Holding Hands In The African Way

11/10/05

I spent the day over at Mzee Elisha Onduro's house. I love that guy. We ate chapatti and drank tea and talked.

He told me the history of Kanga, his history. He told me about his ups and downs. We walked around his compound, holding hands in the African way. Adrian tagged along just on my heels, taking any chance he could find to show off. We ate a lunch that Onduro's wife prepared. Ugali and sukumawiki and kuku. Every time I would try to stop eating, Mzee would say, 'cant you add?' And I would feel obliged. Finally, he got all of his orphans together for an interview. At first we tried to do it in the living room, but there simply wasn't room. We went to the front of the house. There must have been 30 kids, his one remaining daughter, who is unemployed and suffers from schizophrenia, and just him and his wife to take care of them all…

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