More children I made cry

Here is an actual photo of a child terrified by my presence. Obviously the little one, not the sadistically laughing elder brother. Last weekend I went to a remote parish called Kisawasawa to see my friend Swiss Barbara who is teaching there. I say friend - I had only met her once, but being so far from home that is quite enough of a relationship to merit a seven hour bus journey. She lives in the mission with the local priest (who is hot!). We walked around her village and although most people know her, this little boy saw us both and started to run away in terror. His brothers thought it was very funny and held onto him. NB I have cropped the photo – the original was taken from quite a long way away and had many children in. I am really not so mean that I would stand up close to a frightened child and make things worse by taking a picture.

That same day a little toddler buried his head in his mother’s dress, crying, and absolutely would not look at us. And the next day, Swiss Barbara, Hot Priest and I were all bumping along in Hot Priest’s 4 by 4 to the nearest “town”. (Places with no tarmacked roads may be referred as towns only with inverted commas.) We stopped at his mother’s village and I got out to walk around and thought I’d talk to some cute children playing a little distance away. Why don’t I learn? Why? Obviously, obviously they ran away as soon as they realised that I was coming near. To make things worse, a group of women were watching the whole thing and laughing with huge enjoyment. They shouted “karibu sana!” (welcome) – I think without irony, but I do question the nature of hospitality that involves a proportion of residents running away in fear at the guest’s approach. Perhaps they think my killer moskweet bites are small plague boils. Anyway, it is nearly half past ten and this is bedtime these days. I need to frontload my sleep because of the astonishingly loud 5am cockerel and call to prayer. Tsk! There is a Mzungu here trying to recharge her energy before another day’s hard work as the Child Catcher.