Early Years

Early Years

It was a rainy morning of Friday June 11 1974 at precisely 9.00am when a baby girl with cute and delicate little cheeks was laid in her mother’s arms by one of the nurses at St John’s hospital. The young mother who had just turned twenty cuddled her second child and first baby girl lovingly, while saying all those sweet things every mother wishes for their little girl. One could clearly tell that the bond between mother and baby was very solid and a young nurse who had been on the delivery team could not help wishing out aloud to one day having a baby girl herself �" much to the amusement of professor Nadin whose tireless efforts and expertise in obstetrics & gynaecology had helped bring Nandi safely into the world.

Anna Nandi - for that’s what her mother Nelli called her, was born in the absence of her father who was on a long business trip up-country. At 29, Larry was a tall strongly built man with a light complexion (thanks to his great grand parents who had immigrated from south east Ethiopia) and soft facial features. He and Nelli had met at a get-together party organised by Nelli’s big brother Andrew who was a business associate of Larry. Nelli then 18 had just finished her secretarial course at Lucom business Institute on George Street and was now working with her brother’s company Skyward Tours and Travels on Conrad Tower �" Ternan Avenue. It was love at first sight and in the next three months which were characterised by accidental meetings, Larry wasted no time in proposing to Nelli. So one Saturday after a visit to Nelli’s parents’ home, Larry made his proposal on the usual bended knee and (you guessed it!) Nelli wasted no time in accepting; four months later they wedded much to the delight of parents and relatives on both sides.

Though Larry and Nelli loved and cared deeply for each other, Larry was always on the move however, he made it a point to be with his family every fortnight except the time when his daughter was born, reason being the rescheduling of a business meeting from June 8 to June 10 which had made it impossible for him to travel and make it in time at his wife’s side in hospital. It was because of Larry’s constant travelling that little Nandi and her brother saw less and less of their father until Nandi was six years old. This is her story……

I started school at the age of three at a good kindergarten known as Mackinnon, at the time my brother Sidney was attending another pre-primary school. Every evening after work, Nelli my mother would pick Sidney and me up from our respective school child-minders and then head home.

One Friday evening after retouching her make-up and getting ready to close the office, the sudden ringing of the telephone startled Nelli, she wondered who would be calling after 5.30pm then decided not to answer it, but the persistent ringing of the phone made her think that whoever was calling knew she was still at work. Nelli picked up the phone. “Hello, Skyward Tou….” “Nelli, meet me in the lobby of Lusam hospital quickly”. Nelli instantly recognised her husband’s voice. Something in his tone told her that whatever it was that had happened, was serious. Picking up her handbag she raced out of the office locking the door behind her and even though she rarely used the elevator due to a slight phobia, this time she rode down and drove straight to Lusam hospital. Nellie saw Larry at the far side of the lobby standing at the window with his back slightly turned towards her. He looked very tired and worried. It was his mother; she’d had another heart attack - only that this time it was very severe.

Back at my school it was 7.00pm and my mum who normally picked me up by 6.30pm latest was nowhere to be seen worse still she’d not even called to say she’d be running late. As most of the teachers including the head teacher had left, the teacher on duty (who doubly acted as childminder after normal school hours) asked if I wished to join my brother at his school,” yes I want to go to Sidney’s school” I replied excitedly. Though previously unhappy with my mum’s failure to pick me up early, I knew this would give me ample time to tour my brother’s school �" this time thoroughly before my mum picked both Sidney and me up. The move by my teacher would later cause heartache to both my parents.

At 9.00pm in the intensive care unit, my grandmother’s condition stabilised and the doctor in charge assured my parents she would be out the following day. Leaving my aunt Sara to look after grandma, my dad and mum decided it was time to pick us up from school. It was approaching midnight when they arrived at Mackinnon kindergarten, although under normal circumstances it would have been Sidney to be picked up first.

 

Author's Note

all tactful comments welcome. what do you think of the introduction

Reviews

[bob, small b. aka invs]

awww. i have to be tactful, huh? i'll try.
first, welcome to the cafe. i hope you enjoy your time here. your writing is very clear and understandable and you show some skill. the only suggestion i might make is to end the prolog at the point you say "This is her story....." and start a new chapter with the story itself. for some reason i found it confusing the way you have it set up. it may just be me, so take my comments with a grain of salt.
good luck with your writing.