Once upon a time, in our early days in Uganda, we went for a drive. We wanted to get the feel of Kampala, learn the routes to major hospitals (in case of a seizure) and get comfortable with the roads and surroundings. Charlee, amazed by the cows, boda-bodas, and general different-ness of everything she was seeing from the window, shouted, “WHAT MOVIE IS THIS!?” from the backseat. Since then, I’m sure there has been something almost every day that causes me to have the same exact thought.
Somedays, life feels like a drama. There are tears before school, sleepless nights, long days… Somedays, its a tear jerker. Its easy to be overwhelmed by things - situations that don’t change, despite trying and trying to help, little people that need fed and the general feeling that I was born into an easier life, one that gave me lots of privileges and first world problems, and it doesn't seem fair.
Lots of days it’s a semi-cheesy, lovey-dovey made for TV movie. But more often then not, life feels more like some sort of over the top, out of this world comedy.
I love Uganda. I love the people and the friendliness, the constant movement, the overall brightness of life here. But over the last 3 years, my brain has been altered to expect the unexpected, and sometimes God knows that’s exactly what I need to lighten up a dreary day.
This morning started like every other.. pack lunches, dress kids, walk them up to the petrol station at the end of the road to catch their ride to school. Theo and I made our way back home, checking out different beetles and ripe avocados we found along the way home. We play soccer in the driveway, until someone knocks on the gate.
Here’s where the unexpected comes into play. I open the gate, and find Alberto, a local “door-to-door salesman” standing there (not unexpected). The unexpected part is that there were about 15 chickens on the road behind him.
Cue the dogs. They run at full tilt into the street, herding chickens this way and that, barking insanely. Theo and I are running haphazardly behind them, trying to catch dogs, while they try to catch chickens. At that point, people walking on the road start screaming over my shouts of the dogs names, as the dogs - looking as mad as possible - run in circles around the strangers. Finally, somehow, the chickens, dogs and Theo all run through my gate and I’m able to lock ALL of them inside!
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| The culprits, none the worse for wear after this morning. |
Finally, with only one - now mostly bald and traumatized - chicken left, the dogs caught it and pinned it to the ground. GREAT! I thought. I can get them… sneaking up from behind, I grabbed each by the collar while they fought tooth and nail to get away from me. I had to almost drag them to the guard house where I could lock them in while I saved the last pitiful piece of poultry…. but what I didn’t factor in was that in that our wrestling match while holding collars must have cut off the airway of the big dog… and she passed out. Mass panic ensues again, as I’m sure I’ve just accidentally killed the dog. What will the kids say!? What have I done!?
Thankfully after only seconds, she snapped back to life, vomited on the ground and the small dog stepped in to clean up the mess :( I locked them up, called over the wall to our neighbour for help, and help arrived! Together, with Theo - who was now carrying a small pipe (where did he get a pipe from!?) - we caught the semi-hairless chicken and released it back to the wild of Makindye hill while a pound of feathers blew serenely across my yard.
Unexpected, yes. Out of the ordinary, no, not really. I’m so thankful for this life - the good, the bad, and even the crazy. Because it’s in the aftermath that we can really sit down and laugh… tears running down our faces and the bright side of all this crazy can cheer us up during a dreary, weary, seemingly never ending month of May.
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| The evidence is still blowing around the driveway. |
