Today I went grocery shopping with Alissa, Elle and Steph at Milimani City. As we entered the supermarket red and green glittery Christmas decorations welcomed us. I forced the tears back as Christmas cheer slapped me in the face. How could it be the Christmas season when it was sunny, like a hundred degrees outside and I had sweat dripping from every part of my body? The faces around me made me realize that I was still in Africa as the wrapping paper and ornaments taunted me, reminding me that the Christmas season was looming closer and closer.
Two minutes later as Alissa and I were walking around trying to find Elle and Steph, the power went out leaving us stranded in the pitch black. I stood in the middle of the supermarket, the darkness haunting me as I frantically called out “Alissa, Alissa! Where are you?” I stretched out my hand to find hers and oh, that was an innapropriate area… “Hey Alissa!” Like a typical world racer I said “I should have brought my headlamp!” (I really should start carrying that with me everywhere I go.) So, hand in hand we decided that it was a good idea to keep looking for the girls.
As we walked into the darkness we heard “Mzungus!” Do we glow in the dark? How could they possibly tell that we were mzungus when the power was out! Slightly confused we continued on our way and Alissa asked me, “How do you call a World Racer?” My thought was, “World Racer?” She decided on Shekinah and started saying it in a really funny, but quiet voice that no one could probably hear anyways. (We later discovered that we were practically beside them but didn’t know because they couldn’t hear Alissa.)
Next Alissa voiced the joke that had entered my mind but I did not voice, “Quick start putting stuff in your purse” Haha. Don’t worry we didn’t. Then we saw what looked like the Christmas aisle and with great excitement Alissa exclaimed ,”Hey lets look at the Christmas cards!” I questioned her, “In the dark?” but then quickly agreed. So we walked down the aisle, located the Christmas cards and got up really close. Close enough to make out that they were cards and had something to do with Christmas. I got the brilliant idea to shine my watch light on them which enabled us to read some of the words and I could tell that they were really tacky. We heared voices behind us saying “Mzungu, bla bla bla! Mzungu bla bla bla.” Alissa muttered under her breath “We’re right here we can hear you!” and then like nothing had even happened the lights turned back on and everyone went about their business.
