Kenya
A Letter from Kennedy N'gan'ga
November 12, 2009
All peace be with you Sir,
We are all fine here.
Thank you for the mail and accompanied by cash. We are very grateful as it came in the right moment since Mummy had run shot of her heart medication. We also had some other pressing issues which we managed to solve.
PLEASE GIVE THIS MESSAGE TO ALL THE GLOBAL ART INITIATIVE TEAM:
YOU ARE OUR MOST REFINED COMMANDOES FIGHTING FOR US THE HOTTEST PART OF A COMPLICATED BATLE. NO MATTER WHAT OBSTACLES COME YOUR WAY, NO MATTER HOW MANY SETBACKS YOU ENCOUNTER, PLZ I URGE YOU NEVER TO TURN BACK. YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YOU HAVE OUR PRAYERS WITH YOU, THE ANGELS BY YOUR SIDE, A MIGHTY LIVING GOD ON YOUR SIDE AND A VICTORY AHEAD OF YOU.
YOU ARE OUR HEROES AND WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO LOOSE THAT WAR AT ANY PRICE. GO-GO-GO. YOU CAN MAKE IT. TOGETHER YOU SURELY MAKE OUR TOWER OF HOPE. THANKS.
Daraja (my adopted niece) is very happy and grateful for your comment. With the cash you sent, we managed to get her specialized eye medication and a new pair of glasses since the old ones had scratches that caused her eye sores. She is right now doing her exams. She calls you [Babu] meaning grandfather and she has promised to take your advice and make us all proud. (NOTE: Ken is referring to the following I wrote in a previous email concerning Daraja. “I am so happy to meet Daraja. She is indeed a beautiful young lady and obviously has a great heart to help those with disabilities. We will indeed pray and work for the sale of your artwork so that she can continue her studies. I would love for her to study extra hard and stay away from boyfriends so she can study medicine or physical therapy since she has learned so much taking care of you.)
Yes, I believe I can swim though not perfectly. It is only the fingers that cannot grip but the wrist joint is now recovered. I did not get myself out of the pool. Actually what happened is that we were seated by the pool with all the school swimming team planning on an oncoming big competition. There was no one in the pool and I was seated with my back facing the hot sunset wearing boxers shorts. So to deal with the itching sunburn on my back, I decided to have a big dive in the pool. With all the teenage youth at my side, I ran towards the pool like a possessed person, did a straight high dive then direct down. But before I could do a tight parallel, I had stupidly miscalculated, banging my clean shaven head on the tiled bottom thrice. Miraculously I managed to surface for a breath before I started drowning. Luckily since this was happening in full view of the team, they quickly reacted and rescued me before swallowing even a drop of water.
I had been nicknamed [[papa] meaning shark by my agemates as a respect for my swimming ability. So while my scalp was swelling, my neck terribly pained and my whole body numbed, ALL the team was busy. Some massaging and others exercising all my joints so that I could recover for us to proceed with the planning. Not until I began losing my sight did they sense danger and decided to call an ambulance. They could not imagine how the so called shark who grew up swimming in the nearby Indian Ocean could be threatened by a swimming pool accident. What followed is unimaginable. I can only explain it all with one sentence. THERE IS A HONEST LIVING GOD AND I HAVE SEEN HIS GREAT DEEDS ALL THE TIME. I believe swimming could bring me so much positive recovery both physically and psychologically.
Actually I am a very private person. Since I had the accident but do have some selected few honest closer friends, I always avoid anything that will leave me feeling embarrassed, humiliated or will give me sleepless night. Stress is among the most dreaded thing that a bedridden person can suffer. Humiliation being the prime cause.
As you can see in my works, the painter is elusive to crowds but in Love with nature, beauty, and challenges.
Before receiving your mail I had done a second painting which is a quote by Obama called ''I HAD A DREAM''. It shows the white house building done from a seaside cave view. I also did a painting called THE DUO RAINBOW WATERFALL FROM A CAVES VIEW. This is a sample I did following your latest instructions. On the signing on the past paintings, I propose if the sign can be translated digitally in the files.
This is the Renamo Guerrillas’ medal. I had a problem with the shot since it reflects back to the camera. I also kept a lot of reading material on explosives and mine clearing which belonged to my late father who served in the Kenya General Service Unit and fought the Shifta War in Mid-70s along the Kenya-Somali border, but I can’t locate any.
Receive greetings from Mummy, Fridah, Daraja, all my brothers, and everyone here. Pass my regards to all the team, and the rest who may know us here.
Until next time God willing.
Yours faithfully.
Ken Nganga