No Hashtags For Uncles
There are no uncle hashtags because English controls social media. I don’t speak Asian languages so I don’t know if they include uncles in family pics or not. Do they post uncle stories?
My uncle was the first born in a family of 8. He lived with my grandparents. My mother was one of his sisters. Like my cousins, at one point or the other, we had to live with our grandparents.
Malume (it means uncle) took care of all our needs and always had parcels for the kids when he came back from work. Malume bought me my first set of suitcases to celebrate my going to university. He helped mama financially.
I remember many things about him, but I don’t remember his laugh. I’ve combed my mind, looked under the bed of my mind, swept my mind’s chimney but I just can’t find scenes where he laughed.
I suppose there was very little to laugh about. As the first son, he was the fixer. He fixed his sisters’ marriage problems, his own marriage and sons, fixed my grandfather, a handsome man who lived in his own ‘internet’, fixed my grandmother’s farming challenges, everything.
Most kids in Canada and U.S. don’t have the luxury of growing up with uncles under the same roof, let alone cities. The lucky ones have wonderful uncles who help raise them.
l Take nephews to the barbershop on Saturdays
l Take nieces and nephews to ball games
l Take nieces and nephews to the hamburger joint on Saturdays
l Take nieces and nephews to karate lessons
l Fetch nieces and nephews from school if they live in the same city
l Teach nephews to pull down the toilet seat
l Teach nieces and nephews how to cook
l Take nieces to jump rope competitions and spelling bees
l Teach nieces and nephews how to drive
Benefits? Kids have an extra, an extra person to love. In general, kids find it difficult to confide in parents when they are teens, but are comfortable with uncles and aunts.
By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.
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