“Analisa Kujha hapa“
Translation: “Annalisa come over here”
No more than five minutes into meeting two men during one of our recent door-to door outings, I was summoned away from my team by our contact, Emmy. I was confused as to what was going on but if there is one thing I have learned in the short time since arriving here, it is that Emmy is in charge. So I obeyed my elder and made my way to her.
She handed me a dried up sugar cane stick and instructed me to “protect” the field of maize behind me from the 5 cows chomping on grass in front of me. She had to return to my team and translate into Swahili for them. I figured out that the job of these two men was to stand and watch over the field as to make sure it was not eaten up by these hungry, wandering livestock. She left me for a few minutes then came running back as one of the cows started to walk towards the field. I reassured her that I had it under control and not to worry but to return to her more important job of translating. Leave the cow baby-sitting to me.
It was then in that moment that I could not for the life of me stop laughing as I asked myself this question: “What has my life become?”
Just visual this picture for a moment. Here I am in the middle of the hills of Kenya, animals roaming absentmindedly, hills as far as the eye can see, mud and stone huts doting the horizon, children waving and yelling Mazungu, Mazungu. (our nickname, it means “white person”) I stood there trying to take full advantage of the moment because I knew in a few short months this would all become a distant memory.
So as I stood in my, below the knee skirt, my t-shirt, Tevas, and Timex watch (all staples in the wardrobe of a World Racer), my mind continued to think on what is now everyday life.
About 15 minutes later, after keeping a very close eye on my new responsibilities, Emmy called me back over to our team. Aumen and Em asked why I walked over to Emmy in the first place. I made it very clear that I was summoned and did not volunteer in the first place. I told them the story, we laughed about it and the only appropriate response was:
T. I. A. Baby……..That’s all the excuse we needed, T.I.A
Until Next Time
Love you guys
Annalisa
Janee and I got our hair braided….now we look like true Kenyans
Little Jeremy
