Viva My Legend Papito

So like, we all know that I don’t know my biological father and if you didn’t know now you know. I won’t lie and say it didn’t bother me for the longest time because it did quite a lot. I often asked myself what is wrong with me, why me and always beat myself up about.

With time I came to the realisation that I have an awesome grandpa who’s always there for me and plays the father role figure like a pro.

I believe I have one of the sweetest grandpa’s in the world no doubt.

My grandpa taught me how to pray. He was a great part of me getting saved. He taught me how to live a Christ like life. I never met a man with so much love and knowledge. I remember telling him that I’m going to study politics and he just said “Khensi, politics are one dirty game and no, you not going to study that.” Thank God I listened because indeed they are a dirty game. I’m too awesome for politics and like my first year lecturer Mr Ngaba would say “everyone who isn’t studying law and is studying polical science, is studying JUMPOLOGY”. I’m just saying!

Back to the King of my heart. Grandpa isn’t only a grandparent, he is my best friend. It’s just so amazing how grandpa and I just lock ourselves in the house and just talk utter nonsense and if you ask me ANC and Julius Malema makes the most interesting and funny conversations ever. My love for watching news and reading about current comes from the chill sessions I had with my husband. Well, he is my husband because I want a man to be just like him, okay let’s just say more or less like him well I think that’s fair. Every morning my nigga would go buy the newspaper, Pretoria news for him, Sowetan for him, Daily Sun for my late sister and The Citizen for him and I to share with my twin brother Rhulani but he always takes the section that talks about cars ai.

The only thing that gets to me about him is that he watches the news channel all day. This man wakes up at 06:00am to just watch the news. If you want to watch soapies he makes sad faces and talks about the news which automatically changes the channel back to Aljazeera but I love him anyway.

One of the best conversations I had with my grandpa was whilst watching generations a while back and a character by the name of Dineo was so obsessed with finding her biological father. My grandpa said this to me”Khensi, if you ever write to Khumbule’khaya and ask them to help locate your father I will be very hurt because in me you have everything that your heart desires, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you come rain or sunshine.”

Besides from watching the news and bonding over current affairs, we support the same football team. I believe my grandpa is the best Orlando Pirates supporter alive. His love for football got him injured at Ellis Park once upon a time when most Chiefs and Pirates supporters got injured and some losing their lives may their souls rest in peace. We lucky grandpa only got away with an almost broken jaw and he underwent a minor operation.

The past recess I started appreciating my grandpa’s knowledge even more. Every time his favourite grandson (Rhulani) and granddaughter (Khensi) drive him around he always tells us the history of towns and buildings.  I really value his knowledge.  He even took it upon himself to teach me how to speak Xitsonga properly and be a proud young Xitsonga lady. He respects us as much as we respect him.

We talk so often over the phone and every time 2 weeks pass without making contact he just expresses how it breaks his heart that he doesn’t know how I am doing. Only a father would feel this way and I am truly blessed.

If ever you feel sad and unloved because you don’t have a biological father just know that it’s time for you to identify someone in the family or in the community who you trust whole heartedly to play that role. You don’t have to have someone’s genetic or DNA make up for them to play the father role. Pray about this and as scary as it seems it will be okay. Just don’t go around seeking comfort in all the wrong places like drugs, alcohol and older men who are not married to you. For someone who doesn't know her dad I think no wait, I know I turned out just fine. Everything really happens for a reason.

Love yourself and appreciate the life that God has given you and remember God gives his toughest challenges to his strongest soldiers. Stay blessed.