Sometimes it all sucks. I hate Africa, and I wake up and open my eyes and close them again, hoping this was all a bad dream. I hope to be away, anywhere from here.
Luckily usually on these days something like this happens….
I was walking to the clinic and a bunch of school girls were passing me in the distance. They noticed me, looked at each other and whispered in consultation. They keep looking at me and then talking behind their hands (thank God I was lucky enough to transcend that high school fear of everyone talking about me, because here it’s actually happening, and obviously, it’s not my imagination and it’s in a foreign language, so I’ll never know what exactly they’re saying about me.) But there is no doubt they are talking about me.
One of them finally gets the courage to yell “Lorato!” (ha! The villagewide training is working!!!!)
“Eem” sounds like aim (kind of “yes, ma’am”) I yell back somewhat cautiously. It’s been a long day. I’m probably not in the mood. They immediately come running over.
“Give me sweets!” They chorus.
“Give me sweets,” I tiredly sing back, and mimic them by holding out my hand.
One of them reaches into her backpack and frantically searches for something, which she finds and deposits in my outstretched hand.
A piece of 10 theibe (cent) candy from the general store.
I’ll be damned.
No comments:
Post a Comment