The Kindness of Strangers

I just got internet today.  I've written all my journal entries by hand, but I should have been thinking ahead and written them on the computer.    I should be able to post more frequently now that I have a modem.  Here is a story I wrote yesterday:

Uhuru, Apollo and I went for a walk through the countryside this afternoon.  We were greeted with the usual “How are you?”s from the children.  Many adults stopped and greeted us by shaking hands as well.  We met a farmer, David, and his brother Ruda on the road when we had stopped for a break in the shade.  They introduced themselves, and then walked with us for about a half mile.  I asked David about his farm- he grows mostly maize and wheat.  He said water is a crucial issue.  He invited us to come to his house the next time we passed.

A little farther along, we took a turnoff signed “Ministry of Public Works.”  I was curious what I could learn about the infrastructure here.  We took a wrong turn at an unsigned fork, but continued walking.  A woman greeted us enthusiastically from her field.  She told us “Please come around.  Welcome.”  She introduced herself as “Salome,” and asked where we were from.

She was very kind.  She offered us tea.  She was very affectionate towards the children.  She stroked Uhuru’s hair and asked about her school.  “Do you want to stay in Kenya?” she wondered.  Next Apollo, who was a little shy, was hugged and questioned.

I asked about her water- she had a 60 foot deep well (known here as a borehole).   She collected water with a  5 gallon jug on a rope.  She lowered the jug, allowed it to fill part way, pulled it up a few feet, and then dropped it again to allow it to fill completely.   She’s on top of the hill, so I imagine her water is pretty good.

Salome had moved here just over a year ago, and was eager to show off her improvements.  She had a small garden of cabbage, potatoes and onions.  She had a well build hen house and enclosure (most chickens I’ve seen roam free).  Salome told Apollo that she would give us a chicken before we returned to the U.S.  She had a larger field of crops (I couldn’t figure what they were) surrounded by trees, including a couple recently replanted banana trees.

Salome asked us if we wanted to spend the night.  We told her we had to be going, thanked her, and headed back home.

I was thinking of the contrast with the U.S. Who would see a group of strangers (or obvious foreigners), invite them for tea, and then invite them to spend the night?  Especially when she probably didn’t have a lot of extra food or money.