My Shadows

I woke up this morning, ready to go for a run and found that my housegirl (Alodie) had washed my running shoes last night. Rwandan’s are obsessed with clean shoes, either in spite or because of, the constant mud.  As a result, my shoes are cleaned almost daily. But, I was surprised to find my sneakers soaking wet, with the insoles and laces hanging on the line to dry. I was ready to go and didn’t want to abandon, so I threw on my converse all star no lace “sneaks.”  By the time I made it outside, the sun had come out from behind the rainy season morning cloud cover and it was already hotter than I had bargained for. About a mile in, these forces combined had convinced me that it would be perfectly respectable to walk. Like a running angel… along came my running buddy! I passed him walking the wrong way on the road and he turned around and came along with me. Not only did I ran farther than I was planning, I kept it up the whole way! I did spend a hour in bed this afternoon contemplating not moving ever again, but still. The man is really a godsend. Also, I was struck by how he keeps in pace with me, when I slowed down, so did he. This is noteworthy as none of my ex-boyfriends have ever slowed their pace to match mine. 

When my friend dropped me off at my house (red faced and panting for air) Alieze was the only kid around. I let him in my house while I stretched and then tried to walk him to gate so I could shower. But he would not go." “Uje hehe?” he asked repeatedly. I tried to mime shower as I don’t know the word or anything close in Kinderwanda. But he would not accept that. So I let him wait in my little courtyard" while I “showered” in the “bathroom” (translation, I threw a bucket of water on me in a small concrete room with a drain for water and a flat toilet). Then I set off for school. Alieze seemed satisfied and I waved goodbye at the top of my hill.

When I was 100 yards from school, I realized there was a small person behind me. A small person wearing dirty blue flowered pants that I had bought him (when I thought he was a girl). Alieze! By the time I sorted out that he had no intention of leaving, I had to teach. So I searched for Alodie (she works at my school) and dropped Alieze off with her. He did not want to let go of my hand at first. But Alodie and another woman explained in Kinderwanda that I had to teach and I would come back. Everyone who saw us walking together shouted “Jane! You have a baby!” I am sure tomorrow there will be a lot of excitement from the teachers… gossip spreads fast.  After my class, I picked Alieze up from where he sat watching men chop wood for the school kitchens and we walked home.  He seemed to get a big kick out of the masses of children who daily shake my hand on the walk home. “Ha, they get to shake her hand but I have her wrapped around my tiny little dirty finger”

The internet in Nyanza is completely crap this week… so really this a journal entry that will be unearthed later.  Also, I apologize for the shocking lack of pictures but I loaned my camera to my headmasters nephew and haven’t gotten it back yet.

Also, I got my class lists and I have 378 students total! Most of my classes have 58 kids…FYI this means grading makes me borderline suicidal.  By borderline I mean that I am establishing a mental health hotline in Nyanza for my sole use. I have novels and blogs to write and dvds to watch. Besides the quiz I just gave, I gave them homework for Monday. To quote Austin Kern (one of my first baby loves)

“Dammit Jane, Dammit!”