I saw my World’s best support, anchor, confidant and fan waste away. Day by day I would wake up to a nightmare. It was very painful to watch my mother who had fallen sick deteriorate each day. Among the people I have ever met in my life that I considered strong was my mother. She would be the first to wake up and last to sleep. She worked none-stop. She had answers to every challenging questions. I wonder how she always knew so much. One day she fell sick and was always admitted in hospital. I was the one there by her side to nurse her. Truth be told the hospitals became my second home. We were always in and out of different hospitals. I would sleep on the hospital floor on a mat whenever she was admitted. I learnt to hate the hospitals because of the night wails and the smell of medicine.
Every night there would be wails from patients who would cry in agony but worst of all was the smell of the hospital. It is a smell I can never forget. That smell of medicine. My mother was a midwife. She had served in the Government hospital in Entebbe Grade B for some time of her career. At least whenever we got admitted her fellow colleagues would recognize her and would offer us a private wing room for their former colleague.
Nursing my ailing mother
I remember of moments when I was in my S4 class. That entire year I assisted as the caretaker to nurse her from hospital. My routine was from hospital to school to attend classes and then back to hospital in the evening. My heart always knew she would be fine and get well. My heart was always at peace despite the challenges. She one time went into a coma. I prayed and cried my eyes out. God heard my prayer and saw my tears. He answered my prayer. She came out of coma and we got discharged. We did return home. I had forgotten the feeling of sleeping on a bed. I was used to sleeping on the hospital floor. I found sleeping on bed very uncomfortable. My body had forgotten and there was no muscle memory. I felt like was sinking, sleeping on my saggy soft mattress again. As I type this article tears are not just rolling out of my eyes but gashing out! I remember it like it was yesterday. The year was 1999 and 2000. I had another chance to have my mother back. I was glad and grateful to God.
I chose, chanced and cherished God’s embrace through his word. I read the bible and also wrote down songs. I would always sing to her my new melodies and compositions. She was always ready to listen in. She told me;” Richard God will give you an opportunity to serve him but never play around with his alter/ pulpit” It is as if she knew I would serve the Lord one day. The bible says in Proverbs 18:24- A person who has friends may be harmed by them, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. My mother had a friend whose name I shall never forget. She was always there. She always encouraged me in those moments of despair. Brigadier General Rebecca Mpagi is her name. Every morning and evening she would visit and showed so much concern and care. Family was there but she was stood out among the many family friends.
Learning of my mother’s passing
I will never forget one time when I went to see my Pastor at the time of Faith Power Centre Entebbe; Bishop Charles Kaisali. I told him to pray for us about the condition of my mother. He did and said to me “Worry not, all will be okay”. Those words were priceless to me. All I needed was comforting words of hope. In April of 2000 she passed away. When I heard the news of her passing I recall I was home it was about 9pm at night. My fingers felt numb. It was shock at its best. I could not believe it. All in all my heart was at peace. I was very sure she had gone in a good place to be with the Lord.
Brother and Sister I don’t know what you are going through. I have no clue whatsoever. What i know for sure without a shadow of a doubt is that God loves you so very much, that he was willing to give up his only son to die for you. No matter the pain, the despair and the troubles you are in. Look up to God. He always makes a way. Even where there seems to be no way. I saw God care for me in those moments. I sat for my O level final exams while nursing my late mother in hospital. God was so good to me that I passed my exams. That I say was a miracle. I thank God for all that I went through because it taught me to trust Him each day, draw closer to Him and to confide in Him. The Lord’s prayer says ‘give us our daily bread’, It is a day at a time.
He says in Mathew 7:7- Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye. shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: All you have to is ask him.
Till next time.
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