watch your pocket

Nov. 18 / 09 Mata o Rato

The night before last was possibly the most sleepless night I have ever had. After watching a movie with the boys, it was time to go to bed. I opened my slightly-not-closed suitcase and a giant rat sat amongst my things. I screamed a high-pitched typical ‘house-wife’ scream. In seconds the boys ran to the house ready to defend me. It was just the rat, false alarm. At least I know I will be protected on the double if any trouble does come my way. That night, that thing and perhaps many others scurried around my room, and even dared to enter my bed under my mosquito net! AH! The nerve! I probably got a total of 7 minutes of sleep, I had never been so happy to see the sun rise.

Last night the scurrying persisted, and I was awoken at 3 am. But this time, the scurrying was stuck in the corner of my room> it was trapped in the rattrap I set up with a piece of soap as bait. It was caught but still very alive. I took a brick and dropped it on the squirming body. It squealed and squirmed all the more almost getting out! I must have been in some kind of aggressive state and I was shouting at the thing telling it was not going anywhere. The brick broke in a million pieces, so I took a bigger, stronger brick and like a barbarian persisted until there was no movement. The rest of the night, scurrying persisted. At least I know that there is more then one rat in the house. But I decided I would let them scurry in, see what happened and spread the word that they are not welcome in this house.

Nov. 20 / 09 Reality Check

Fridays are a day to prepare for the Seventh day Adventists’ Sabbath. The boys prepare for Saturday and part of it is making the flat breads. Once again I end up being covered in a floury mess.

Heather and I went to town in the afternoon to pick up some things and laugh at people together. She has the same humor as me and it is so great to laugh so hard your ribs hurt and you cant possibly laugh loud enough or slap your thigh hard enough to express how funny something was or how you are feeling.

As the sun began to set its fiery ball down amongst the buildings and vendors in the city of Beira, chapas filled up quickly for those who wanted to get to their home destination. We were part of the hustle and bustle squeezing into crowds to try and get on the next chapa back to KEDESH. Heather told me how these are the kind of moments people get things stolen, and the next second she suddenly yelled at one man who tried to steal her purse! We got a couple boys from KEDESH to meet us up at the end of the road to walk us home. As we talked about our daily events and about the robber I checked to see my phone in my zipped pants pocket, which had been open and phone vacant. Great. Sorry for those who are trying to contact me and text etc, I will get you my new number as soon as I get a new phone. Could have been worse, my friend who got his phone stolen in Beira got his face punched first.