Dad’s openess helped us become responsible in life
Jan 27, 2009
The New Vision would like to celebrate the readers’ most cherished family heroes. Below, Dennis Natukunda Kabunga writes about his hero — his father<br><br>SIX years have passed since my dad the late David Wilson Kabunga from Hamurwa, Rubanda Kabale
The New Vision would like to celebrate the readers’ most cherished family heroes. Below, Dennis Natukunda Kabunga writes about his hero — his father
SIX years have passed since my dad the late David Wilson Kabunga from Hamurwa, Rubanda Kabale succumbed to cancer of the liver that showed up for just one month.
He was, he is and will forever remain my hero because of the way he loved his family, mentored and created a true bond of friendship between him and his children.
The late Kabunga was caring and compassionate to both his children and those around him especially those who lacked school fees. When going to school even at university, dad would escort me to get the bus, process a ticket for me, converse with me through the window until the bus was full. And as soon as the driver started the engine, you could see him note the number plate carefully in his diary just in case of anything, he would know how to trace you through friends that by then owned phones or until you would call to confirm your reaching safely — he would not be at peace.
As a mentor, dad would explain to us why he would do things the way he was doing. He would sometimes get “wrong†application letters from office for people seeking employment and would show us how bad they were written and would say in future, he never wanted any of his children to seek employment with such bad English.
sometimes we would argue and discuss about how good the application could have been written. Little did I know I would use such skill in future to look for employment. As my mentor, I find it betraying and emotional when it crosses my mind that you cannot share my sweat by having a meal with me, buying you a suit because you are no more.
Dad was a clean and smart man. Every weekend when at home there would be a clean-up exercise. This taught us how to work hard and get to know each and every chore at home. He would thoroughly iron his clothes to an extent that one would think they have been ironed by experts of these days-using a charcoal box.
My hero was good at record keeping. It is amazing that all the letters that we would write to him during school days are closely filed in one file to this day. Documents about his children birthdays and circumstances surrounding their birthdays can easily be traced in the files that are still arranged properly at home.
My hero was an open minded and sincere man. He would tell you his mind whether you liked it or not and would try to be sincere with his children about his background, finance and future ventures which made me particularly remain focused. He could sincerely show you how his transactions especially land and office were done and comment on how he would love you to take them keen so that in future when gone.
Indeed one year after his death, relatives andclansmen dragged us to court challenging mum that she was not to have letters of administration. Those very documents that had been kept for years came in handy to save the situation, I wonder what would have happened if they were not available.
Dad loved his wife, Annah Turyahikayo Kabunga. Much as he grew up in a family where love was not shown and without a mother, he somehow got to know that a strong family with strong bonds of love that cannot be broken was a pillar to a good family and struggled to make this instilled in his children.
Sometimes we would tease mum on how her boyfriend (dad) who used to call her ‘Mukyala’ had not written to her a love letter. Every Friday, dad was expected to be in our village home where mum used to live. But when he had commitments, he would endeavour to communicate to mum in the so called love letters. Whenever we received a letter on Friday from dad to mum, we would know that he was not coming that evening.
I strongly believe mum will miss her husband forever, especially at this time when she is struggling with a diabetic wound in Mulago Hospital that left her toe amputated. Dad’s love, care, attention and dedication would have made a second meaning to her with the pain she has at the moment much as the children are there for her.
The late Kabunga my-hero was committed to loving and serving God. He once almost got into prison because of church work. He would leave office to attend to his home church meetings, synod and there was no single day I saw him sleep without praying for his children, far and near one by one in whatever challenges they were going through. And he would always encourage us to trust in God and commit our plans, worries, failures and whatever we lacked to God. He usually concluded his letters and telephone conversations by reminding me how he always thought about me and prayed for me.
Dad is no more but as children we believe he played a big role in our lives. Mum emphasises this with a strong nod. We still miss him especially at christmas and during challenges where he could have come in handy as a source of hope. Challenges that came with his passing on made some of us mature faster but we thank God for the preparation he made us go through by the close relationship he had to forge with his children.
