Even though I felt exhausted, I did not sleep well. There were no monkeys playing on the roof, no loud traffic noise, no drunks yelling in the lane, yet I still kept waking up and checking the time. It’s going to take longer than two days here to reset my inner clock and keep me alert during the day and asleep all night.
It was actually exciting to have my first breakfast of WheetaBix and sliced banana this year. I really, really love this cereal and wish we could find it easily at home. Also, while this bunch of tiny yellow bananas looks normally white when peeled, they are light orange inside. Unlike the one-taste-fits-all bananas we get at home, the different types we can buy here have distinctly different flavors. I’ve never had an orange inside banana before and not only do I like its appearance but also its mild sweet taste. I hope I can find them again.
Soon after breakfast Ray came to take John downtown to get our Tanzanian phones set up and operational. Once again, Ray reviewed the trauma of the stolen school fees and said that he, his wife, and children all cried and cried last night when they realized how perilously close they had come to not having any school this term. Even his mother cried and now wants us to come for lunch some day soon. I get a bit knotted up inside with all the fuss and gratitude, but I remind myself that for this particular family, there would be no chance for any of the children to get a decent education and have the opportunity to climb out of poverty if our paths had not crossed way back in 2012. Ray told John he keeps asking himself, “Why my family?” and there is no answer other than I saw a very bright little girl who was not in school and a father who never asked for any favors, and I thought that while I could not change the world, I could help improve life for one family. My faith in Ray has never been shaken; he’s a wonderful father and husband and totally trustworthy.
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| Ray and Honorina with their children |
While John was gone, I sat on the terrace and lost track of time. Being unhooked from all the drama—both personal and political—back home is the best possible restorative for the soul. However, before I realized how much time had passed, John was back, and it was time for lunch. I put away the meat John had bought at Meat King and was glad to see the beautiful fresh green beans and carrots he had gotten from a street vendor.
Around 3:30, Ray and his entire family came for a short visit. The children were all dressed up for school. Anita had gone to school here in town today, and Ray was going to drive Priskilla out to her boarding school after they left us. Tomorrow, Goodluck will take a bus to his boarding school. So after greetings and hugs, I ordered soft drinks for all. We took photos in the garden, and then all the Mtuis loaded back in Ray’s taxi and left to begin a new school term.
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| Priskilla and Anita in 2012 |
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| The three Mtui children 2018 |
By then, Mama Kundayo was sitting out in her place under the big tree, so I went to sit with her, and as promised took my computer so I could show her photos of my family, garden, and the snow back in Spokane. This afternoon, instead of red wine, she plied me with pomegranate juice made from fruit in the garden here. After only an hour and a half, a very senior neighbor came to visit, so I offered my good-byes and slipped back home to help finish dinner. John had gotten some of the green beans ready to cook, and while I handled that task, he walked down the street to our favorite outdoor cafe and bought Kuku na Chipsie, our favorite meal in Tanzania. The chicken, while small, is always succulent with a tangy smokey taste, and the chips are always limp and deliciously oily. The green beans were amazing and a very wholesome counterbalance to the chipsies. It was a fine end to a day without any drama or trauma.
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| Mama, the Queen of Kundayo |
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