Cooking Dinner

So, it's a typical Sunday in Makgato, bloody hot as ever and not a sound in the air. It's either go to church and get all dressed up, or clean and do laundry. This time I opted for laundry. After four hours of scrubbing, washing and rinsing, I finally feel that my clothes are clean. My cousin called me and said, "Lethabo, you must come help cook dinner!!" I of course jumped at the chance. African food here is amazing, but I have to be careful. It's all grease, carbs and a LOT of salt. But, I never turn it down all the same!! So, I walk over to their one room home, pass the cows and chicken, still admiring the mountains that have come to be my refuge in need of comfort. As I approach, dozens of children call out, "Lethabo, Lethabo, O ya Kae!!" I respond, "Ke ya motswala wakhe hhaiye". I am going to my cousin's home.

When I arrive, I learn that cooking dinner actually meant fetching a live chicken and THAT was to be our dinner!! So, as my aunt Jane, Ironic I have an aunt jane here in africa as well as America, holds the chicken by the feet upside down, I assisted in helping my cousin slice it's neck quickly and painlessly. However, I still cringed and had to turn my head. After that, we poured boiling water over the chicken, plucked all the feathers and cut out all the insides. We cut out the heart, liver, kidneys, intestines (totally discusting cleaning them. Do you know what comes out of that!!!) We cut up the meat into pieces and boiled it all for dinner. The process took over an hour. Then we made porridge over fire in a cauldron and also had to herd the cows home. When Maggie called and invited me to help with dinner, I imagined peeling potatoes or, as I usually do, sit and watch as they prepare meals I could never dream of making. Little did I know what they had in mind!!!

After dinner, I walked home and thought again, how is it that I really live in Africa. Everywhere I look, there are new things to see, people to greet and emotions that tend to catch me off guard. However, slowly, the small things are becoming normal. The sun sets every night and our papaya trees and Orange trees are starting to turn ripe!! The orange sky and bright moon that stands out really are breathtaking. I washed my hands of blood and guts at home and sat with my sister as we watched some African dancing on TV. I had to kill a few cockroaches before going to bed, but all the same, I felt full, content and ready to start my new week!!! These are the days of South Africa.

Two days later, my co worker and friend Joyce came over and we spent the afternoon cooking rice, some sort of cow's meat that I didn't ask where it came from and butternut. Butternut is a form of squash and has become my favorite food here!! It was delicious. As we sat to eat and said a prayer for us, I looked at the meal I had prepared and cooked all from scratch!! There is something fulfilling in sharing this meal with Joyce and knowing that my mother would be so proud of me. Using onions, spices and vegetables all grown in our own village!!! These things never happened back home. Watching her eat meat that she may not have at home, made me realize maybe I can't convince youth to wear condoms, or that a root from the forest won't actually save them from HIV/AIDS, but perhaps seeing her laugh and smile is some small change that I created.

After dinner I walked to the shop to buy bread. A young man of 33 asked me about HIV. He said he's never used a condom and will not be tested because he knows he is okay. I asked him why. He said because he drinks tea from his church and mixes a root from the deep bush. He said his grandfather told him that this will keep him protected. I asked him if he's so sure, to come with me to the clinic to be tested. He bowed his head, laughed, and said, "Oh Lethabo, I can't do that!! You know, eish, I can't do that." I asked why. He shook his head, smiled and said, "I want to have your baby!!" My jaw dropped as I said, "You're out of your mind. You just got done telling me you don't know if you have hiv/aids and you actually asked me to have sex with you???" I laughed and said, "You know better!" He laughed, said he will come over on Monday and we'll get tested. He will not come. He will not get tested. But my hope is the next time he is in a relationship, my voice will pop into his head and maybe that will happen enough, in enough young minds here that one person will change their behavior.

These are things that I struggle with and watch as I can't do anything to stop it. But all I can do is provide them with hope and truth, which will stand out in their minds. It's important to keep trying and one day, it's going to change. I have faith that the youth here believe what's happening. They know it's one day at a time. And they are a constant reminder of why I am here.

I uploaded photo's in picasso gallery. Go to http://picasaweb.google.com/cheapup. Please let me know if you cannot access them, as I've never uploaded picts before.
Stay well.