Geoffrey’s the only sister, close, loved sister. She was close to me. I carried her at my back whenever my mother walked to market from home to Karatina. I cried; my feet hurt from a long-distance walk from home to market and back home. My mother could not help me since she carried heavy farm produce to sell at the market, and on return home, she bought some things to take home and sell them in the neighborhood. Though carrying a heavy load, my mother walked fast, and I had to keep up with her steps. Halfway journey, my mother had a break to breastfeed the baby, and at the moment, I had time to have relief on my feet and had something like nduma, mashed food to eat, gain energy to carry the baby move the remaining long walk.
WWII created a gap between my first brother’s birth and me. When my father returned from serving in the war, I was born, and he left to work in Nairobi, and my mother, kids, lived on the farm. There was a lesser gap between my sister and me than between my firstborn brother and me. The third born was a son, then my father detained for many years during the war of Kenya’s independence, and on release, two more brothers born. My sister was only the girl among five boys. She was more boy-like than a girl, liked to played boys games, fought us boys like boys, crimes trees with as we boys did. Though my sister went through weakling growing up for most of her early life. She demonstrated the strength of mind and determination.
A family friend who knew the home remedy helped my mother with what to do to her to gain health. He told my mother that he would supply Carmel milk to feed my sister to make her grow strong that the Carmel milk was good for a weak kid. The Carmel milk worked, and my sister became a healthy and big strong girl and fit mother of four sons and one girl. She became a strong mother and educated her five kids to training colleges, veterinary, three teachers, and one computer elite. My sister took me with her to Nakuru, where her husband found me a job. Till today I live in Nakuru.
On her way to pick her last born son, who graduated from teacher’s training college, she did not see her son and congratulate him. She had a car accident and transported to the hospital. She would brighten her mood whenever I visited her in the hospital, and she would say to me, “my brother Njiraini, please do not leave me here in the hospital. Please take me home with you. ” She never said it others, and I had to find a way to leave the hospital room to leave her in a peaceful mood. After an extended hospitalization, she never made it. She died
One day a message came after one week of a hospital visit with my sister that she had passed on. “My heart became heavy when my sister died. The Word of God rescued me from deep grieving for my sister had received the salvation of Jesus Christ. And that those who die saved and in the Lord have eternal life. And I will see my sister again in heaven if I keep my faith in Jesu and his salvation. The hope in Jesus gave me peace of heart and mind till now that I’ll meet my sister in heaven. That, “All of us born to woman live only a few days and have lots of trouble (Job 14:1, NCV), but there is eternal life for those who die in Christ (John 3:16). And second death to those who refuse the salvation of Jesus (Rev 21:8, NIV).