Love and life before whatsapp.

When I was growing up, our village was so knit, talk of a 100 households in the same place in a circle. I normally get a nostalgic attack when I remember the communal porridge drinking sprees. The mothers will contribute flour and milk then all the children get served from the same location. We grazed the livestock together in the plains and so that was the life!

Then we grew up to adolescents then to junior youths which was the most exciting segment of our milestone; dating was communal, a girl belonged to the closest boy and we always competed to remain close to the chick's heart. So you maximized on your turn to smear mud with malicious words on your most feared competitor. If your girl's parents are harsh you need to agree what she will put on top of their Manyatta to symbolize presence of either parent or both.  Mostly for the mum it's a cup and a pot for the dad. If you ever agree to meet out of the homestead,you identify a tree or a rock and time.  It was tricky but not heartbreaking.

That was life before this digital madness. Two blue ticks means you have seen my message and your girl will go mad if you don't reply in a record time of two minutes. This 'last seen' thing will finish people someday. I am deleting  my Whatsapp today.

Village Elder.