“Eii yawa, Tho! Aol. Odhis ni bro tieka chieng’ moro,” my mother yelled, as we exchanged worried glances.
We found ourselves huddled in the hospital on a Friday morning, anxiously waiting for my father to wake up.
As a child, I used to look at my father during parties and marvel at how he could turn a dull party into one that was full of so much warmth and laughter. He would often be seen laughing with a bottle in his hand, dancing to his favorite song, Piny Osiko Tok Sikie. His own personal mantra for happiness and freedom.
“Cham miel ka pod ingima tho luro
Cham miel ka pod ingima tho luro
Odhis madh kong’o ka pod ingima tho luro.”
He believed that happiness could be found in the simplest of things, which for him entailed sharing stories over a round of drinks and dancing to his favorite songs.
Eventually, as I got older and started my own path towards adulthood, I began to understand the magic that comes with having a drink in hand, a song in your heart, and a night full of laughter.
“He is trying to open his eyes.” Someone shouted.
After what had felt like an eternity of unconsciousness, my father finally woke up.
As he tried to piece together and make sense of where he was, he burst out laughing, which was both funny and scary at the time. “Eeh! I expected the afterlife to look somewhat different than what I am seeing now. “Where are all the angels? Are those demons? Heck, I’ll settle for Nyalego’s face, who thought it fit to deny me food after an entire day of tending to the cattle.” He didn’t stop laughing.
“Odhis ni chal ni pod omer (this man must still be intoxicated”),” my mother said, partially relieved that he was okay, as we burst out laughing.
“When I heard the gunshot, I knew everything was over. I was really looking forward to those praise and worship songs somewhere in the land of milk and honey,” my father went on.
His statements, while funny, could not conceal the magnitude of what had occurred. It turns out that what we thought was his typical night out on a drinking spree turned into a near-death experience from a targeted attack by those seeking sensitive documents that he had. Fortunately for us, the bullet meant for him missed its mark, and my drunken and shocked father collapsed. It makes perfect sense why, when he woke up, the first joke that came to mind was one about the afterlife.
The other extended family members came in throughout the day, but my father continued to crack jokes, making light of the situation. To him, life was a fleeting dance with fate, with danger waiting in the shadows, so he preferred to live in the present and enjoy every moment he had.
Fast forward to the present. I adopted the song as my favorite, and to this day, in the quiet moments of the night, when the weight of the day begins to lighten and no one is watching, I find myself dancing to Daddy’s favorite song, Piny Osiko Tok Sikie.
“Cham miel ka pod ingima tho luro
Cham miel ka pod ingima tho luro
Akinyi madh kong’o ka pod ingima tho luro.”
He clearly passed on his love for having a good time and other questionable traits, but his greatest gift to me was the lesson to enjoy life’s pleasures while I can, for death is always lurking in the shadows.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so always live your life with this in mind.
PIECESBYRUTH 