Life is a rollercoaster - sadness and joy!

As i am sitting here under the Southern Cross again I am wondering how many different emotions can be packed into one day!

The day started early as we had to meet in the office at 8.20 with our heads covered. Now i had brought a scarf with me but i had the choice of looking like a Sikh, a pirate or the French Lieutenants woman whichever way i chose to wear it!  How can everyone else look sensible in a scarf except me although I have to admit Terps did look like a pirate - all she wanted was a hooped ear ring!

In the end i resorted to Anita's floppy brimmed hat which, combined with sunglasses made me look abit like a celebrity in disguise! 

Anyway joking apart we met for prayer and singng (awesome singing) and then began the walk to the paupers cemetary which is just a piece of ground by the sewage lake which the chief gives for paupers graves.WE had to wait half way for the funeral car (minibus) to arrive and also the family car as one fo the parents of the children was coming as well (even though she had given her child up).

As we approached we saw the maintenance team finishing digging the graves - they were sweltering under the already hot sun and they had been digging for quite some time!  the three tiny caskets were taken out and placed on the open ground and the 3 basic white crosses were laid in position!

The service was long and impromptu with much singing by the ladies for whom it gave great comfort!  Of course everything that was said was in Sotho and English so it takes twice as long.  It was moving and yet strangely comforting to see the house mothers and staff comfort each other in song and with hand holding and a friendly arm around each other.  The nurse needed a supporting arm after she had spoken about the children and how they had died and I as glad i was there for her!

More singing and speaking and then Bryan gave his sermon before the caskets were unceremonious laid in the ground and all the woman (including us) took a flower and through it into each little coffin before the men got their shovels and filled in the holes, making mounds which would last.  The chief spoke about how he respected the work of Beautiful Gate and wanted to know more about the goings on there and then the crosses were stuck in the soil and  the children (anita and Bryans) laid litle  bouquets, lovingly made by Anita, on the top of each mound. She and i then laid the rest of the flowers on top too - they will soon be dried up by the seering sun but each little life deserves something of beauty however shortlived.

Most of us 'white people' the Mawohe, declined a lift back in the trucks, preferring to walk to stretch out legs after standing for almost 2 hours and also give us time to process our thoughts!  I felt honoured and privileged to be part of a sad day for Beautiful Gate as i so often have been there for the happy times!

We arrived back to a huge meal of traditional Basutho food including the corn meal, Pap, which i am still feeling full from some 12 hours later!  The ladies were all dressed up in their dresses and hats and they continued to stay that way even though by now it was scorching hot!  I did remove my hat as quickly as i could and resumed my flip flop footwear!

After lunch i had a very restful time chatting to Aukje who, with her husband Toby, had founded Beautiful GAte International, of which Beautiful GAte Lesotho is a part.  We discovered very early on that we are 2 similar women and had a lot in common and she told me all about her new initiative about empowering women throughout Africa which was fascinating!

I managed a short siesta after our chat and am pleased with the progress of my 'brown ness'!  It really was hot and i fell asleep for a short while before being woken by another Dutch visitor who ha come to look around as she was the Aunt of one of the children i had fallen in love with last year who had not been adopted to Holland!

I then went to perform my afternoon playtime duties and had lots of fun!  Was about to do to feeding duties when i had a message that I had a visitor in the office, so i headed off and was delighted to meet up with Kaybee - a young man i had first met in 2007 when i first came to Lesotho!  KB (its easier to write) had given me my Lesotho name (Lerato meanign Love) and Jo Palasa meaning flower!  He had always had a special place in our hearts and we had arranged to meet while i was here!  He came in for a cold drink, we got through the whole litre of Apricot juice very quickly and had a lovely natter.  I knew he was off to work on thenight shift at the radio station where he was a presenter but i assumed he had his car with him and he did not seem in a hurry to leave! 

