December 30, 2010

I was invited by Lydia to visit her village, which is about 30-40 minutes from where I stay. She met me in the late morning and we walked together to the bus stop and took the bus to the town center, which is the hub station for all the outgoing busses. We got off the bus and walked around to the back of a building, the streets where crammed with people buying and selling goods and coming and going from the different busses. It reminds me of the crowded streets of NYC in some ways. Finally we found the right bus, which was going to her village. I am in awe as to how they know which bus goes where. They are all blue and there are no signs that state where they are going or where they came from. Maybe each bus has an assigned parking spot in this vast makeshift parking lot. When we arrived to the area near her village we exited the bus and walked for 10 minutes or so down the muddy roads and alleyways in the bright sun of high noon. As we turned a corner the air was full of sounds of laughter. The source was a young girl of about 6 who was being pushed through the streets in a wheelbarrow by her brother. She took time from her activities to wave and smile at me. I would have loved to capture that moment in a picture but will have to be satisfied with the picture that remains in my mind. We arrived to a small mud brick home surrounded by a fence (the norm here in Zambia) and walked around the back of the home to enter through the kitchen. Taking my shoes off at the door I was quickly greeted by Lydia’s sister and 4 children. They prepared a wonderful meal of beef and rice and as we ate we just talked and got to know each other better. Then the rains started…probably the heaviest I have seen since I have been here. Lydia’s brother in law, who lives about 5 minutes away offered to drive me home in his car so that I would not have to deal with public transportation in this weather. I was very thankful and we soon set off.

Oh how I love the rain and I have learned that Rachel, the niece of Wilbroad and Zicky does as well. We have been making a habit of taking walks together to talk or visit her friends and have on occasion been caught and soaked in the rain. Neither of us mind, although we do get some weird looks from the occasional passerby who is safe and dry under their umbrella.