MY VISIT WITH KIMANI MARUGE DAY 4

Today, I slept in until lunch, when I smelled the chicken stew that Maruge was cooking. I woke up to see that nobody was there, so I went to check the neighborhood's shared kitchen, which was close enough to the window for me to smell it by my bed, and I found Maruge tending to a big clay pot over a fire, full of vegetables that he had grown on his garden. I could hear the fire crackling, and smell the chicken, which afterwards tasted a little salty, with a bit of onion. One thing that was hard for me was that I had to eat with my hands. Since he gave me food, it means that he is a caring man.

MY VISIT WITH KIMANI MARUGE DAY 3

      Today is the third day of my visit with Maruge. I was at his school, where the kids sit at benches that all face the board. Everyone must value school, because they all wore the same well-groomed blue and grey uniforms, were polite to the teachers, paid attention (as opposed to good old USA), and brought all their materials. Maruge fit in with the uniform and behavior, although he was a little big, and an adult. It smelled very dusty, and the teacher spoke in some weird emotionless tone, but I was just thinking about getting back to this blog.

     Now I see that he is not lonely, although he still sits by himself during recess, and has many friends at school, like most of the students and the teachers. He is a special friend with the student that he helped write the number five.

    Even though some of the kids still think he is an oddball, he is happy to be at school, because he is learning to read.

MY VISIT WITH KIMANI MARUGE DAY 2

Today, I visited Maruge, from The First Grader. He seems like a nice guy from his smile lines, so I'll stay with him for about 7 days. He is kind of elderly now, but not the "you kids get off mah lawn!" kind, he is the kind that is very kind, has a kind of hoarse voice, and walks with a slow hobbling step. He is now "the second grader"(get it? he he he) and knows simple math.

         He offered me some sweet milk that tasted really good, and some food. He seems lonely, since he has no wife or kids. I wonder how someone so lonely can be so nice. I wonder how many (if any) friends he has.

MY STOP IN ELDORET, KENYA

On my way home from south sudan, I stopped in kenya. I was invited to the village of Eldoret.