I showed him around BG a little and then escorted him out to where i believe dhis car was goign to be parked when he told me he had come by public transport and would get the public taxi back to work

Well my maternal instrincts kicked in (he is 33 but I have known him since he was 28 so i can have maternal instincts!!!) so i offered him a lift home before realising that actually i wasnt at home and do not have a car!  Anyway I asked Bryan if he would lend me his and he was only too happy - next i had to find someone to come with me as i did not want to be driving around Maseru when i twas getting dark with no idea where i was going after i had dropped him at work!

The lovely Paige was happy to come for a Jenny Style adventure ( i did warn her that going out with me normally ended up as an adventure) and we set off!  I then realised he probably had no food before starting work so i took him and us to the KFC!  Because i was driving and was still full from lunch I only had chips which was a little disappointing because i do like a KFC - it is an AFrican treat for me!  He then said that his mother would love to meet me so we would do a detour to his parents house which was on the way to work!  It was actually right opposite the Centre where i had stayed in 2007 and 2009 so lots of memories came flooding back and he directed me up a hill past chickens, children and pot holes (good job Bryan trusted me with his car!!!) to hsi parents house! 

What an honour to be welcomed into a Basotho house!  So simple, so small and so homely!  The furniture was far too big for the house and to open the oven door you would ahve to have moved the kitchen table out of the way!  It was beautiful and his dad was a huge guy who pretty much filled the lounge which had 2 small sofas and 2 chairs and a tiny tv in!  there was little room to move - you had to sit down becuase there was no room to stand!  I felt so humbled and honoured to be welcomed into a family home! 

We only stayed a few minutes and as we left hsi mother went to get a gift for me which was a traditional Basotho hat!  It is so lovely - i already have one at home but nothing will make me give this one up, it will have to go in my suitcase somehow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  To be given a gift such as that by someone i had only known for 10 minutes was quite tearjerking and as i hugged her and thanked her she said she had heard so much about me and hoped to welcome me into her house again as i was a special lady!  Wow!  Earlier on in the day a little boy had come to me and stroked my face and said ' Me Jenny you arebeautiful, i want you to come back to my school again!;  this was a day for emotions most definitely!

We dropped KB at the radio station in time for him to go on air and then had to find out way back!  Paige tentatively said to me 'Do you knwo your way back?' and actually i was able to be honest and say i did!  Suddenly the geography of Maseru seemed clear to me and we negotiated the low setting sun in our faces whcih blinded us, the rush hour traffic, and most surprisingly about 70 boys marching down the road in single file towards us, quite skilfully!  

I am not sure who was more relieved her or me when we passed landmarks we knew and recognised and I reminded her again that if she goes out with Jenny nothing is every boring!

It was fun to chat and spend some time together as we had not managed to do much of that during my time here - we had normally been doing different things!

Anyway back safely into the fold of BG I decided i didnt want dinner after my chips but i did reheat Sundays lunch up for kristen and we sat and watched the sunset before being joined first by Toby, then Aukje and finally bryan and Anita who had been in a board meeting.

A pleasant and relaxed cookie filled evening followed and it was lovely to relax and laugh after the emotions of the day!

Toby and Aukje don;t know lesotho very well so i think tomorrow Bryan and I are goign to take them somewhere exciting but we dont know where yet!  Anita has given me her blessing to go in her place while she 'does school' for her children so i can keep Bryan under control and make sure he behaves himself and gets home in time to go out in the evening with her and Toby and Aukje. 

  It will be an adventure and as my time is coming to a close here I am feeling in need of an adventure!  We are not talking about next Wednesday yet or even counting the days, i am just living each day as it comes, doing what i can to support and help and enjoying the odd adventure because that is what I do!  I am most authentically 'me' when i am here and I quite like being the Me i am whilst here so I am going to enjoy myself for whatever time i have left (am not counting the days as i said before so i don't know how many days that is).

I am sure some people at home know how many days i have left here because they want me back but please dont tell me. Maybe some people are counting them becuase they know their peace will soon be shattered!  Whichever I will see you all before too long and hope that i bring good weather back with me!

Till then

Khotso and Lerato

Jenny x