Muzungu Give Me Shillings

Oli Otya! Today I don’t have a set plan. I think maybe I will go with the Irish and help with construction. Kelley and Joyce are walking to the office so I leave with them. I bring my laptop and camera to charge at the office. Erin, Kelley and I spend the morning in the office talking about life in Uganda – health and education – and about the upcoming Island visit and the children I’m creating photo profiles for so people might sponsor them.

We head on over to Apollo’s house (the man who gave us sugarcane.) Volset is paying is family to provide lunch for the construction workers. But first we need to go to Erin’s house, which is so nice. It has a wonderful view of the tea plantation, but the majority of the view is currently being blocked by a huge broke down truck.

Erin gives me the cell phone left behind by a volunteer. There is still time on it so I text my mom the phone number and try to call but it says the number wasn’t in service. I call Rob, the only other number I have memorized, and left a message to call my mom. I tried to call Angie but I can’t remember her number. I think about calling my grandparents but it is about 5:30 AM.

While we are Erin’s it starts to pour. So we wait inside. Six year Shakirah is with us. She is wearing a dress that is made to have a shirt under it, but she wore it with her bare chest, always smiling.

We don’t know who or where her mother is. Her father has died. We think she came from the islands with a past volunteer. She is smart - drew pictures of fish, a boy, a girl and an apple and labeled them in English.

We go to eat and I buy a soda for myself and mango juice for Shakirah. Erin and I talk about how we have such a craving for sugar after eating Ugandan food. Even though, as Kelley points out, all we eat is starch. Which is true. It’s all just starch in different shapes and colors.. same taste. Ha. I have matooke, beef, beans, rice, and some other starchy plant.

We go back to Volset. The electricity has gone out, but my laptop is charged 93%. Two boys come in to watch the Muzungus. I go outside and they follow me to ask for shillings – so I gave them pebbles. Then they teach me a fist tap. They call me Muzungu until I tell them “Nz Mulinde, or Adam” so they start calling me Adam. Every time Junio calls me muzungu, Franko corrects him. They don’t know English and speak to me like I know Luganda. They follow Erin and I as we walk to the construction site. They grab my hand and hold it for the walk. Shakirah is jealous.

They keep asking me for shillings and following me even though I say no. There is clay everywhere. I have a red film all over me. (not really.. just mostly my legs.) My shoes are caked on the bottom with two inches of clay.

I leave after Erin and stop by the high school I’m going to work at. The Ugandans are always so thrilled to hear a muzungu speak a Luganda greeting. The boys wait patiently at the road, and again when I go to the sugarcane house.

Apollo comes out and greets me so happily and offers me sugarcane. He sells it in addition to whatever else he does. He says he is giving it to me, but I paid him 200 shillings.

I eat the sugar cane on the way to town and stop as Junio and Franko ask me to take photos of this or that. I have a few of them jumping over puddles. In Ntenjeru I tell the boys I am off to Nsumba and we say goodbye. I give Junio the rest of my bottle of water (which I wasn’t going to drink anyway, because Shakirah stole my water earlier and drank some as I chased her laughing.)

On the way home I pass a small tent town with about 100 kids who come to say hi to the Muzungu. They teach me how to say sugar cane in Luganda, but I’ve already forgotten. I tell them I am called Mulide or Adam- not Muzungu. Ha.

A man comes and tells me the kids are just wasting my time. I tell him I don’t have any time. There is a boy there dressed in a blazer. I forget his name, but he looks really clever. His friend’s name is D.J.

As I walk on a girl calls across the road from her yard. I walk up to meet her and she asks me for money. I act like she is offering me money and say Thank You! And hold out my hand. Then she explains that she wants my money and I say so sorry, I’m broke.

I continue walking and a young man on a bike with tow friends stop me and say “excuse me sir, I would like your contacts.” And he asks me for my email – he tries to remember it, but asks me if I don’t have a pen in my bag. So I write down my email and he wrote his.

Just as we finish the van that the Irish have rented pulls up and asks me if I’d like a ride. There is only about 1/8 mile to go, but I am grateful. I go to get in on the right side, but in Uganda the door is on the left.

I come home and have some sugarcane then go out front to play again with the children, whose number has doubled since yesterday. They all know my name. They are all eating sweets from the Irish.

I’m going for a shower, or to play more with the kids.. Adios.

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I get into my room after my shower. I light my lantern with the Krishna matches Lydia got me and look out my window at the sunset over the banana trees. And I am happy.

The Irish girl is outside with her fire chains swimming them in circular rhythm all around her head. When they’re on fire they make an impressive sound. I wonder what the neighbors think when they see her doing it in the front yard. Maybe they think she’s a night dancer.

I went front before my shower and started a game of duck-duck-goose or duck-duck-goosie as the kids say it. The kids who go to school translated my instructions for those who don’t know English very well.

We played for such a long time, in kid time anyways - 15-20 minutes. I was loosing interest in the game before they were. The neighborhood woman watched from their front yards cheering and laughing. It was great fun.

No on has called me yet. I wonder if Rob understood the crazy message. I didn’t know how much time I had when I called so I spoke quickly and said my phone number and my mom’s and that I was happy, safe, having fun, and full. Maybe the numbers I gave weren’t correct or maybe my family’s phone really isn’t working. I’ll buy some airtime tomorrow and try again.

I need a plan for tomorrow – OK time for dinner. I’m going to try not to go overboard with my plate again. Cheers.

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My mom just called me! She said she tried from her phone but I wouldn’t work, so she went to my Nannie and Papa’s house. I asked her if she was on a card and she said no, and I said it was very expensive to call. So we made it quick. The phone rang after dinner (which was really good tonight, rice, beans, green beans, cabbage, posho, pineapples, and beef that I didn’t eat.) We were all sitting and talking and someone had to point out that it was my phone and I jumped up and laughed. I have only been here for four days! It feels like I’ve been here for ages. It was so nice to speak to my mom. She said she is going to get a phone card and call me tomorrow.

One of the leaders of the Irish team gave me a rolex before dinner – their driver and Julian (the Ugandan that is showing them around, and who I think has a special something going on with the Irish red head , Annette, who I think ahs been here before) went out to Ntenjeru to buy everyone Rolexes. Next time I go to Kampala I’m buying some cheese to put on a rolex. Delicious.