Milestones I wish to keep.

I make a mad dash for my house every sundown. Reason? You guessed right.Pesh. I’ve forever been on the trot back home to her anyway but when I when I realized I was still losing touch, I sped up. I had to run as she is budding faster than I can catch up. I got hit by words that I could not re-pronounce. Words that made Bulgarian sound effortless. Crap! Her words are the weirdest thing I have ever heard! The only thing that never hit me was the fact that this girl, Pesh was merely repeating what I always said to her.

Each day I’d get home to find a new word, when I had not yet learnt to comprehend the old one. The only word I heard clearly was Mama, Daddy and Tane which I could easily make out to be my house-help’s name, Jane.

At some point she garbled so many ‘words’ so fast ,I got aggravated and begged her to speak Swahili..Or English. I couldn’t catch up so I asked Jane’s help. She was at a better chance to get their nous as she spent most of the time with her. She too couldn’t make out some of them so I kept a small diary for this lesson.

Every night before she sleeps, I notice she calls out specific words. I thought she’d learnt a bed time prayer or poem and I praised God. I was wrong. She was calling out the names of all the kids in the neighbourhood.*sulk* most of her translations will make a lot more sense when revised in Swahili..trust me.

Ussie/usss– as you all might have heard is her famous name  for the kitten, obviously corrupted from pussy…THE CAT. Not the…..*clearing throat* please let me make my point in peace here.

Uwiya–  I noticed this whenever she breast-fed and she would stop and inform me that uwiya,(milk) is on the nyonyo.

Nananya?-She always replies by repeating the last word we utter. So this goes to asking what you are doing. Sometimes she will go ahead and ask herself loudly when she is wrong and fathoms just what you’ll say.

Ibiba-I always ask her to show me a full tummy whenever she refuses to eat. Nowadays after a struggle to eat she will rub it with a smug face and complement it with a self-approving nod and announce ‘Ibiba!’

Awa-wu– I love my girl and she says she loves me back. She reciprocates this with a big hug.

Ta-taait!- Now even Ussie gets this every evening before bed. She will call Tane and Uss and wave them good night.

Siit– At first she called it Tamuu. Now she has grown up. And it’s sweet like her.

Aati–  whenever you hold a glass and the content is clear, she doesn’t care if it’s vodka. She wants it. it must be water.

Uta!- This was hard, but she made it easy as she pulls me from where I stand.

i-ia– She will pull you into the house and slam it shut, so you got to understand that she wants you to come in!

Tula!- Once I saved Uss from Pesh trying to force it to suck a lollipop. She shouted, ‘Tula!’ and poor kitty’s whiskers were sticky with sweet syrup. *yuck!*

ii-yaya– Watch out for this as it will come with a grab at your eyelids to shut down, followed by the nearest dishcloth covering your head.

sita-This was easy. The stretched arm told it all. She will offer to say ‘Taatu!’ if you don’t; that is thank you for giving YOU something.

ata!-One of Pesh’s first words. This made me realise that everything she went close to was considered a health hazard and a yelp of ‘wacha!’ was the commonly used word.

Tsamu!-this remarks that she is totally enjoying the taste. It also comes with an approving constant nod.

My little girl shocks me daily. I caught her once ,she was shaking her small behind and making steps and singing ‘saa saaa saaa leeeh!!’(sawa sawa sawa leh!) I thought I almost died. She is a genius. She can read faces and she knew I was shocked so she sang more.

I died.

I love her buoyancy and the way she makes sure to grab our attention-all of us, and then do something silly to make us laugh.  She will shout your name till your world

Ussie!.....Awawuuu!!

stops and focuses on her, then squat like she wants to pee and starts walking like a tip-toeing old man. Hilarious. I’ll make a point to catch this on video and show her on her 21st birthday. *devilish smile*

She is growing too fast! She is no longer scared of the deep frier, even when we open it’s ‘mouth’ to bite her. She still hates the potty and insists on tying a diaper on me. She still chases me up with her Johnsons powder to powder my bottom and follows me to the bathroom. She wants to peep into the toilet bowl and takes off when I flash it. She loves Tanya’s awkward ad and sprays everyone on the face with her imaginary Tropical air freshener.

She is more stunning, confident and bright and we’ll get her a fiery beast; a large pure German shepherd to keep away all of you with naughty little boys who are now ogling at her picture and making plans.

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