Loyalty, discontent and first times....

Being the law abiding and patriotic citizen i am, i finally went to get the National ID Registration done yesterday. As a girl with etiquette, i sent the Human Resource Officer and General Manager an email requesting to have the afternoon off which was granted since it was for a very good cause. Nevertheless, i was in trouble with my immediate supervisor; i forgot to copy her in this email. Texting later to notify her about the subject was no remedy; she was already set on being mad at me!  I had left office in my haste to beat the crowds and thought a message would suffice.

Much to my surprise, the registration venue was not as crowded as would be expected on a weekend when most working people find some time to spare. I was reliably informed by the officials carrying out the exercise that it hasn’t been any different since its onset over 2 months ago regardless of the day of the week. Masses have not shown much zeal towards the whole exercise.

Does this go to show that Ugandans have lost faith and/or stopped attaching any significance to government projects? Was the mass sensitization and mobilization sufficient? These and so many others were some of the questions the applicants were pondering about. 

As is the procedure, one is required to present identification, get the form and after filling present it to an official for verification. At this particular venue, this decelerated the process a whole lot because the person assigned this task was an elderly feeble man with poor eye sight who instead of helping verify the forms as expected, was blissfully chit-chatting with applicants on their clans and why some Kingdoms don’t have them. I learned later that he is the LC 1 Chairman of the village!!!

Truth be told, the verification process here was a total waste of time. You only had to crack some jokes for the old man about your name, village and clan and you would be given a go ahead to have your form signed by the Parish chief. 

Fascinatingly, the official at this desk just automatically placed his signature on whatever form the old man deemed fit for signing! I observed in awe!

There was an expectant lady evidently weary from walking to the venue and seemingly helpless but determined to get the exercise done. Being the compassionate person i am, i requested the guy seated next to the Parish Chief to kindly offer her that seat for a short while since standing for long is by no means good for any woman in that condition. The words that came out of the Chief’s mouth left me thunderstruck; “Tone it down, you are speaking to a Police Officer and you can be arrested for inciting violence”. Like really??? Are some people that clueless and not afraid to exhibit their ignorance? Dude, the word police ceased to intimidate anyone AIA (After Idd Amin)! 

Thank heavens the Officer didn’t share the same sentiments as this deluded guy. He soothingly sat the lady on his chair and applauded me for being a commendable citizen. I had my “5 minutes of fame” there as all and sundry gave me a standing ovation!

The data entry point was the most exasperating. First off, my village does not exist in the system. Furthermore, they had to falsify a profession for me since holders of Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences do not have a specific one. So as it is now, i am a Procurement Officer according to National ID registration standards! The official serenely informed me that if we didn’t lie, the system would be ineffective. Beat that!

But oh well, that is Uganda for you! I mean if a government teacher can go 14 years without salary while certain officials bag a freaking 95m monthly, then anything in this beautiful country goes.

My mission was accomplished though. I got myself registered for the National ID! I am that loyal to my country, regardless! 

Besides, not all was frustrating. Like they say “some good always comes out of bad”.  There was this hot looking dude who from the instant i sat on a tree branch to fill my application was seriously making eyes at me and grinning the whole time. Gee whiz he has the cutest smile I’ve ever seen; it was impossible to not smile back.

He got the registration done way before i did but amazingly he had been waiting for me in his car by the roadside. 

We had lunch at the nearest “fast foods”, exchanged contacts and are in touch now...!

.....to be continued

A tribute to a once special someone...lessons drawn

My nose hehehe

........someone mentions cute nose in a random comment and recollections of how you would always tease me about “our” kids inheriting my “ugly” nose flood my mind. I can’t help but smile this time. 

For a moment my mind wanders...far-off the Germany Vs Argentina world cup final...yes am set out to watch the whole match this once. But now, can’t shake the desire to scribble something about/for you.

My smile develops into a chuckle because i just reminisced about how you would call from the hills somewhere just to sing for me. It was always a chorus of the same local song that you love so much. You may not have the best voice but it was special! Whenever that call came through, i would vanish from my desk like a teenager in her haste to speak to a first love. The knowledge that it was also a song for you and my best friend didn’t change how i felt each time you sang it to me. YOU SANG IT TO ME!!!

Oh no.....i hate this part right here.....offside? Thought it was a legit goal! What went wrong? What does it mean when the line’s man cancels a goal like that? I realize i still have a very long way to go to catch up on this sport. Am that clueless!

My dear once special one, you said i was the reason we couldn’t work out; that i would say one thing but do another; i never learned to choose; i put too much brain in love. Thinking things out like a chess game. Creating scenarios; playing them out and in the process suffocating love's artistic nature. 

But frankly, i did not find reason enough to transform; to show how i truly felt about you. You just never gave me any motive to. As the saying goes “it takes two to tangle...”.

The closest you ever got to “saying anything” was “You are not the most beautiful girl; you don’t have a butt so big; you may not smile so good; but still, here we are Ella. That must mean something.....right?” Yes, having you in my life meant something...actually alot. You stuck around even when i was horrendous and indistinct about “us”. You stayed! 

It’s crazy how i would drive you to the edge with my obstinacy. “Ella you know it irks me when you opt to text about important things....”our” things which should be talked about face-to-face...”. I would then apologise but do it again anyway. And then out of exasperation you would go like “oh boy...!”. But you were there still. Even when you said i was a schemer and all..even when i rejected you several times, you stayed!

If only you talked to me; met me half way! But with you it always had to be me expressing myself and all.

Phew! Mario Gotze finally sets the bar. Germany 1: Argentina 0. Match has been so exasperating!

Goodlyfe’s  ballad Ekyaama (our hills/calls' song) chooses to resonate now of all times from the Health Club opposite my place! Hmmm...seems like even God wants me to keep missing you! 

In the recent past, thinking about you, missing you and anything linked to you would only bring me pain, sadness and an assortment of negative sentiments. But now, it all comes with a grin of contentment. I savour every thought! Even with the realisation that what we had meant little or zilch to you, i still smile. “We” existed, doesn’t matter what you make the world believe. You are enigmatic like that! 

One of my all-time favourite ballads plays on Radio One “.....i will give anything...and everything to fall in love...just this one time, i would like to find, what i’ve been dreaming of....” (RIP Gerald Levert) and am thinking to myself...i hoped i had found this in you! 

But oh well, like you always said, we live and learn! I have since chosen to regard “us” as a lesson well deserved/learned.

The Human Resource Officer at my workplace every daybreak sends to all our emails an inspirational piece and today’s just spoke right to my heart. I thought i would share with everyone out there.

 

Here goes, 

“There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

Let them go!

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person; it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's parts in your story are over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead. You've got to know when they are “dead”.

You've got to know when it's over; 'cause whatever God means for you to have He'll give it to you. And if it takes too much sweat you don't need it. Stop begging people to stay. 

Let them go!!”

So my precious, thanks for the time we spent together. It may not have been that long but i will always cherish “our moments”. You may have selective amnesia and as such not remember, but “we” existed! And you can be really sweet when you want to. I loved every waking moment of it all. Thank you!

I hope life treats you kind. I wish you lots of joy and happiness. And i hope and pray that you achieve all your heart’s desires. But above all this, i wish you love (I know i sound like Whitney Houston right now; may her soul RIP...but these are the exact words i want to say to you...hehehe)

Goodbye my beloved.

                                                                                                      

*Wait a second, any more goals??? Damn...totally forgot about the match!*