My dad, my hero

Dear is the name I call my dad after I heard my mom calling him that as a child, I assumed it was his name.

I was later to find out that that was their pet name for each other after they got married, oh well there does ‘dad’.

As an only girl I grew up as the apple of my father’s eye and the most guarded child in the Mnguni household.

My father took it upon himself to make sure that I would not end up useless or the mother of four children by the age of 18, all with different fathers.

He was dedicated to my schooling and took time off to see me run and perform on stage at school.

I was born on January 30, 19something, and as you can imagine, no one has money at that time of the year.

Each year, my birthday present was my school fees paid in full for the year and a receipt for my keeping.

Back then, it did not seem like the best gift, but today I look back and realise just how lucky I was.

For those of you who think I am stylish, all credit should be given to my dad who was my personal stylist from a very young age.

We would spend hours shopping and talking about everything from poems to how I could become the next president

We had fun times and bad times, we did not always agree and sometimes I felt that he was too strict.

I remember in 2003 we had a valentines day ball at school, I was beyond excited and couldn’t wait to get all dressed up.

In true Dear style, my dad agreed for me to go on condition that he would take me there and fetch me at 9pm sharp.

The event was supposed to start at 6pm but like all fabulous parties the fun only really started at 8pm.

Unaware of the time because of the fun and overdose of boys (I went to Springs Girls’ High), it was Christmas in February for the girls.

I was dancing away and one by one I saw my friends pulling funny facial expressions that I couldn’t understand.

There in his golf shirt and jeans and vintage Ray Ban shades on his head, ready to fetch his beloved, was my dad.

I can’t remember what happened but all I know is just as I was getting down with a cute boy from Boy’s High I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Uhm sisi, it’s time to go, say goodbye to your friends.”

My world froze, all eyes on me, and not because of my cool Adidas kicks, but because I was officially the un-coolest girl in school.

How could I say goodbye when I had gone shopping for a special outfit, had my hair relaxed and was just getting my groove on?

You can imagine how embarrassed I was, but that meant nothing because no child of Dear’s would be getting down to Daft Punk till the early hours of the morning.

The drive home was sad and I felt like crying, but now I realise that all that was done out of love.

Today, when I am too tired to drive or just plain lazy, I wish he could come fetch me and remember all those times.

My dad is such an interesting man, he also believes in many fascinating things.

Like garlic, Dear believes that garlic is the cure for everything, not just health issues but life issues.

Garlic is to my dad what tea is to grannies, a remedy for every ailment under the sun.

Have you been dumped by your boyfriend? Here, have some garlic for the pain.

Feeling a bit nauseous from all the junk you have been eating? Grab a clove for complete recovery.

I think my dad should open his own garlic practice because funny enough, all these remedies work.

I have learnt so many valuable lessons from this wise man, I have learnt how to make informed choices and to stand up for myself.

Our talks in the morning over breakfast about life, love and the future have played a big role in my life.

So many precious memories, I could write a never ending book about my hero .

So here we are my darling father, I am a young woman today who has the confidence of a lion and courage to face the world.

Thank you for being a present father, a friend and my confidant.

Thanks for the lessons on money, friends, love and how to keep fit.

Thank you for being the wonderful father that you are and I appreciate the times you were stern because Lord knows what I would have become without it.

Thubane, Mkhonto you mean the world to me and I wish you a fabulous birthday for November 29, 2013.