Found the below on my computer today. Never posted.
I have been traveling around and around Kenya the last several months
with little time to stop and think. So now
finally stopping to think today and the rest of this next week I have in
Maralal. Enjoy the read. It gives me such a feeling of the peace I
feel in Ngurunit. Imagine and let the
peace soak in a bit…
23 March 2018
Sitting in the Ngurunit moonlight listening to the sounds of
life moving through the night. The soft
clunking sound of the wooden camel bells on a herd of camels walking by
sounding like a gurgling brook. The
shrill maaa of a newborn goat looking for its mother. Off in the distance, camel calves bawling for
their months to come home from grazing.
A bark of a dark warning something in the night to come no closer to the
homestead. The singing of the goat shepherd
girl as she moves around settling the goats for the night. The crickets’ song rhythmic as a background
to the stars twinkling overhead. The
moon is almost half and so bright already it is casting strong shadows. Peace settles in as everything settles down
for the night. The fire is flickering,
casting a protection from the hyenas and leopards who would love a bite of goat
for their dinner. I get startled as
Bruce Bruin the Almighty springs to action with his deep throated bark at some
imagined threat. Mouse right there with
him shrilly telling the world that she is a force to reckon with. It doesn’t matter to her that she is barely
half a foot high and barely 15 pounds.
In her mind she is as tall, heavy and as fierce as Bruin who is well
over 100 pounds and can rest his head on the kitchen table with no
problem. Off they go again barking at
the sound of the gate opening and closing as the night watchman moves
around. The night sounds start to quiet
as the world goes to sleep. Another day
past with its routines and ways. Here in
Ngurunit today, the women received their ration of porridge flour for feeding their
children. I picked up the second half of
the basket order to register tomorrow.
It is due in Nairobi for shipping the first week of April. I had paid for the first half of the order on Thursday. Pay day is always such a good day at the
basket weavers plot. I’ll be able to bring the second part of the payment in
April. By then, we are hoping to have
another order to fill also. And a new basket buyer contact for general baskets! The business
seems to be growing. Now I just have to
work at growing my business skills and capacity with it.
