Welcome to The SEVENTEEN Series: Celebrating ME - Nov 13th

Welcome...

...where do I begin??

Nov 17th marks the opening of the Seventeen Series (limited edition) - enjoy:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 13th of November is Princely Day, and to celebrate it a new series has dawned: welcome to The Seventeen Series!

Designed to appreciate and celebrate my seventeen years on this beautiful planet:

<<Rewind: Nov-12th-2008, a Wednesday! (exactly one week after Obama's win)
Morning: an almost-boring Math class. Get results for the last CAT. Not good: a B+
Class ends!
Afternoon: Very hungry organism. Rush to Dining Hall. First one in for lunch!! (haha - that means I get soooooooo much french fries, and sooooo hot too). French-fries and burger - mmmm - delicíosó!
After-lunch: Go to Imani. Read about Obama. Discuss Obama with Manius (I have strong reservations towards Obama!!). Very heated discussion! We forget - for an hour or so - that we were to do math! Obamascussion continues... OMG we have to do Math! Math for an hour!! I remember promise to Titus. I have to go for prayers at Anne-Marie's. At 2:00. OMG: it's 3:00.
Rush rush rush!! Zoom off to off-campus! I am surprised to see almost all my friends (including ORAY and KEVO) at the "prayer meeting." I am a very happy fella. Somebody takes my iPod
...so iChat with Nancy.
Gotcha: then cakes and sodas start coming in, and being hidden. I see them. Nothing crosses my mind though. Then, boom: "SURPRIIIIISE" - I join in the chant. In my mind I'm like "who is it we're surprising."
Soooo??: "But why are all eyes on me??" "Umm, could it be... NO! They can't be surprising me!! Why would they? It's not even my birthday or death day or anything!!"
After two minutes of loading, my mind finally understands. The person being suprised is actually me. They couldn't do it on the thirteenth. Being the genius that I am (or so they think) I must have known that it was MY surprise party. (Well, Linda also prayed that God blinds me so I don't even guess anything!) These feelings of... surprise? - shock? - what??... run up and down my throat. My heart freezes. I can't even show anything!! OMG! (at least it was Julian and Monique's party too coz I also got a few laughs when the two froze in a shocking "you too!!")

For all of you who almost made my birthday a deathday - thanx for the surprise!
Thanx Anne-Marie for the house; thanx Zoë for being big sis (and all the "benefits" that come with that) for seventeen years now; Michelle - my Daystar Mom - I thank God Linda didn't claim me for her son (si unamjua ana watoto elfu kumi!) - you're a blessing; thanx to all my friends for almost killing me, for adorning the party, for being yourselves and making me a better thing by allowing myself to fluorish around you - you're the greatest gift I have (is this true?? - haha!!); and - very very much - to Linda, for being Ramboo and orchestrating all this for undeserving me, for being a dustbin of my old not-so-funny jokes (and enjoying it), for washing the dishes (even when I ask you to help), for bringing Nduko and Mwumbuo (incorrect spelling?), for listening to God, and for...____________fill the gaps bwana nimechoka...

Mami and Papi, where would I be without you? (literally):

For being the change you want to see in this world.

For allowing a fusion of your genes to create this beautiful soul called me.

For giving me the most handsome name the world has ever boasted of.

For praying for me even before I was born.

For being supportive of me in almost all I do.

For never ceasing to believe that I am a genius - especially when I got straight-Fs in math in high school (and now, at sixteen - youngest in my varsity - and getting straight-As in math except for this one B+) -- well I just turned seventeen (sweetly sad).

For loving me so truly, and teaching me that love is not an emotion but an act of the will (I see you choosing to love each other every day).

For shaping me into whatever I am today (though God, frenz, school, myself and some other entities have played a big role in this too).

For chapaing me, teaching me, strengthening me, and even playing with me.

For being the sort of parents I can hug and kiss and play with and love on without fear, regrets or doubt.

For laughing at my "dey'spozedas", giving me money to buy clothes you think are WEIRD (in capital letters).

For giggling your hearts out when you found me on my PS2 at 3:55am then sterning up and saying, "nenda kalale we mtoto!"

For helping me see my strengths and discard my weaknesses.

For beleiving in God even when we don't have anything to our name then seeing God give us all we need. (That IS faith!!)

For practicing what you preach.

For giving me your iPod when mine got lost!!

For writing desperate emails every once in a while: "I am writing to know if my Princely got safely to school. Or did he die on the way??" (haha)

For all the tears we've shared, and all you've shed (most were from me).

For the fights and the reconciliations.

For teaching me to take the bitter pill when I know it's the right thing to do.

For caressing my sweet tooth.

For...

doing...

all...

this...

for...

SEVENTEEN...

years...

now!!!

Isn't that a BLESSING!!?? (Note: the "that"refers to me! - haha)

Now, jealous folk are wondering why these two peeps get a whole book of thanks. These folk knew me before I even knew myself.
--Once upon a time, a guy with a tail met this other one, and then... (you know the rest of the story)--

God bless you!!

--------------------------------------------------------
The next few poems are part of The Seventeen Series, this is a collection of poems, writings and pieces given to me on Novemeber 13th: Princely Day!

--------------------------------------------------------
Read, Comment, Enjoy!!