"Na UMEKONDA," The greatest Kenyan greeting I received.

"Na Umekonda!"

The very moment the captain announced, "Thanks for travelling with us. I hope you enjoy your time in Nairobi," felt like a life long dream come true. The time I was away never seemed like 16 months anymore but more of a decade. I was finally home. Yes, Kenya. 🤗 Hearing the word Nairobi being spoken of every now and then, left me smiling like a fool. Let alone people now exchanging conversations in Swahili. It was a top- notch feeling that I cannot describe. I was home finally. Home sweet home.❤️I was very eager to meet all my loved ones. The scent from the local hotels welcomed me. Nilifurahi ja kufurahi.(Extremely) Little did I know what was awaiting. Later, I will come to totally agree with our Kisii forefathers when they said, "Nchera yanya gotebi mogendi," - The road has never told(direct translation😀) the user what is to happen.

Since I arrived late at night, I didn't meet with most people yet. It was a bitter-sweet feeling since I was longing to see my family and friends, but again I needed rest after the long travel. I rested. Then came the morning. It was time to reunite socialize. I honestly expected a lot of remarks and questions but disregarded the possibility of one which will later remain the talk of the entire time I was home. "Na Umekonda- You have become thinner." 

"Na UMEKONDA." The words hit me like a slap I got from my primary English teacher 10 years ago.😂 I turned around hoping I had heard my own things, perhaps I might have been daydreaming. And lo! When I turned, I could not maintain eye contact anymore. One of my aunt- with her arms a kimbo, was closely scutinizing me. She could probably make a good forensic crime investigator.😂 Was she looking for some evidence? Some signs? Maybe poor diet or deficiency? Marasmus? She knows best. Na umekonda was just a tricky way of attacking my weight. She most probably was anticipating me to provide an explanation. Or so I thought. I made a fake laughter. I didn't have time for negative energy. Come on, it was just the first day. I instead took the comment as a way of welcoming me home, to good food, positie vibes, and everything.

Was she done yet? Absolutely not. Numerous questions followed. Majuu ikoje? Kwani hawakupi chakula? Mbona hauli? Ama masomo ni mengi? ( How's abroad?,They don't give you food there? Why don't you eat? Or do you have much to study?) All these were aimed at answering one question. So Faith, why are you thinner? 

I barely had time to respond to any of the questions. Ama hata wewe utatoa wapi nguvu ya kujibu.😃 Punde tu, another auntie, came from the house. I knew it was going to be hotter.😂 And of course I was right. Immediately after exchanging greetings with a warm hug she added, " Msichana wangu, ulitoka hapa ukiwa mnene sasa umeisha kabisa. Shida ni gani. Watu wengi ambao huenda nje huja kama wamekuwa wakubwa na si kinyume. Is there something we should know?”

Mind you, this is the first day and every greeting is being followed by a comment about how I became thinner or slimmer. This situation made me to think about much. You lose weight, mbona umekonda questions follow. You gain weight, you will hear, na umekuwa mnono. And there follows advices. (Gym, runs, less calories and what not) Maintain the same, Oh! You have not changed! You really can't do away with any of them. Your body will always be analyzed. Question. Did weight loss suddenly stop being a sense of fitness? Let us be serious for once. When did it become a problem?

 

Ama ni ugonjwa? One of the easy said but difficult to take in question. I have heard people ask this question a number of times. Will reducing weight always have to do with sickness. We'll, sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Next they will list possible solutions. Eat this and that. Don't skip meals. Stay hydrated. Do exercises. Avoid sugarly meals. Sleep well. The list goes on. 

(GOOD ADVICE HERE) It doesn’t matter if I have been eating three meals a day while away —if you’re not visibly plumb, you must be starving, sick, or whatever.

And then, of course, there’s Magokoro—my sweet grandmother.

The moment she saw me, she uttered, "Neba kwanyarekire(No translation can do this justice), tunashukuru kwa kufika salama na kuwa masomo yameendelea vizuri. Utanenepa tu ukimaliza shule." I was being attacked left, right, and center.😔 No rescue on my way.

"Eat! Eat! And eat properly! And drink water!" Were the next words that came from her mouth. This was not a suggestion. It was a command. To her, food was the answer to gaining weight and everything. Hungry? Eat. Happy? Eat. Stressed? Eat. Eat. Eat. Eat.(Pun intended 😁😂)

And yet, the concern didn’t stop when I left. Every phone call since then begins with:

"Umekula? Umekunywa maji? Umelala vizuri? Veggies vipi? Fruits? Proteins?" Nowadays it's not only the "How are you, how is the weather, school, and friends? Have you eaten has become another big part of the greeting.

At first, it used to bother me. The endless scrutiny, endless advice, the pressure to either eat more of this, and less of that, drink, exercise, and the neglecting of some unhealthy meals. But now? When I look back, I laugh.🤣 I appreciate. Why? Because isn’t this just a reflection of how much people care? Enough to check on you constantly with an, "Umekula," phrase. 

I have taken pleasure to learn and draw lesson even from the minutest of things that happen in our day to day life. So what lessons do I hope you learn from this "Umekonda," conversation:

1.) Someone must not always say "I love you" to know that they really love, cherish, honor, and care for you. While it is important,  we need to know that people have different ways of expressing their love. Even "Umekula? Umekunywa maji" Goes a long way. Like in my case, I have honestly not been eating enough meals and proper diet, been having junk foods, sometimes I may forget to drink water. Having this daily and constant reminders have been all I have wanted and I hope to make great stripes towards achieving a healthy lifestyle. I hope you don't take those moments for granted!😊

2.)Love Is Shown in the Smallest Ways - we should not always expect to see big gestures to believe that people value us and our well being. 

3. Your body will remain your body – Whether umekonda or umenenepa, you will still be YOU. No number on a weighing machine should define your worth or sense of belonging. Also emphasizing from a famous quote that probably most of you have heard, "LET NOT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY DEFINE YOU." They might lower you, but like a Phoenix,let your words be, "Yet will I rise." 💪 

4. This might be one of the greater one. Appreciate what you have today and who you are.This is because if you go out there,  you will find most slim people saying they want to atleast add weight, once they do, they realize it wasn't such a big deal. They want to be slim again. This makes life less enjoyable. This not only applies to this context but to all aspects of life. Let's stop chasing things we cannot control and be confident in what we have and develop it. This way, we will reach new heights.👐 

P.S: To my fellow petite babes, next time someone says "Na umekonda!"—just smile and thank them for being concerned. Don't be sad. Aaaa! Maisha haitaki makasiriko! 😆 And then, usiachie hapo. Aaaaaaa! Go ahead and eat that chapati, brocolli, ugali,matoke, mukimo, ...... Because honestly? Life is too short to stress about what people think. You are truly a MASTERPIECE with your body.✨️ 

So, have YOU drank water and eaten today?😃