2011 day 11, installment 9

2011 day 11, installment 9
Let me tell you about Churchill…no, not THE Churchill, but the one that lives here. He is one of the older kids that have taken an oath to keep me in Kenya…like they don’t have enough problems in this country already. Churchill is 10 years old and stands about 3’ 6” tall….just kidding, but he is short for his age. He is what I think of when someone mentions Mr Personality. He almost always is upbeat and smiling. When he was about 5, his mother left him and his younger brother with her sister and supposedly went to Uganda, which isn’t that far, to get money for the rent. While she was gone, the sister got mad over something and took the 2 kids to the local Children’s Services and said they were abandoned kids. Services call J & C and asked if they could take them…Churchill being 5, was too old, but because of his brother…2 yrs, they consented. While at the hospital for some testing, a lady said she knew these kids and their mother. J & C asked Services to follow up and see it was true. Talking to Churchy, he said he knew where he lived and led them to the house…..5 yrs old, and Kitale isn’t that small. When they tracked the mother down, right where Churchy said, she said she would take the kids, but that she was moving, which looked to be true, and would get the kids on such and such a date. Churchill was old enough to get it and was quite excited about reuniting with his mom. So the day comes and J & C take the kids into town for the rendezvous. She didn’t show. Can you imagine a 5 yr old who’s mom completely blows him off? I know that my kids would come unglued….as did Churchill. Hopes up….crushed! 5 yrs old! So he and his little brother are here…more than likely much better off, but thrown away by “mom”. So, it’s been almost 5 yrs now. Churchy is Mr Personality and fun to be around….what’s past is past….well not really, Carla told me today that Churchy seemed blue the other day. “What’s wrong, Churchy?” she asked. “I miss my mother. he said….5 yrs later You and I…we’ve mostly had it pretty good.
Last night, after I had snuck into my lair, a Children’s Services man came with a bunch of papers, and asked for a signature…. “For what” asked Jeff. “That would be for ‘who’” said CS man. I brought you a blessing…..her name IS Blessing, and she is 3 months old. Her mother gave birth in the hospital in another district and skipped out….that was in October. Blessing has been in the hospital ever since. She must have indicated that she would like a real mom and dad. “I know just the perfect ones” CS man beams. “and you will have ‘some’ brothers and sisters too….like saying America has ’some’ debt. So, I haven’t officially met Blessing yet, but I will put on a clean shirt for dinner and maybe ’do babies’. Maytag, Whirlpool and I have become quite good friends…they take care of me and I guarantee them a lifelong job. Well, I correct myself..I have officially met Blessing….like most women I have met, she took right to me. Carla said it might have something to do with the bottle that I was holding. She likes to massage my ego like that. Anyway, I find that the longer that I am here, and mostly the longer I am away from my best friend, I seem to like to be around the kids….I know, it’s way past time that I went in for a psychiatric exam. Tonight I found myself feeding 2 of the newborns at the same time,,,,bad enough by it’s self, but the kids are beginning to call me ‘Auntie Babu’. What’s next…an apron??
Thanks to my favorite Son-in-Law, I have found ’google translator’ and am trying to learn some Swahili…especially “GO AWAY…kwenda mbali….and ’I Hear your Mother calling!…Mimi kusikia mama yako wito… To which Carla is always giving me the Jeff look…..she’s better at it than Jeff . Hey, Carla, I didn’t have all these kids!! But translator is a dynamite program and when I can get on line, I am working on learning. I think it’s easier for the 2 and 3 yr olds to learn….DUH! I do need to learn some basics, as the default language for the kids and adults is Swahili….maybe in time I might master Swa-indi-lish, and can do my own shopping.
Just so you know, it is the dry season, which has taken away some of my best material. It runs about mid to high 80’s (27 to 29 C for you Canadians) in the day and probably the mid to low 70’s and night (23 to 26 C). I normally don’t cater to Canadians, but there are 2 or 3 that follow this blog, and that is close to a majority.
Grace….you might remember is the oldest kid here and had to quit school to take care of here 3 siblings at 10 years of age. Last winter she had to take the ‘all Kenya’ 8^th grade exam. (See an earlier posting) Her scores weren’t all that good, and that test determines where and what school they attend for secondary (high school). So she wasn’t called by any schools and it didn’t look so good for her continuing education. J & C, like all good parents began approaching different schools with no results. It seemed that the only option was a school not far from here…not the best, but at least it was school. Gracie took it pretty hard, with lots of tears and asked if J & C would try this one school that she really wanted to go to…..fat chance with her scores. Yep, fat chance…except, remember, this is a place of miracles. Jeff went and explained Gracie’s scores and asked if there was anyway she might attend. Do I need to tell you more?? They said that one of the kids that they had admitted hadn’t responded and that they were willing to give Gracie a chance. This happens to be an excellent school.. So, was she excited, or what. It is a boarding school, not uncommon here, and is not free like our schools. The cost is about 50000 schillings per year for room, board and classes. That’s about $700.00 US. Or one flat screen TV. So, since God has done it again, I know that at least one of you wants to sponsor her….don’t you…. So go to the website:
Well enough rambling for tonight...I’m even boring myself….but then I’m used to it. Let’s all see what happens tomorrow….and remember men, if you can’t be handsome, be handy…..you can change,,,,,,, if you have to,,,,,,,, I guesswww.rehemainstep.com and donate….just tag it to Grace.. This will change her life and make it possible for her to succeed. You might be praying about this schooling issue, as there is 88 others coming up….Peter is already in another boarding school. The dream here is that God will provide their own secondary school.