When I was a kid, from something like the age of eight until thirteen, every Independence Day weekend, my entire extended family headed up to a resort in the country called Touch Palace. I’m calling it a resort because that’s what everybody called it. Palace Inn served exclusively Northern Ugandan clientele, old folks who wanted… Continue reading Magic of The Past
How It Happened
In the very beginning when you first met her, the sound of her laugh made your heart leap up into your throat. It was a laugh that took your breath away. It made you feel like you were walking on stilts as tall as a house, and you decided very early on that you needed… Continue reading How It Happened
Unconditional in Retrograde
When Nadia found out I was living in Small City, she sent me a WhatsApp message. “Hi, Ambrose. I ran into an old pal from Pine Lake who mentioned that you got married and moved to Small City,” she said. “Hope you are happy and thriving!” I close WhatsApp, then open it again, re-read the… Continue reading Unconditional in Retrograde
Through the Lens of Forgiveness
I reached out to my grandfather on Matto Putt, the Luo Day of Atonement, which seems as good a day as any to talk with him about forgiveness. “So I wanted to– I wanted to ask you something, and I just wanted to gauge your interest,” I asked. “Yeah,” he responded. “How would you feel… Continue reading Through the Lens of Forgiveness
Whispers of the Past
Elvis says his dad was always a manly man, the strong silent type who never said much. And when Elvis was a child, he really looked up to him. His father was stable and disciplined, working as a security guard for 30 years to provide for his family. The fact that he was such an… Continue reading Whispers of the Past
Words To Live By
Growing up, a single question dominated my thoughts. What was the use? What was the use of getting out of bed, of combing your hair, of breathing, all that breathing? What was the use of anything when all of life inevitably came grinding to an end? By 17, I was waking up in the middle… Continue reading Words To Live By
Into The Den
Back when I was a kid, I often carried around a cassette tape recorder, an outstretched mic created a buffer between me and the world. Recording was my way of managing life. And so I recorded everything, my parents’ arguments and their phone calls and my mom pretending to mime Lingala songs. Mostly though I… Continue reading Into The Den
Love in The Clouds….Part Two
Hudson got on Facebook. And he started messaging as many people as possible. He didn’t care about age or religion, just anyone over 18, could breathe and overseas who might be interested in a relationship. In his search for a new relationship, Hudson messaged over 150 random people on Facebook. My friend Hudson was eagerly… Continue reading Love in The Clouds….Part Two
Love in The Clouds….Part One
When I left Small City, Apolika at eight years old, I left behind a small group of friends I did everything with. As kids, we would run around the village and hunt birds in the nearby bushes. That’s how we bonded. Now that we’re grown when I go back, we go to the beach. It’s… Continue reading Love in The Clouds….Part One
The Mysteries of Science
My father always struck me as the sort of man who, under the right circumstances, might have invented the microwave oven or the transistor radio. You wouldn`t seek him out for advice on a personal problem, but he`d be the first one you`d call when the radio broke or your little Tecno burner phone loses… Continue reading The Mysteries of Science