Even Me Easter: Part One

THE DAY I FELL IN LOVE WITH AFRICA

I awoke just as the sun peeked between the window blinds at the Peace Corps office in Lusaka. TOday was the day my 'Even Me Easter' trip was to begin. My bag was packed and my friends were all warned of the adventure I intended to experience. There was a group of volunteers meeting up at Nkhata Bay (the northern part of Lake Malawi) and I told them I was on the way.
So I set off with my lucky (hitch)hiking shirt. Or at least what I had previously considered to be my lucky shirt. The first ride was easy enough but it left me in Chongwe. Just a 30 min ride outside of Lusaka and Chongwe isnt exactly the most pleasent of towns. Ama guys are hyped up on Shake-Shake and love the sight of a single white female equipped with a backpack big enough to smuggle a few iwes. To avoid Obtaining the Frustration early in my day I walked a bit and met a man riding to town on his way to sell charcoal.
In my village charcoal men are tore-up. They are Rough and Tough and usually Drunk. But Kelvin wasnt any of these things and he had a nice smile. Eventually the topic of tribal affiliation came up and he said "im Tonga." To which I enthusiastically replied, "Even Me!" This was a rare event indeed, to meet a Tonga outside the Southern Province. His face lit up as I attempted to ramble through simple Tonga phrases and soon he was on his way to work with an entertaining story to tell his family later.
A couple hours later and Im still on the side of the road in the sweltering sun cursing my lucky shirt. By now my presence had bored all adults and I had an IwePack staring at my every movement. Which demands a suitable reaction: so I started to break it doen on the side of the road and the iwes soon joined in. Then I recruited them to flap their skinny arms to wave down cars - since I was convinced by now that aint nobody tryin to help a sister out by picking me up.
After a couple more hours I needed to refuel so I walked back into Creeper Central for an egg roll. That is, an egg on a roll, brilliant. And in mid-bite I hear "Blitelia, Blitelia!" I havent heard that since training which means..."Bamayo!" I blurt out with bits of egg. It was my neighbor during training (Carroll-Anne stayed with her) the woman that knitted me a bright blue beanie as a remembrance. Which I whipped out of my bag so she could beam with pride in front of her friends. Reunited and it felt so good. Now I was ready to take on hiking with a new and improved attitude!
But by now it was well into the afternoon. The hottest part of the day. When the IwePack slowly started to disperse I knew I needed a new game plan. Outlasting the energy of iwes is a scary place to find yourself. I had hoped to be staying the night an 8 hr drive down the road but I was losing daylight.
And thats when Kelvin found me. He was concerned I was still hiking. When I told him I have a house in my backpack so I can sleep in the bush, his eyes widened, "do you not fear?" Inside I laught because a tent really isnt all that different from my mud hut (except i can zip the door closed to keep out snakes, unlike my hut). Outside I smile and say "We must take fear with us." Which confused him Then and me Now but it sounded good. Kelvin struggled silently admist his thoughts and finally shook his head and said, "you must come home with me and start off in the morning."
Yes. I must.
We set off walking and 3 hours later my shins are starting to hurt.
"um Ba Kelvin, where exactly do you live?"
"ah, it is just here." He says as he points off in the general direction of the horizon and what seemed like never-ending road towards a thirsty sun-stroked death and another country's border.
He saw the light in my eyes fading and knew I wouldnt manage so he suggested I stay with another Tonga family that was closer. At this point I was so tired I would have stayed with a Bemba family (which are infamous thieves).
So a car randomly pulls over for us. The first car all day! And I jump in to tell the large white man in tiny shorts (classic South African) to take us to this friend's house. He started driving and talking. At least Im sure he thinks he was talking. He gargled on every word like if Jabba the Hut was rapping underwater. I did my usual chuckle, uh huh, at every pause. I caught just 3 words the entire 20 min trip. Australia. Mwannawasa (Zambia's late President). Whiskey.
What was Jabba the Hut talking about?
He dropped us off at this friend's house and I said "Ba Kelvin, I failed to understand a word." He laughed said, "Even me."
And then we met Shumba. He was visiting his sister and her husband (who were just returning from town that night). Shumba just graduated from college where he studied water engineering. And we talked about Zambian people and American people and Shumba's dream to bring fresh, clean water to his people.
The couple arrived soon enough and were quick to encourage me to feel free. THeir home was my home. They insisted I set up my tent inside the house because they had enough shelter. They fed me a deliciously warm meal, warmed up a bucket of water for me to bathe under the stars and I fell asleep to the sound of the family cheering around a tv (hooked up to a car battery) broadcasting a football game.
I fell in love with Africa right then. I have passed the Vacation Infatuation. I have lived here to be amazed and disgusted and yet Im still here and still happy. That day I felt the extremes of emotion. I was frustrated and desperate but thanks to African people at the end of the day my essential needs were provided.
Its important to check your mindset when going on adventures. Dont go to dominate. Dont go to contaminate. Go to relate. Go to integrate. I had my attitude checked as the sun set that day. I wanted to escape. To disappear. But people were always waiting, intentionally. So now I would travel this adventure to appreciate. To affiliate. To say 'thank you' isnt as important as to feel gratitude. Because words are meants to connect the emotions of souls.
That was a good first day.
But the adventure was just beginning...