his nephew who was older than him and was his father's favorite that will usually go back home with him to prevent his father from punishing him whenever he went to school. This was the testament of his nephew to me. They tell me that family is very important and we should always understand its importance and significance. My question has always been whether life was easier in those days. If it were me, I believe I would have taken this child in my care and would have given him the best as I have done with my kids.
My uncle God rest his soul was a very popular man, a clergy in those times, and was always described with good and wonderful words by the family, but because i felt he needed to have done more, i feel the whole history about him and our entire linage sometimes seems as if it was edited and was not the complete story, they tell you that our family was built on love and support for one another, but those that were advanced did not carry along the little ones that were following behind them.
If you go to the village today, you will only see a few houses still standing. Every family has left the village; the story behind that is another story for a different day.
Thank you for reading. My name is 