MALIVANI V

We had different sorts of curriculum activities: all the usual ones that you too have had in your school plus gymnastics. This was my favorite. Do not misquote me here. I did not say I participated. I just loved watching them make those stunts. At least they kept fit. They used to miss some classes, first priority in surplus and got twice the fruits we the rest got. So I envied them.

I am really thirsty. I want to take a bath. I want to wash my clothes. I need water.

Water? Yes water, has been a rare commodity now in our school as at the entire people of Makueni for a long period due to lack of heavy rains, maybe, that is believed to sustain the residents before the next rainy season.

Everyone was crying for water. It was bad. The cooks had to limit us from even drinking water. No one was allowed near the water tanks. We’d make ques to be served water. You had to be satisfied by all means since there was no addition, surplus, as we called second rounds on meals.

We were served using a LANDO. Please follow, LANDO here is meant to be LADLE. You know, the big serving spoons, usually deep – bowled with a long curved handle. This is Ukambani my friend. You should hear the kids call each other. Anyways, as the situation worsened, it was announced one time that we all carry our containers, be it jerry cans, basins, bottles, spoons, just anything that could store water. Plus our dirty anything. A kasmall trip to the neighboring borehole to wash, bath and carry water back to school. Did I just say neighboring? I’m wrong. What a distance it was. Dusty too? Did I forget to mention thorny?

Here we are. At least I was out of the school compound having an adventure. I had people to do all the works for me remember? Now this part is interesting. You won’t believe it but who am I to judge. So we had to do the digging up on the sand ( it felt pretty much like the sand I was used to in DIANI back home, in the south coast beaches) till we reached the water. The water that we used to wash our clothes with and BATH.

And so we spent the whole of our Saturday there, at the borehole. Washing, bathing, and playing with the sand, filling water in our jerry cans, waiting on clothes to dry off.