8 Golden Months - Part 1

The present moment never communicates to us why it is with us but when time finally passes and we sit down to reflect on it, we connect the dots and realize what we had and what can never come back. At times, this is in the form of a person, at times an event, at times a moment of truth and at times a feeling or an emotion.

‘Campus life’…I never thought until August last year that I will ever be able to attend a university. I hadn’t planned it and I never saw it coming, but well He who is above all else did write it in my destiny and I flew to Mauritius to attend a final year at Middlesex University. My best friend told me the week before I flew something that I carried all along in my heart throughout my time on campus. He said “this time of your life shall never come back so make the most of it. Don’t be afraid to live your life because it is your life”. Till today, this statement echoes in my heart. I looked at the date yesterday and realized how last year this very date, I was submitting applications and searching Mauritius on Google looking at images and saying to myself “WOW”. I remember showing those images to my mother who had a similar reaction about the place, but her eyes, well they were full of tears for her only son was going far away from her for a long period of time. I was a bit sad leaving my friends and my dearest cousins, too sad leaving my parents but I held myself strongly, I was very determined to do my best not for myself but for those who expected me to do well especially my parents because failure was no longer an option; the cost of failure was too high for me to pay, and yes, I was very excited because I was told by someone that I am going to Paradise. I remember I wrote a Facebook status from the airport as I looked at the plane “A bit sad, a bit more excited and super focused…Bye Uganda...You will always be part of me!!” I still remember the feeling I had that day. I was very focused about my studies; more than I had ever been.

The only regret I have perhaps of my year on campus is that I could not make it for the induction. I would have known more people had I attended it. I am an introvert to a great extent and it takes time for me to get to know people. Not bragging as such but the one thing about me also is the nag of becoming famous, of course for the good reasons. Coming back to my journey, I landed in Mauritius and as Yassin drove me home, I looked at the landscape and clicked photos with my Sony cyber shot, I thought to myself I really have come to a gifted location. I went to hostel, dropped my bags and went to campus which was barely 5 minutes of a walk away. That moment is stored forever with me. Most people will think I sound kid dish but you know when you don’t expect to have something and it comes to you, the gratitude your heart feels is immense and unexplainable. The first best thing that happened to me was my best friend gifted me a DSLR on my birthday which was 11 days after I arrived in to Mauritius. Having a DSLR was one of my dreams and when it came, all I could do was feel the mercy of the Al-mighty for me. I have always known that Shiraz is my truest friend on this planet but last year, he showed it by this act of selfless love. Don’t get me wrong but even if he hadn’t gifted me the DSLR, he would still remain that precious for me.

I began classes and I realized that because I hadn’t done statistics in the past like my classmates, I would have to work double. I used to read at night because it was so calm, quiet, cold and amazing. I will never forget the tea-breaks I used to take at 1 am at the terrace under the moonlight. Those are moments, I as a writer and photographer, just cannot capture or explain. The wind of Mauritius left me in a trance always and I was simply mesmerized. Soon, we began a routine; me, Moses and Nihir of going to a shopping center close by called Jumbo. We were even termed as the ‘Jumbo boys’ by the guys at the hostel. We used to go eat and just chill. After a long day on campus, the walk to Jumbo and back, the teasing of dogs especially the chubby one our neighbor had and the German-shepherd, the road poses, the jokes and laughter, ‘ratings’, and upon return, a few rounds of matatu just made up the day complete. On weekends, we would have the house parties and have an outing or so to round up the week.

So I realize I have written quite a bit. I will continue this article very soon this week as I still have a lot more to say. I hope you enjoyed it thus far and will read the next part of it.

Cheers!

Peace!

Champ!