I knew I needed change

I am house sitting for a missionary family on secondary side this week, a very welcome change of pace, indoor plumbing, running water, solar power, a refrigerator and stove, it really is the little things.

Today, I put off going to the primary side as long as I could, I sat around, I made food, I went online, I tried to take a nap.  When I finally decided to get off my buns and get to it.  I had two visitors, girls asking for work, who were quite determined to help me.  Camp is coming up this week and the kids are earning money any way they can to go.  Finally I told one of them that I had some laundry, but it was over on primary side.  So she agreed to meet me there.  I also had several people to visit, and speak with so I took off on bike to make some quick stops before collecting my laundry for her.

I knew I needed change so I could pay her a fair price (which is strictly measured and enforced here).  I went to a few people, who could only give me larger bills, finished my errands and went to meet Sara at my hut.  I collected my laundry in the laundry bag, got out the basin for washing and a Jerah can for collecting water, just as Sara arrived.  Handing her the necessities, I told her I would be back, I still needed change, and she requested to use our “bathroom” to wash in.  (for those of you who don’t know, the “bathroom” is an outdoor cubicle with a wooden door and a drain for bathing) I thought it was a funny request but told her that was fine. 

I left for the Forge, which I was hoping would even be open on a Saturday, but was not sure.  It was open and when I arrived I was a little desperate for change, so I took out the smallest bill that I had and it was exchanged in coin.  I gladly accepted and thanked the young man at the register (and God silently).  I went back to the hut, around to the bathing room where I knocked on the door and was greeted by Sara and one of the institute family children who were talking in Luganda.  I apologized for the coins, while I held them out for Sara to take and as her hand reached for mine, a small coin fell from between our fingers and landed snugly between two large decorative rocks before slipping out of view. I apologized again and hoping there were no millipedes under the rock tugged just at the edge and flipped it over, Sara pulled another back and just as her finger began to point out from her hand to retrieve the shilling. We all jumped about two feet back, because for some reason we all had only then caught a glimpse of the black coil about as thick as a finger under the next rock. 

Black is the worst shade of snake you can find in Uganda, Black Mamba, are known for having some of the most deadly venom found in nature. I yelled at the girls to get back because Sara was eyeing the coin like 200 shillings (.08 cents) was worth another try.  I called my roommate, who made a joke about how the snake must be going to market because he had his money ready.  Just then a young man, maybe 16 or 17 was walking by on his way home from market.  Sara said, “you, come kill this snake”. He turned and walked toward us, made a sort of grunt that sounded like a snigger, that said, “of course I can kill the snake are you joking?”   This made us all laugh out loud.  He walked right over to the place we were pointing and started pulling up rocks with his bare hand like no big deal, he told us to get him a stick.  I was on edge so I tromped over to pull a branch off a tree while Sara went to find another.  He took Sara’s stick and stabbed at the snake, then thwacked it a few times with the thicker side until it was in a few pieces, then he dug in to the hole and hanging off of the stick took out the part still attached to the head.  Because every good Ugandan boy knows that you must crush the head of a mamba, he finished it off with a rock.  The entire time, all of the girls were jumping around making noises like they were about to be sick or had discovered a bug on their shoulder, including me.  We said thank you as the boy ran off home.  My roommate took the snake carcass off to a ditch and I paid Sara. 

So, let us talk about the importance of the occurrences on this Saturday afternoon. 

I probably would not have gone to primary side if Sara hadn’t just happened to come by asking for work,

I definitely wouldn’t have gone to my hut,

I know I wouldn’t have gone to my bathroom if she didn’t just happen to ask to wash in there,

I wouldn’t have gotten coin if any of my friends just happened to have correct change. 

I would never have dropped a coin in that particular place if I hadn’t paid Sara in coin. 

I would never have pulled up that rock if I wasn’t paying her in that particular place.

We might have been in trouble if that young man hadn’t just happened to be walking by right then.

If all of this would not have transpired the exact way it did, I or my roommate could have just happened to be bit by a black mamba and died on our way to the bathroom. 

It’s true