neither here nor there

David, his parents, and his bling.

I needed some airtime and wanted a soda.  As I was walking out of the pepo compound I ran into Peter.  He’s a 14 year old I’ve know since I first came here in 2007.  For reasons not remembered, we decide that’s he’s stolen my potatoes and we race into town as if he’s a thief.

On the way we run into Hadija, a member of the microfinance group Mama Hope supports.  She’s sitting out in front of her vegetable stand with her mother.  We exchange greetings and chat until we’re interrupted by a drunk mama trying to sell me the necklaces her husband gave to her as a wedding present.  Hadija’s mother then gets into a fight with the mama saying that she’s not the one who needs money.  The drunk mama thwarted, Hadija’s mother turns to me and says she’s the one who needs a sponsor from the US.

“For what?” I ask.

“So I can go to school!” she laughs, then shoos me away.  I gladly oblige and dart off.

I catch up with peter and we walk the rest of the way to town and part.  I’m completely out of funds and have to stop by the bank before I can get my airtime. Which I do.

Money in hand, I head to a store.  As I’m crossing the tarmac the pepo ambulance roars up and honks its horn.  Inside are my friends Stella and Stella.  I pile into the car without asking where we’re going and we take off.

Upon reaching our destination (Stella’s parents house), we’re greeted by her 8 year old brother, JB.  He’s eating a lollypop and is dressed in his pajamas at 4:30pm.  When I ask why, it’s explained that he doesn’t have any homework, so he decided to shower and hang out in his pajamas, then sleep early.  Reasonable enough.

My birthday cake. I also had it for breakfast for the next four days.

Next I’m sitting with the two stella’s eating a birthday cake Stella’s mother made for me. Her name is Charity and she laments about not having enough margarine when baking.  We drink tea and listen.

Seconds later, I find a graduation photo of David, Stella’s 25 year old brother.  He’s with his parents and has a 1×1 foot paper made heart dangling from his chest.  His father hand made it for him.  They call it David’s bling.

Peace at Last by Jill Murphy I want to write children's books too.

I then find a book called Peace at Last about a bear trying to fall asleep.  I show it to Stella and she says, “Peace at last?  What has he been through!?”

Now 4 hours later, we are packed back in the ambulance bumping down the road listening to Celine Dion sing My Heart Will Go On.  For which the other Stella, who seldom is able to speak a word of English, breaks into full song.  This is followed by Bob Marley’s Three Birds.

We stop at a small shop for airtime.  An incandescent light flickers at whizzing insects and I have to jostle to get to the front.  As I’m waiting for the matron to get the minutes I spy a soda cooler.  I just can’t help myself.  I buy a coke and gluttonously down it in 10 seconds before hopping back in the ambulance and heading down an unforgivably bumpy road.

Five minutes later I have a massive stomach ache and wondering happily how I managed to  end up riding in an ambulance at 9:30pm in Isiolo, Kenya.

A Safarcom scratch card. Preface the code by *141*, hit send and your set!