Mbawemi and Wanipa have been best friends since they were born. Sisters born two years apart making Mbawemi older. Wanipa wets her bed and this bothered her a lot. At the age of 8, she still peed on her bed. She tried to stop, but then dreams of water and peeing and found herself wet on the bed.
“I cannot stop peeing on the bed mum,” Wanipa says, with tears almost dropping from her eyes. “I don’t like it when I urinate on the bed. All my friends my age have stopped peeing on their beds.”
Mum hugged Wanipa, with an assuring smile. “You will stop peeing eventually; everyone’s time is different.”
“But I want it to stop now Mum,” Wanipa bursts into tears.
“Oh, don’t worry, Wanipa,” Mbawemi reassures her, “I will help wake you up every day.”
“You promise?” Wanipa asked her sister in excitement.
“Oh yes I promise… pink promise and kiss command my promise.” The girls tangled their pinkie fingers together to seal the promise.
On the first, second and third day, Mbawemi was super excited to wake her sister up,“wake up! Wake up Wani!” She shook her sister frantically until she opened her little eyes. Grabbing hold of her hand, they exchange turns to the toilet and then back to sleep. This made Wanipa very proud that she did not wet her bed.
“Look Mum, I have stopped wetting my bed,” Wanipa said as she hugged her Mum and Dad good morning. After breakfast, the girls ran to get ready for their friend, Abigail’s party.
They swam and jumped all day which made them so tired that they fell asleep right in their Dad’s car before they even got home after the party. That Sunday morning, Wanipa peed on her bed. She was filled with tears and could not stop crying.
“You broke your promise Mbawemi, you did not wake me up,” she sobbed. “Now I smell and have urine in my hair.”
Mbawemi felt bad for her sister and tried to explain that she did not mean to break her promise, she was just tired. But Wanipa ignored her. She did not sit with her when they went to Sunday school. After church, Mbawemi offered Wanipa a lollypop.
“Look Wanipa I got you your favourite coloured Lollypop, red. Here! you will love it,” Mbawemi continued. But Wanipa did not take it and looked away.
“Why won’t you get the lollipop from your sister?” Mum asked Wanipa.
“Because she broke her promise mum, and let me wet my bed today. She promised she would wake me up so we go pee together every day.”
“What happened?” Mum asked Mbawemi.
“I forgot to wake up yesterday too mum, I was tired from the party, so I could not wake up till morning.”
“Oh Wanipa… Mbawemi didn’t mean to break her promise; she was just too tired as you were from the party. Promises are only broken when one intentionally breaks them.”
“What do you mean Mum,” asked a confused Wanipa.
“What I mean is, if Mbawemi had woken up herself and purposefully did not wake you up, then she would have broken her promise, but in this case, you were both tired and you did not wake up. So she did not break her promise.”
All of a sudden a bright idea popped, “I know how I can make it up to you?” Mbawemi interrupted her Mum.
“How?” Wanipa asked.
“Mum, can you get us an alarm clock? An alarm clock never gets tired and always keeps its promise to wake us up.”
“Heheheheheh,” the girls both giggled while hugging each other. “I’m sorry I ignored you Mbawemi.”
“I’m sorry I overslept and did not help wake you up.”
“But the alarm will now wake both of us up,” Wanipa answered in excitement.
Read – The Millionaire Orphan (2021 Wakini Prize Winner) by Makhago Peter, Uganda
Beautiful story…. I’ve learnt that just like Mbaweni did, we should be there for our friends to help them come up higher
this is beautiful, we all need to be there to help each other through our difficulties or challenges
i can relate to this story, i once had my sister who peed on the bed, it was hard for her to wake up so we made sure she peed before she went to be…i like it
Profound, Ubuntu is important. Thank you 💕 for the feedback
Very Interesting story. The lines were literally catchy