On day 129, 23 December, I wrote: 'Tis the Saturday before Christmas - 7:31pm and there is the sound of kids laughing and playing - more than usual - could it be the Chritmas Spirit?
It doesn't pay to plan too much here in Tanzania - the day became eventful!
Mags had been ill with a stomach bug but she ate some of the boiled potatoes and steamed veges that I had prepared for her. It gave her the strength to do some Christmas baking!
Tanzanian people are genuinely concerned when someone is sick and there had been a constant stream of well-wishers. Big E brought in a Catholic Priest who had been visiting in the area.
Mama Baraka's kids had been asking me all week if I would take them up to Glory's place to get a Christmas tree. Glory helped us in the nursery and was Big E's cousin.
It is long up the Sanawari road, actually climbing the slpoe of Mt Meru, and sometimes steep - a slow trip in the wee Maruti. We stopped just inside the gate and Glory's younger sister held my had and welcomed me in English. All of Glory's family were warm and friendly - the last to greet me was her father.
The house was dark and cool, and the man was sitting at the table supping tea. Baraka made sure I had a good seat - a respectful reflection of my status as mzee! The old man spoke to me in English and we chatted for a time.
Bibi, Glory's older sister (who I knew) came to greet me -oh yes, Bibi is Swahili for Grandmother - and while we chatted, Glory arrived with a bucket of water on her head, which was to be our tea. While the tea was being prepared, Bibi placed a shell necklace around my neck - zawadi - a gift from Glory. Glory then produced the family photo album and I browsed through the faces that looked back at me.
While we took tea, Glory fed her infant son, Loveluck - a chubby wee boy who later bounced on my knee as we talked.
It was time to choose the tree! The species choice was Cupressus lusitanica but the was much discussion about which particular one - Baraka, Heri, Nai, Glory, Bibi and Neema. Baraka climbed the tree and cut 4 likelt Chritmas trees - I had thought one, but the rest were for friends! With no rear door on the Maruti, the load was challenging and of course we had passengers on our decent.
After we had unloaded the trees the never lazy and ever reliable Olotu cleaned out the car. While this was going on, I checked on Mags to be sure she was ok, then I went into town to collect the mail and buy our Christmas meat. The leg of mutton weighed 4.5 kg and cost Tsh5000/-. Baraka had appeared by lunch time and he waited until I invited him to join me in a sandwich. Once he had gone, I washed all the clothes that had been storing up since Mags took crook. Washed them by hand in the baby's bath!
Mags went into the bedroom to lie down, and I made a brew and thought to rest and read a book - I had read 10 lines when Nai came in. Then along came Baraka. Then along came Heri. He cruched in between Baraka and I, then to my surprise, he put his finger in my ear to clean out some bogey he had spotted there!
Mags woke to the noise and when Mama B arrived with her Hymn Book, the ukelele was brought out and we had a carol singing session; at the end of which it was decided to decorate the Christmas Tree! Mama B gave money to Baraka to buy some shiney paper from the duka down the road - I suspect he might has used some to buy a sachet or two of Konyagi - meanwhile Heri sat the tree in a bucket by the family's back door.
We had some coloured paper, and Heri stuck some Christmas cards on with tape. Mags added a few lumps of cotton wool to look like snow! Baraka arrived back with not much to add but a happier disposition., so Heri found a roll of purple toiled paper and he strung that around the tree. I showed him how to make a butterfy from it and the tree became covered with those!
We remembered we had some balloons, which were inflated and added to the colour! All this time people were popping in to greet us all.
After a full day, we slept soundly.
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