We are encouraged by your strong will, example and advice you used to give us when still alive, dad. I normally tell my wife Peace whom I married shortly after his death that she missed her father- in-law’s love and impact but as believers he ran his race, fought a good fight and so let him rest in peace which is sometimes hard for us to go over.
I challenge the rest of his children especially his daughters never to let him down.
SIX years have passed since my dad the late David Wilson Kabunga from Hamurwa, Rubanda Kabale succumbed to cancer of the liver that showed up for just one month.
He was, he is and will forever remain my hero because of the way he loved his family, mentored and created a true bond of friendship between him and his children.
The late Kabunga was caring and compassionate to both his children and those around him especially those who lacked school fees. When going to school even at university, dad would escort me to get the bus, process a ticket for me, converse with me through the window until the bus was full. And as soon as the driver started the engine, you could see him note the number plate carefully in his diary just in case of anything, he would know how to trace you through friends that by then owned phones or until you would call to confirm your reaching safely — he would not be at peace.
As a mentor, dad would explain to us why he would do things the way he was doing. He would sometimes get “wrong†application letters from office for people seeking employment and would show us how bad they were written and would say in future, he never wanted any of his children to seek employment with such bad English.
sometimes we would argue and discuss about how good the application could have been written. Little did I know I would use such skill in future to look for employment. As my mentor, I find it betraying and emotional when it crosses my mind that you cannot share my sweat by having a meal with me, buying you a suit because you are no more.
Dad was a clean and smart man. Every weekend when at home there would be a clean-up exercise. This taught us how to work hard and get to know each and every chore at home. He would thoroughly iron his clothes to an extent that one would think they have been ironed by experts of these days-using a charcoal box.
My hero was good at record keeping. It is amazing that all the letters that we would write to him during school days are closely filed in one file to this day. Documents about his children birthdays and circumstances surrounding their birthdays can easily be traced in the files that are still arranged properly at home.
My hero was an open minded and sincere man. He would tell you his mind whether you liked it or not and would try to be sincere with his children about his background, finance and future ventures which made me particularly remain focused. He could sincerely show you how his transactions especially land and office were done and comment on how he would love you to take them keen so that in future when gone.
Indeed one year after his death, relatives andclansmen dragged us to court challenging mum that she was not to have letters of administration. Those very documents that had been kept for years came in handy to save the situation, I wonder what would have happened if they were not available.
Dad loved his wife, Annah Turyahikayo Kabunga. Much as he grew up in a family where love was not shown and without a mother, he somehow got to know that a strong family with strong bonds of love that cannot be broken was a pillar to a good family and struggled to make this instilled in his children.
Sometimes we would tease mum on how her boyfriend (dad) who used to call her ‘Mukyala’ had not written to her a love letter. Every Friday, dad was expected to be in our village home where mum used to live. But when he had commitments, he would endeavour to communicate to mum in the so called love letters. Whenever we received a letter on Friday from dad to mum, we would know that he was not coming that evening.
I strongly believe mum will miss her husband forever, especially at this time when she is struggling with a diabetic wound in Mulago Hospital that left her toe amputated. Dad’s love, care, attention and dedication would have made a second meaning to her with the pain she has at the moment much as the children are there for her.
The late Kabunga my-hero was committed to loving and serving God. He once almost got into prison because of church work. He would leave office to attend to his home church meetings, synod and there was no single day I saw him sleep without praying for his children, far and near one by one in whatever challenges they were going through. And he would always encourage us to trust in God and commit our plans, worries, failures and whatever we lacked to God. He usually concluded his letters and telephone conversations by reminding me how he always thought about me and prayed for me.
Dad is no more but as children we believe he played a big role in our lives. Mum emphasises this with a strong nod. We still miss him especially at christmas and during challenges where he could have come in handy as a source of hope. Challenges that came with his passing on made some of us mature faster but we thank God for the preparation he made us go through by the close relationship he had to forge with his children.
We are encouraged by your strong will, example and advice you used to give us when still alive, dad. I normally tell my wife Peace whom I married shortly after his death that she missed her father- in-law’s love and impact but as believers he ran his race, fought a good fight and so let him rest in peace which is sometimes hard for us to go over.
I challenge the rest of his children especially his daughters never to let him down.