My surviving grand mothers

In this my blog post, I want to spend some time just to talk about my grand mothers who are still alive today by God’s grace. Both my grandpas are late; I never met my grandpa on my mother’s side as he passed on way before I was born. On the other hand, I thank God for allowing me to meet my grandpa on my father’s side; he passed on in the recent past after a long illness in Lusaka.

Matildah Munthali Sambo

Micah with grandma

My mum’s mother lives in Mazabuka and her name is Matildah Munthali Sambo, she used to visit us from time to time when I was living in Lusaka. She fell in love with our first born son and I could see it in her eyes when he held Micah in her hands, this took me back to my childhood times at a small little house in Kitwe at Scripture Union house, my grandmother used to visit us a lot and times spent with her were worthwhile as she treated us like little angels even when we did silly things. My wife Racheal fell in love with her when she first saw her (love at first sight). It’s a pity she did not attend our wedding in 2011 as she had problems with her legs and was failing to walk at the time. I remember asking my grandma what she wanted me to buy her and all she said was ‘the battery of the phone you bought for me is dead, if you can replace it,  a chitenge material and a pair of canvas will be enough’.

Lucy Kamanga

Dad with grandma in Petauke

My dad’s mother is one kind of person who is strict and to the point, her name is Lucy Kamanga she raised my dad and his siblings in Eastern Province, hearing stories of how she used to discipline (beat) her children, when I see her – I fail to believe it, she does not look like one who would beat a child. She used to beat especially my dad as he is the first born. I thank God for her because if it was not for her, my dad would not have been where he is at the moment. She stays in the village in Petauke and it’s been a while since I visited my village, she visited us in Lusaka last year and she is just too tradition and takes everything very seriously. When I asked her the same question I asked my other grandma on the things she wanted me to buy her, she said ‘a dark material of 6m chitenge and black canvas size 4’, you can see her really specifying so that you don’t buy what she doesn’t want. My youngest sister, Phoebe took this picture below when they both visited our home in Lusaka last year.

My two grandparents in their 80s

These grannies have lived for over 80 years and they call me ‘muzukulu wasu’ meaning our grandchild. I don’t know their exact years as they say that they have forgotten when they were born but it must have been around 1930s or so. Most of us children, you will agree with me that we get spoiled by our grandparents as they don’t want to see us cry even when we get a good spanking from mischievous behaviors. I remember when I was a young boy; grandma, whenever she visited our home; she would protect me and my sisters from being beaten by mum after we did something that upset mum and dad… We always ended up being in trouble when our grandma would leave and go back to the village.

Mum & dad with the two grannies - 2 May 1981

I wish there was a day like we have today – mother’s day and father’s day in which we are to remember our grandparents. We ought uphold and remember our grandparents if they are still alive. Let me just call this day “Grandparent’s day”.

Childhood memories with grandma - 1986