Aguma's Story-- Part 2

At the beginning of a new year 2003, I tried for sponsorship with the whites. I had written a small document and I walked with it in my hands. It had this information:

Dear______

I am Nick from Kabutabule, I don't have any one to pay for my school fees and so please I looking for some one to help this needy boy and pay for my school fees.

I tried a few people, but this failed. Then I specifically went to Madam JD. This one showed mercy and concern for me. One thing had almost made me also lose this chance. He was KC, the dog. Before I would enter, KC was barking to an extent that I got afraid and scared of him. I saw a man and through the spaces of the fence, I talked with him and he humbly led me to the madam. I still had my document in hand. This man went into the house to call for her and do you know what I was left with? KC the dog. He would jump off my head while salivating. He would lick my legs and pass in between them. But do you know the kind of person I was at this time? Half dead! I really fainted when I heard her say, "Tell him to wait a minute." I had heard that when this dog disturbs you, throw a pen at it and it then leaves you. I performed this ritual but the gods were not on my side. The dog did budge from me but it instead ate the pen on the spot. "What has been happening to you?" She asked me when she later appeared. She looked on the ground, she saw the pieces of my pen still there and she really felt sorry for me. "I have already received about bikumi bisatu (300) letters from orphans looking for sponsorship," she said, " If you pass from among the top ten pupils, I will take you" she added. "Please make sure that on Monday you have to appear here for the interviews." After hearing about the three hundred letters she had already received, I really despaired. I lost hope and everything I could think of was to start cultivating daily in my garden. Doing these interviews required one thousand shillings (60 cents). Getting this small amount of money was not an easy task for me. I walked the whole district looking for this money-- only one thousand shillings, but I nearly failed to get this money. It was my granny who helped me. On my way home, I kept touching in the pocket where the money was. I did not tell anyone about my journey. But it was obvious, no one even expected me to have a journey, I had no clothes, only a dotted shirt like a spotted goat and a black long trouser. I never wore sandals and whenever I would come across old thrown ones, I would treat them as if they were new shoes.

To Be Continued....