The oldest yet strongest root behind our family tree

I still remember those road trips to my home in Venda. There is just something about that N1 road that rejuvenates your soul.

Its much nicer to go to Venda in December, right after the exam stresses and work closes. It’s more than just a physical trip, but an emotional and mental one.

From the moment I get off the bus at the bus stop, I realise how green the trees are, “it must be this red soil” as I say to myself, while I wipe off the sweat from the sun’s heat, we all know Limpopo can sure be hot.

Because my grandmother already knows that I’m on my way there when I get home I kneel down and say my greetings, as she welcomes me with a bowl full of different fruits from the yard.

That is just an introduction.

My grandmother was born in the year 1918 and married my grandfather at age 20 and the rest is history!

She has 11 children, 26 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren at age 101.

She loves to cook and I know that she has probably cooked some traditional meal for me that we both know that I haven’t eaten the whole year. Tshidzimba, a Venda staple with a mixture of different peanuts, samp, and groundnuts. It’s very tasty I should say!

She has so much love to give out, enough for all our family members. I call her “Gugu”, meaning granny. Well, that’s what we all to call her in our family.

Although she speak mostly with riddles, and knows less about innovation or the next generation, we all take her advice seriously and respect her decisions as it helps connects us to our roots.

That might probably sound ancient or old, but from my point of view, not at all!

She is still flexible and wise. While still talking about being wise, she is the oldest family adviser and biggest decision-maker on family issues. She also gives names for all the grand-children and great-grandchildren.

She now holds the record of the oldest person in the family.

She would do storytelling at night by the fireplace, from her childhood, apartheid times and growing up in general, which gives us an introspect into how the world has changed and developed both technologically and also when it comes to how people see things.

I have drawn a family tree, with her as the important root that provides the whole tree and its branches with support. We would discuss the branches (uncles, aunties and cousins) and the reasons behind the names she gave each and every one of us in our family. It is very interesting and historical I should say.

For example, my father’s name is Nndwakhulu, meaning ‘a huge fight’, she explained that there was a huge divide between her family and the family she married into, so when she gave birth to my father, she named him Nndwakhulu, just so as to be a remembrance of how the situation was back then.

She is such an amazing and most informative person our family is lucky to have. We all celebrate each day for her presence.