Fate of ‘dwarf’ musician in unforgiving society

Gladys, her husband Geoffrey and their daughter Victoria [PHOTOS: PKEMOI NG’ENOH/KERICHO COUNTY]

By PKEMOI NG’ENOH

When life throws you lemons, make lemonade out of them, or so goes a popular phrase.

The life of one gospel artist in Kericho County reveals the resulting lemonade can be too bitter for one to swallow sometimes.
Gladys Cherotich was born 29 years ago in family of 12 in Tarakwa village, Bomet County where she grew up and schooled before moving to the neighbouring Kericho County where she currently resides.

Standing barely 200 centimetres tall, Gladys was in her school days ridiculed with constant stares from pupils and th community at large. Her parents’ struggle however enabled her transferred to a special school in Kisumu.
“Life was not easy for me with all attention I got wherever I went which left me with a trail of questions about why I was different from the rest,” says Gladys.

With much perseverance and efforts to accept her condition, Gladys found peace at the special school in Kisumu studying with those who were “different” like herself.

“When I cleared high school, I joined a Bible college in Kericho for computer studies and moved to Nairobi to further the course in 2008,” says Gladys.

The next stage of her life, tarmacking to secure employment presented her with a bitter pill to swallow, some relatives even discouraging her that no one will dare employ somebody in such a condition.

“True to what I was told by some relatives, every door I knocked I was turned away by eligible employers, others even telling me to my face that I cannot fit anywhere,” Gladys reveals with a tinge of bitterness on her face. Fed up and discouraged from the humiliation, Gladys decided that she would go back to the village and commit suicide so she could leave behind all humiliation she had encountered.

“When I left Nairobi, I bought some poison ready to end my life. On the day I planned to commit suicide I took my evening meal as usual and locked myself in the bedroom ready to swallow the poison and rest in peace. But when I picked up the poison from the drawer where I had hidden it, a strange voice ordered me to kneel down,” she reveals.

According to Gladys the voice further directed her to a verse in the Bible, (Psalms 139:14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.). This changed her mind.

She says: “When I read the verse I not only got encouragement but the voice told me I had hidden talent in music which I shared with my parents and relatives. Again, I got a blow when they dismissed the revelation. So I returned to my brother’s home in Nairobi who gave me his ears and the much needed support.”

While worshiping at a church on Ngong road, Gladys started composing some songs in vernacular as the brother whom she stayed with began exploring ways to assist her prosper in music.

“Noticing the hidden talent, my brother introduced me to Emmy Kosgey who was also impressed despite my condition and encouraged me a lot. She introduced me to a music producer who took me through recording process and asked for Sh40,000 to produce a complete audio recording,” Gladys says.

Some of her brother’s friends chipped in to contribute the amount, which saw her produce the first album, Kongoi (thanks) opening up her music career.

The first album elevated her to another level since some songs got air play in vernacular radio stations, even getting invitations to the stations to share with her fans. At the same time she organised roadshows to popularise her music.

“I managed the roadshows through the help of my pastor then, but after some times I discovered he was using me to fatten his account. We could make up to Sh10,000 a day but I ended up with Sh2,000 which was not enough to share with my colleagues, so I decided to end the road shows.

After quitting roadshows, Gladys got an invitation to perform at function in Westlands on October 10, 2009 which was then Moi Day, a public holiday.  There she met her husband to be, Geoffrey Ngetich who was also trying to carve a niche in his music career.

This did not go down well with her bandmates, friends and family.  This opened up another miserable part of her life. Their relationship however blossomed as music career dwindled.

After some time, the worst struck again, Gladys fell pregnant before officially tying the knot with Geoffrey as the church would require.

“We approached the pastor who organised wedding and even church members contributed, but when our Bishop found out I was pregnant, he chased us away from the church saying we were sinners,” reveals Geoffrey.

With all the misfortune unfolding, Geoffrey had not officially introduced her to his family. When they day came, he got a rude shock. His family refused to welcome “a useless partially disabled girl” as one of them.

“Many people questioned what attracted me to such a girl who will not add any value to me or my family, even close relatives who found out she was carrying my child told me to prepare to receive a disabled child. But God would not allow their fears to come true,” Geoffrey says.

Four years on, Geoffrey and Gladys are yet to reconcile with their families and church members. Because he went ahead and married Gladys, Geoffrey was supposed to be given a piece of land after getting himself a wife as tradition would require but this did not happen.

With fate having decided their destiny so far, the duo live in a rental house with their one –and-a-half –year-old daughter Victoria not far from Kericho town, They are still hopeful that one day they will get back in their feet to continue with their promising music careers and officially tie the knot.

“For now we live at the mercy of well-wishers, who pay for our house and upkeep, also our pastor who ensures we lack nothing. But when I get money to shoot videos for other five albums, my life will change for good,” Gladys says.