We went into town to phone home. The Telephone Office was not as busy as I had expected and we quickly spoke to Milly who knew to ring us back (at their cost) so she did and after our talk, Milly rang Marion and she rang the next and so on - call out of Tanzania were expensive as were incoming calls but our rellies were prepared for that.
Back home Mags had baked peanut biscuits, banana cake - choc-iced, made salted peanuts and roasted the leg of mutton and prpared the veges for Christmas day.
Epilogue: Mags had bathed and while I was waiting for the water to heat form mine, we decided to drinkthe last of the brandy Mo had given us. I had taken just one sip when - 'Hodi, hodi!' came from the door. It was Baraka with his friend Daniel!
'Why are you asleep the night Jesus was born?' they asked us.
They had a cassete tape with them that they wanted us to play for them - it was Christmas songs, mostly in Swahili. Heri arrived next and Baraka ducked out to return with a plate of mandazi (fried rice cake). Mama B arrived and with Nai and Olotu, so our house was once more full!
The ukelele came out and Mama B's Hymn Book and the night passed with singing and laughter. Baraka & Daniel left, saying they would return - but they didn't, they had gone 'roaming.'
I made some chai and Mags put out some of her baking and we sat quietly chatting until midnight when we were left to finish our brandy.
Christmas Day: We had arranged for all the family to come at around 8:00am for tea and cake, and Big E arrived to appologise that he could not come - The town had run out of Safari Lager which he required for his Bar (Naabi Hills). He was going around other holels trying to acquire some. This took him the whole day and he returned from time to time to appologise. Apparently the brewery had given the workers the Friday off before Christmas causing a shortage and the cost per crate had been inflated by Tsh3000/-
Big E had a cup of coffee with us at about 11:30am and a late lunch - that was after we had nearly completed our. Josiah arrived with Mama N'gida all dressed in their finery and they partook in some food, but had to dash off elsewhere!
Back to our tea: In they came - Mama B, Baraka, Heri, Olotu, Nai and Helena, they brought with them some mandazi, half cake and a Thermos of tea.
We gave them some small gifts that Verna had wrapped and they were opened with delight and maybe some embarrassment because they had no gift for us. We told them it was out tradition and that their company was the greatest gift for us.
The tea and most of the cake was consumed save for some of the banana cake Mama B wanted to eat later. We sat and listened to the local radio. The reporter was visiting the hospital and interviewing patients who sent their messages out. Mama B & co laughed because often they were asked how they ended up in hospital - the reporter would politely reply, 'Pole sana.'
We enjoyed this time but finally they headed off to prepare lunch.
Mags cut up the pre-cooked leg of mutton while I cooked the spuds and carrots. She also prepared a 'fruit platter' with pineapple, water mellon, papaya and mango.
I tried to snatch a 'quiet time' but some kids called and we had to sing with them, sit and look serious.
We took the food to Mama B's table and she asked us to sit by where she was cooking. I think she was embarrassed that the 1:00pm meal was going to be more like 3:00! We expected that though and is something that must be accepted. They could not prepare things while they were with us and it is difficult to prepare previously without a fridge or ways to keep insects away. And she was cooking with a jiko (charcoal) so it was not easy for her.
Our first Christmas meal was ready and we sat together to eat pilau, roast chicken, chips, the green banana and meat stew (yum), and the food we had brought. We opened out bottle of wine and brought out a crate of soda for the kids. A very pleasant meal indeed!
Josiah and Mama N'gida called again - they had been to church - Mama B found enough food that had been left to offer them a big meal.
Later we sat under the big Casurina tree and talked, making a fuss of wee N'gida who had been born the day we arrived in Tanzania.
As evening fell, we moved to the concrete slab that was Mama B's porch and Mama Lightness, a friend and neighbor of Mama B joined us bringing with her a few bottles of beer. I noticed Bibi, Glory's sister sitting in a quiet corner eating some leftovers - she had been to hospital to visit a friend - she joined us later as we chatted.
When darkness was total, we said our thanks and wished all 'usiku mwema' - good night, and went home. The quiet night was punctuated by music from a Sanawari bar that had music turned up to 500 million decibels! But somehow it was in keeping.
As I lay on my bed, I realised how lucky we were missing nothing from New Zealand - except for the after lunch cricket match. Salaam.
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