sugar

Rispah's mom on the way to up country said, "The grandmother to Winnie lives near our place." Of course I said that it would be fun to visit her. That is how it all started. 

Here are a few characters for this story:

Winnie is Oscar's sister

Shosho is slang for Oscar's grandmother

Rispah is my old roommate

Ester is Rispah's mom

Mzungo is a white person

It is a day into our adventure up country when Ester says let's go visit Shosho. We jump on the back of some motorbikes and find our way going up the hills. I have no idea what I am getting myself into. 

We walk down a old road that is also a river bank during the rainy season to get to her house. We stop off at the aunt's house. 

She is so excited to have white people in her house. I guess she used to live in Nairobi but moved up country. I didn't get the full details. She was beautiful and super nice. We only had a quick stop there because she needed to sell her goods at the local market. We were off to Shosho's house which was basically across the street. 

Shosho lives in this plot of land that reminds me of New Zealand. It was lush. She was at the top of the little hill.

We get to her house. I can hear her chattering about in the backroom. Someone calls for her. She comes into the front room. I doubt she has ever had white people come visit her. She is so excited to see us. 

Let me take this moment to inform you that in up country most people do not speak English or Swahili. Up country is a place where they speak their tribal languages. Shosho only knows Luo and I had to have a translator for everything. Just keep this in mind for the rest of the story. 

I have no idea what happens next. All I see and hear is Ester point at me and say Oscar. It was like a bomb of excitement exploded in that room. Shosho came over to me and greeted and hugged me like 400 more times. Someone was outside collecting a chicken to slaughter. It was crazy. Someone else tells me that she has heard of my case and is so excited for Oscar and I. She knows exactly who I am. 

I am over here... so confused and wishing I knew how to say more than "thank you" in Luo.

I don't remember quite how it happened but I ended up outside shortly after all of this. It was nice to be outside. There was too much happening in that house with happy emotions and confusion and cooking and what what. 

One of the kids that was around climbed up a large tree to get me a fruit. I have no idea what kind of fruit it was but I do know I liked it an no one else did. That meant... more for me. It really meant that Shosho made sure I went home with a food storage of them. 

After the fruit I went and played jump rope games with other kids around. We all know they kicked my trash. Cinderella dressed in yella... she didn't get any doctors when I jumped but when the kids jumped she got more then enough. I got tried and headed to where the older adults were. I am brought out a seat and Shosho starts to give me marriage advice. She tells me that another mzungo married into the tribe and I should not be worried. 

She tells me all the good characteristics of Oscar and how he is just like his grandfather. She tells me not to wait and just marry him now. During all of this I am served with food. They first start us off with githeri (maize and beans) and then move to coco with bread. She tells me that next time I come I will be the one cooking and I have to bring Oscar. (It is more like Oscar will be cooking because we all know I have no idea how to cook a mean githeri or slaughter a chicken.) She tells me that I have to stay until dark. Every chance she get she tells me how grateful she is for me and how it is such a blessing I came to visit. 

We end up inside for our last course.: ugali and chicken soup. 

I try to eat as much as I can but I am just so full. I was fat dogging it for sure. It was delish. I felt like a princess. After eating we took a few pictures and had to head out before it got dark. Ester had to start making dinner soon. (no joke... when I heard that I thought I was going to die.) Shosho would not let us leave until she gave me a chicken. It is the first happy engagement chicken I have ever gotten. 

I had an insta-love for Shosho. She is just like the rest of her family. She has the giggles and is so welcoming. She has barely anything and was willing to give me everything. I just have so much love in my heart for her. 

It started raining on the way out and so we stopped at another uncle's house for about 5 minutes until the rain passed. I swear I have met the entire extended family and they are all so nice. 

We walk back up the hill and head home. 

As a side note: The second we get there I am asked if I brought sugar. I am so confused. Why do I need sugar? Is Shosho out of sugar and needs it for the chicken? You know I am with 4 Luos who know tribal customs and should have told me as we passed by 5 shops to get to Sho's house but they didn't. They expected me to know the second I got there. A little too late, I am told that you are supposed to bring your in-laws sugar, salt or unga when you visit them. On the way out we stopped at a shop. I got 2 kilos of sugar and a packet of salt for Shosho. 

After the shop I can hear everyone in the village point and say, "Oscar" in hushed voices. Everyone knows exactly who I am and I am over here thinking... "I am not even dating the brother." There was no way I could get the courage to ask a translator to tell Shosho that.