A letter to Daddy

Dear Dad,

I hope we could meet somewhere around Nyamasaria,

I long for you to breathe again, even if it’s just one more breath,

I want to hear your voice one last time, to have it echo in my mind like a cherished songbird,

I want to see your beards, perhaps fuller than mine that stubbornly refuse to grow,

I want to touch your hands and feel their warmth,

I want to look at your face and find the resemblances between us,

I’ll ask you what you love, and what you’re afraid of losing,

I want to see your sense of style,

I want to scrutinize your smile and understand how Mum fell for you so easily,

I want to check if Stella’s shortness comes from you,

I want to study the pigment of your skin to see if my own might inherit its flawlessness,

I’ll speak to you as a man, the kind of deep, honest conversations a father and son should have,

I’ll ask you what values I should hold dear,

I’ll ask your views on polygamy,

I’ll seek your wisdom on taking care of a woman,

I want to show you my girlfriend and hear you rate her on a scale of one to ten,

With this brief moment, Dad, I’ll strive to know you better,

Please, just breathe once more, Papa.

With all my love,
Rateng’

@okelododdychitchats