Samedi en Afrique

I layed in bed a full hour, listening to the men outside my window breaking rocks, the music of my host brothers blasting through the walls, Brian's crying and under it all, the hum of the city. I was wide awake at 7, but was not quite ready to face the day. I am not sure what finally got me out of bed, but I counted my bugbites, swept the halfdead cockroach back into the trash can and went to brush my teeth. It was still cool enough, and my host brothers, Gitas and William were washing the floor, dancing to the radio. William was trying to get Brian to dance as well, but as Brian only began walking last Sunday, the task was a little difficult. Mama Josephine and my host sister Adel, Brian's mother, soon came back to the house with bread and Adel showed me how to fry up an omlette and we ate in the courtyard/driveway, Mama Josephine yelling intermitantly, Brian drooling everywhere and the dog barking. After William began a huge dishwashing session, and Gitas and I went to the market. It was hot and I struggled to think of things to say. The Mendong market was crowded and sweaty and smelly and we weaved in and out of plantains, manioc, chickens, tomatoes, children and all manner of chaos. I am slowly accustoming myself to the cry of "la blanche la blanche" and the constant attention being a white woman brings. We filled Gitas' bag and it was so heavey that we were obliged to take a moto home. 2 actually. Sitting behind a strange man, hanging grimly onto the back of the motorcycle as we hurtled home was slightly terrifying. When we arrived Mama Jo set me to work shelling garlic and then pounding some rooty vegitable in a huge morter and pestle. I am in constant awe at this place, and would not believe I am actually here were it not for the pain in my back and legs from pounding white goo and gripping the rough bowl between my ancles. Mama Jo and I sat on the porch, the green Ndole sauce we made between us and ate with our hands. The intestines in the sauce tested my gag reflex, but I want so much to play my part in this tumultuous family I hardly cared. I am trying to slow down, to really see things, really experience them. The fact that its 33o C helps.