One of the Best Birthdays. . . and it wasn’t even mine
Our frequent trips to Lugarawa have allowed Cara and I to make some friends, and more than just Conor. We have had the privilege of meeting an Austrian nurse named Elizabeth, who works at the hospital in Lugarawa. She will be in Africa for a year, until June of 2009. She’s 27 and very sweet. It just so happened that she and Cara share a birthday—November 25th, which of course means, celebrate together. We have also befriended the several priests that live in Lugarawa and when they found out about the shared birthday, they started planning with Mama Candita. We were told to come for a shuray on the 25th!
We arrived a few days ahead of time and did some more cooking– this time we made a beautiful egg bake with spinach and risoto (an Italian rice dish that Elizabeth made). On the 25th, the morning was spent cooking and we had the egg bake for brunch and a few hours later we were ushered into a Land Cruiser with Fr. Jordan at the wheel. We’re not told where we are going, but we are accompanied by Mama Candida, another sister, an English student of Elizabeth’s and another man of the village. Fr. Jordan says we’re just taking a tour of his “out-stations”- or smaller village parishes. We’re on a pretty smooth road for Africa for most of this trip, but we suddenly turn onto the most harrowing looking road you’ve ever seen, with huge pot holes (an American mid-size car would have been stuck in seconds). So, we go bumping along for about 20 minutes until we reach this land strip that divides a beautiful little lake and some wet lands. We park the car, get out and see some local workers fishing, but also girls from around the priest’s house. We get closer and see two crates of beer and soda in the water (African refrigeration) and a circle of logs surrounding a mat of leaves with hot pots sitting on top– we’re having a picnic!! They’ve brought everything– plates, forks, rice, meat, spinach, ground nuts and puff pastry! We eat and drink, with orders that no food or drink should be left. It was a perfect day for a picnic, it was sunny with a nice little breeze off the lake. Fr. Jordan said that he and a fellow priest actually built the lake– it was once just the wetlands until they built the land bridge so that the rain water could be collected.
After we ate, then the craziness started– the sisters grabbed the empty Fanta bottles with forks, Fr. Ladislows grabbed an empty bucket and others took up tree branches and they started singing and dancing and playing on their instant instruments- the sisters, the priests, the local fishermen, and the men and girls who accompanied us. African people are so musically and rhythmically inclined, it was amazing. They took a break, but were clustered together planning, when they started singing and dancing again, bearing gifts for Cara and Elizabeth– locally made necklaces and kitangas. When they had received their gifts, the singing and the dancing began again and they come toward me with the same gifts! I was expecting nothing and here they are with a beautiful kitanga and necklace. It was such a surprise! I found out, during speech time– speeches are very important during parties like this– that I received gifts as well because I am donating books to the nursing school at Lugarawa, the microbiology and human anatomy books I found in the secondary school library. So, we finished the beer and the soda, walked around the lake and jumped back in the car to head back. The minute we get going, more singing commences– songs about Cara, Elizabeth and Me! We are dancing in our seats, clapping with the sisters, knocking on the car windows to people walking past and singing at the top of our lungs for the entire 40 minute drive back to Lugarawa. It was amazing!
So, in terms of birthdays, I don’t even need one! It has already been celebrated!!
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