Two Shallow Graves

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 It feels like the sun never rests. It is hot when you go to bed and it is hot when you get up. It’s about a twenty minute ride on the back of the bike from the gated compound to the property for the new church. The sides of the road going through the trading town are full of vendors and little shops. Herds of goats walk through the area of produce bins and some find shelter from the sun under parked trucks. It’s obvious that the roadway is not reserved for the busy bus line or the motorbikes as animals roam freely and rummage through the garbage piles along the way.  

Slender women with their necks adorned in precious beads and their heads shaven, with the exception of a small center area, walk to the market with newly woven baskets. Turkana men wearing robes of their tribal colors walk together with their cattle prod resting across their shoulders and a small wooden stool or headrest/ekicholong hanging off the cattle prod.  You will never see a man and woman walking as a couple or even side by side.  

It isn’t as dusty riding in town as the main roads now have tarmac but once you start to leave the center and head out toward the villages the dust rolls off the dirt roads.  I’ve found the need to drape myself in cloth while I’m on the bike riding back and forth.  It keeps the sun off me and helps keep the dust out of my lungs.  I actually look very African except for the visible white skin.

The once open land is becoming full of the traditional igloo shaped homes covered with palm branches.  With the exception of the brightly painted wooden door they blend in with earth beneath them.  There are also some homes made from the mud of the earth and a few are now covered with iron sheet roofing.  There is a quarry in a different area that is producing a lightly rose colored stone which is being used for more expensive structures and commercial buildings found closer to town. There is evidence of growth and expansion throughout the areas traveled.
 

The children’s eyes have been ever so watchful and as I round each corner little hands go up and “How are you?” hits my ear like a song. Then there is a rush as many little bare foot children run toward the bike and follow us in.

The property is open to the sun and the hot soil resembles beach sand. There is one small tree that stands alone, struggling under the desert the sun.  In this arid land trees are very valued and as we mark out the church we keep this in mind.  The tree must not be disturbed!  It will be a meeting place and a place of comfort from the heat of the day for many in the days to come.

The church is marked out for all to see and it is official, the church is going up! 

My backpack is heavier today. There is the usual umbrella, bandages, camera, water, phone, lollipops, tissues, germ x, jump ropes, bouncy balls, Bible and something extra for Patrick our head carpenter.  Patrick lives in the hills out of town. He is a husband, father, pastor and carpenter. Tools of good quality are very hard to find here. They are costly and out of reach for many of the builders.  Patrick built two other churches in different villages of Turkana Land for us so we know his need of tools. Before coming my husband, who is a builder too, picked out a Stanley hammer just for Patrick. 

Patrick couldn’t be happier with his new hammer.  The one he was using was tied together and of poor quality.   This hammer will be used and treasured. It won’t be left on the job site but will go home with him at the end of each and every day.

A plastic chair from one of the neighbors was quickly brought to me and placed under our little shade tree.  As the sun went higher and higher in the sky I found it more difficult to be in the shade as our tree is not thick with leaves.

Music, with the beating of drums, travels with the desert winds. It settles in my ears and brings joy to my heart. It is Wednesday and once a week the ladies meet in one of the nearby homes for Bible study. Their praise seeps through the palm branches that wall their igloo shaped home and becomes the radio of the day.

The post holes were dug and the posts were treated with a chemical to deter termites mixed with used motor oil before being placed in the ground.  Termites are very destructive and big problem here in Turkana as well as other areas of Kenya. 

The sun shows no mercy. The word “hot” has a totally different meaning when you are in Turkana. Without moving a finger pellets of moisture roll down my face. When the pastor notices this he becomes concerned but with a confirming smile I assure him that I am fine.  Their appreciation and friendship puts their feet in action and they send someone to get more water for me.

The first post is up and we are moving forward even in the intense heat and wind that sends small debris and sand into your face and eyes.  The winds gather the earth and release it without thought or care.

The surprise of the day is finding out that the two mounds our delivery truck got stuck in yesterday are the graves of two people!  It’s a wonder that the spinning tires didn’t unearth someone’s beloved.  There was not mention of this until I inquired about the debris at the gate entrance.  I thought perhaps someone was dumping garbage there and we could clean it up. There were some cloth items, paper, a couple playing cards, broken glass and a pair very worn out shoes.  It seems that the swallow graves are covered with the belongings of the deceased.  They aren’t needed anymore and go to the grave with them. It amazed me that traveling over the graves was not seen as dishonor to those gone on.

Rafters are being made as the posts go in and the new hammer is swinging as Patrick smiles away!  He appreciates the gift and will never forget the giver. He thanks God and “Gove” for remembering him.

I leave the site for a couple hours to rest from the sun. It is a bit cooler back at the compound and I can rest from the constant wind of the desert.  It’s good to take time to pour water into me and to cool off in one of many showers.  Rain water is collected and stored in large tanks held on high stands. It is not heated. In fact the shower has only one facet “cold” but the water is never cold as the sun heats it.

The workers on the compound are familiar to me as I’ve been coming here for years.  They are all very friendly and I enjoy talking with them and there is one lady who works in the kitchen that is very special to me…….the snake killer!

A few years back I had eaten and was returning to my room.  I was not thinking about snakes, scorpions or spiders.  I was tired and had returned to my safe zone and was thinking about relaxing.  But as I was walking in the designated path way I noticed a branch had fallen on the ground.  It did not occur to me that it was a snake until I got very close and my foot was above and it took off into the bushes.  I notified the workers that I had seen a snake and they gathered around that area and found the cobra with its head up looking out of bushes at us. The men hesitated but the cook took charge and made sure this snake would never hurt anyone.  Usually when a snake is seen in this area everyone will hunt for it and then kill it as they are poisonous and can bring death.

There was one worker missing and the story unfolded as I sat with the sisters. She began to make frequent visits to the witch doctor and it escalated to her taking part in the ceremonies held in the mountains. Her peaceful, calm personality changed and she started stealing from the rooms. There was unrest and fighting with the co- workers and she even tried to fight with the sisters. The situation got worse and one day she tried to kill one of the workers here at the center. After many years of doing her job well and building a name that carried a good reputation it was gone.  She refused help and she went her way. 

As we travel to the sight we notice a police vehicle with the canvas covered back. The benches inside are full of people and no one looks too happy.  Kenya has an ongoing campaign to slow down the making & selling of the very dangerous and illegal home brew.  It seems that Turkana has not been left out of this mission.

It was an extra special day for the children.  Some just sat and studied me while others were brave enough to touch my hair. But the best part of the day for them was playing with the jump ropes and bouncy balls my granddaughters, Vanessa & Grace, packed in my suitcase for the children of Africa. Some of the adults tried the jump ropes too!

What joy leaped with in them as they played toss and took turns with the jumps ropes. Having toys for the children to play with are not part of life in the Turkana villages.

The sun sets over the hills that close us in and become a beautiful tapestry reaching to the sky.  The children run beside the bike as we leave the area and call my name, “Lendah, Lendah, Lendah.”  It is a name that has traveled far and will not be quickly forgotten.  Tomorrow they will wake early with anticipation and excitement as they watch for white woman to enter their village once again.

Isaiah 58:11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.