niote

today.
today was too good of a day not to be chronicled.

it began after school when we decided to take a walk to YakoMart, our grocery store. we had all intentions of beating the rain, but it began to sprinkle as we reached the parking lot. once we'd gathered our chocolate bars and juice and been stared at by every member of the Yako team, it had already began pouring. (none of this is unusual.) Kenyans DO NOT get wet, so everyone was crowded under the awnings and inside the store. being that we already make a spectacle of ourselves being white, we decided to make a break for it and run home, grocery bags and all.

we arrived home to Gala (the art teacher) showering in wet clothes the downpour--also not an uncommon practice-- while the kiddos watched from the dining hall. "Teacha! Teacha!" the little ones yelled and pointed, some of them find it so entertaining that we mzungus "don't fear rain."

I have found that this kind of weather is the perfect time for a jog. there is no one out on the paths for the most part, and the rain is a good encourager to keep me going. I grabbed my head phones and rain jacket and headed out.


not only were the rains harder and the floods higher than I'd seen yet, the wind was making it almost impossible to continue in any direction. I made it down the road and around the corner and stopped, thinking of turning back, when I saw them. I was being followed! I was surprised to see anyone getting wet, let alone 7 or 8 someones. there behind me was a gaggle of children running after me.

all smiles and after a round of high fives, I decided to continue on. they led me through their neighborhood of tin houses and makeshift garages sheltering cows and goats from the storm. we ran by all of their homes and said "habari" to all their families, they were quite surprised to see a soaked mzungu waving hello!  

this was one of those times that I will cherish as truly living.

when I returned home, after soggy hugs from my rain buddies, everyone was still inside playing or trying to keep warm. while I was showering in the runoff from the roof, I was being called to from some of the older girls upstairs in their dorm. they were being cheeky and trying to "splash" me with the rain, and since I was already sopping I decided to run up where they were to splash right back. I figured they were barricaded in their dorm to keep dry, but it was quite the opposite.

I walked in to find this scene:

those two girls, Linda and Sarah, were, as they called it, "swimming" in about 2 inches of water that had flooded the girl's room. a few of the others had joined in as well, the rest all cozied up in the beds that they had pushed away from the windows. my first instinct was to worry about all the things that were getting wet, but I realized there was no time for worrying. we had swim races, did our best snow angel impressions, and even made an obstacle course sliding through and under beds.

if there was ever a moment to be and feel alive, it was then.

once the shivering and chattering of teeth by mostly naked swimming girlies was too much, we decided to attempt dryness. the rain had let up, and I made it back down to my own room for a change of clothes. outside the window, I heard that some of the kids had emerged and were wanting to play in the rain (but only now that it had gathered on the ground and wasn't falling from the sky). I put my gum boots on to join them, and I found that Mama had made a run to supply some of the babies with their own gum boots! they were ecstatic to be allowed and able to jump in puddles and not catch a cold! they were too cute to say the least.

Eliza and Purity

Georgie (yes, in a dress) and Faye

today was the kind of day I'll dream about in a few months when I am missing this place.