Malaria, Mefloquine and Matatus

The Kenya Diaries (vol. 12)

June 24, 2006

Philip's Turn

Today we went to Nakuru in a matatu. I got squashed when a big man got on. We went to a lot of shops and bought Ania's birthday present - a real Kenyan uniform. She wants to save it for fourth grade's "Country Day." We met Fr. Zak's son, Nelson, who brought us Lucia's stroller from Amagoro. Now Lucia gets to sit and be pushed around. Lucky!

We went to a restaurant that Nelson likes for lunch, Gilani's. I wanted to order pizza, but Daddy said it would take too long, so I had a cheeseburger and french fries instead. It was DELICIOUS! Then Mama bought us some ice cream on a stick with chocolate coating. YUM! The bathrooms there were actually clean!

Kevin said this: As we were walking back to the matatu station this afternoon, I saw a man sitting on a blanket with only one leg. He was all bandaged up. It was sad. I prayed for him.

On our way home, a man sitting behind Ania and Lucia was holding a little rooster. Daddy said it was probably their dinner. I felt sorry for that rooster.

When we looked out the window we could see rain coming down from a cloud over the mountains in the distance. That was cool!

Now I am holding my head because when I was getting in bed I bumped it very hard, and it hurt so bad I screamed. I also have a hangnail that hurts. Dear Jesus, please heal all my hurts, especially my head. Amina.

June 25, 2006

Today is Sunday. It is Mefloquine Day. Every Sunday evening we take our weekly Malaria prophylactic to ensure we do not contract the dreaded fever. The kids hate taking it, because it requires a full 8 oz. of water, and tastes terrible. To me it is simply a "peace of mind" pill. I know that we all have had at least one mosquito bite since we arrived in Kenya nearly a month ago.

Wow! Has it really been that long? Somehow having my husband and all my children here with me makes homesickness a mute point. If any of them were back in America, I'm sure I would be ready to leave.

I began reading Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible ever since I boarded the plane in Atlanta. Orleanna Price has become my comrade, my nightly "phone chat" with a dear friend. It is so uncanny how my life has mirrored hers these past few weeks. She travels with her missionary husband and four children from Georgia to Africa, and she has to learn how to survive on the provisions that Africa brings her. The way she describes things -- the produce piled high into pyramids on the sides of the roads waiting for a buyer, the raised garden beds in perfect rows, and the brighly-colored, mismatched clothes -- I have seen it, and I understand.

Today we taught the boys how to play some games. One is called, King Elephant and the other, Down by the River. Some caught on very quickly, some preferred to watch. We spent most of the day laughing and having a grand time.




















June 26, 2006

Lucia threw up last night around 4:30 a.m. She is fine now. I think she didn't drink enough water when she took her Mefloquine. The directions say that if vomiting occurs within the first hour, take another dose. I think she'll be okay.

I spent most of my day trying to e-mail everybody back in Georgia. I composed a nice long letter at the post office in Rongai, but when I hit send, an error message popped up. Ugh! I'll try again after lunch.

We ate lunch in the staff room with all Andy's fellow teachers. It was fun to sit and talk about their interests and concerns.

After lunch I went back to Rongai and purchased 20 minutes of Internet time to compose another letter. It is difficult to type on a broken keyboard with sticky keys. However, I managed to get finished and had one minute left as I was signing my name. As soon as the time got down to 59 seconds it disconnected. Timed out. Shut down. Double Ugh!!

Life is not easy here. Everything is difficult.

June 27, 2006

This morning I made the no-bake cookies again, but ran out of sugar. They still tasted good, but were more like granola bars.

We all went over to the lunch room today to eat what Peter the Cook made for the boys. Andy and I ate in the staff room, the kids ate in the lunch room with the boys. What was on the lunch menu? Beans and maize with potatoes, or in Kenyan, gadire. (Ga-deer'-ay). The boys let our kids go to the front of the line and handed them each a bowl, cup or plate, which Wilson (one of the boys) filled with a scoop from a big pot. It was actually quite good. After lunch, they rinsed their plates at an outside faucet.



















At Andy's suggestion, I composed a letter on our laptop last night, and Andy used his thumb drive to send it at the post office today. Yeah! It worked! I am no longer incommunicado!

Lord, please forgive me for complaining yesterday. Help me to be grateful for all your blessings, those I see, and those I don't. Amina.