~Final~

I see little black hands

Reaching through the window of our mud-splattered jeep,

Hands whose owners sleep on the street, who hide from armed men,

Every night,

Screaming,

Begging,

These are sights that show poverty.

I see old women

Hunched backed, walking painfully down the dirt road,

Young girls,

Torn,

Tattered,

Wishing for a better life, an education.

These are sights that show despair.

I see new wells installed,

New schools built,

New businesses formed,

Healthy people,

Happy people,

Who are no longer beasts of burden.

These are sights that show hope.

I hear hopeless crying

Rapid bursts of gunfire,

Sickening screams,

Crackling fires,

Burning houses,

I hear helpless victims.

These are sounds that show violence.

I hear crazed commotion

People running through the streets,

Crying children abandoned or lost in the crowd,

Drunken shouts,

Pounding footsteps,

I hear clanking body armor.

These are sounds that show distress.

I hear water flowing,

Pencils writing,

Children laughing,

Cows mooing,

Chickens clucking,

I hear people stopping to talk on the street.

These are sounds that show happiness.

I smell burning wood

Bodies rotting,

Garbage and sewage flowing down the street,

Rank animals wallowing in their own filth to stay cool,

Dirty water,

I smell nothing but the blood from my own dry cracked skin.

These are smells that show loss.

I smell gasoline and smoke

Garbage in rivers that once flowed clean,

Sweat from hundreds of workers in fields,

Burning garbage,

Oil and chemicals on every street corner,

I smell forests being burned to the ground.

These are smells that show pollution.

I smell clean animals

Healthy people,

Sweet bread from the new bakery,

Fresh air,

Clean water,

I smell entire forests of living trees.

These are smells that show healing.

I taste blood in my mouth

Blood from people beating other people,

Dirt blowing into my face

Sulfur,

Manure,

Every sip of water is like poisonous mud.

These are tastes that show sickness.

I taste my own tears as they trickle down my face

Tears from too much loss and sadness,

Mold in my food,

It is better than starving,

Dirty water,

I can’t stand it.

These are tastes that show hoplessness.

I taste food that is clean and rich with nutrients

Fresh, clean water from a new well,

Flowing down my throat,

Quenching my thirst,

Fruit and bread,

I taste food that I bought with my own money.

These are tastes that show satisfaction.

I feel a sharp pain in my head

A knife pressed against my throat,

A bullet wound in my shoulder,

A bullet shot by my friend who was turned against me,

A bomb shaking the ground,

Then I feel nothing.

These are feelings that show sadism.

I feel rocks piercing my feet

As I walk across an endless desert,

Burning sand leaving blisters all over my skin,

Thorny bushes on the ground,

Shoulders aching from carrying a water filled jury can,

But I have to keep going.

These are the feelings that show pain.

I feel the cool wind blowing across my face

As I ride my new bike down a hill,

I grasp my new tools in my hands,

Water splashing on me,

Money in my hand,

That was loaned to me.

These are feelings that show refreshment.

These are senses that could make you cry.

These are senses that could make you scream with joy.

These are senses that show that there is hope among poverty and despair.

These are senses that show there is healing among loss and pollution.

These are senses that show satisfaction among sickness and hopelessness.

These are senses that show refreshment among pain and sadism.

These are senses that change lives.

I have traveled the world with this class.

Everywhere I go,

I meet someone new,

Someone different,

Someone with a story to tell.

Someone who knows something that I don’t.

I met a disabled Ghanaian

Who rode his bike across his country with one leg,

Followed by hundreds of people,

Who almost single handedly changed,

The horrible way that disabled people were treated in Ghana,

In a peaceful, inspiring way.

Thank you Emmanuel.

I met two men from Rwanda

They had been scarred for life,

Both mentally and physically,

They taught me many things,

Do not hate anyone, even your worst enemies,

Love everyone and put the past behind you.

Thank you Fredrick and Zachary.

I met a farmer in El Salvador

Who was so poor he lived in a house made of sheet metal,

He needed bulls to plow his fields,

So I helped him by loaning him $25,

H bought his bulls and plowed his fields,

Now he will be able to provide shelter and education for his family.

Thank you Selvin.

I met a boy from Sudan

Who escaped soldiers with guns and planes with bombs,

And walked hundreds of miles across deserts,

Protecting three hundred boys younger than him,

No food or water,

He taught me to never give up.

Thank you John Bul Dau.

I met a fat white guy who played football

While the other players fought because of their different races,

He just had a good time and was friends with everyone,

He was just too funny and goofy to be racist,

He wasn’t the best player on the team, but he was one of the most inspiring.

And he showed me you can’t judge someone by the way they look.

Thank you Louie.

I met a boy who took a school project to another level

Who tried to make the world a better place,

He helped other people,

Even though he was the one who needed help,

He finally died trying to help others,

And spread a message to give help to others.

Thank you Trevor.

These are people who see a problem and fix it.

These are people who go and help others who are in worse shape than them.

These are people who don’t live in big houses or buy fancy things.

These are people who you would be afraid of if you saw them on your street.

These are people who would help you if you were in their place.

These are people who are doers.

 These are people who change lives.

Walking Water

Today I woke up early at 6:30 and went to Rocky Nook Park, which is about a mile from my school. On my back was an empty five gallon paint bucket. 

I reached down to take off my shoes. My classmates around me were doing the same. Then I went to a water spigot and filled my bucket to the top. 

I set my bucket down and saw some of my friends heading over to a nearby creek. I ran over to join them.

We spent a while jumping from rock to rock and hanging out by the creek bed. I suddenly felt sad. Kids in Africa don't have this creek to play in, I thought. 

It was wednesday, May ninth, and the 6th and 7th grade of my school were meeting at a park. We would carry water filled containers to our school, and some of us would be barefoot. We wanted to know what it feels like to be in a poorer country where you have to carry water home from a well to stay alive.

We grouped up to set off for school. I snapped a lid on my bucket and strapped it to my head, and I  started walking towards school. Within the first few steps, my feet were already hurting. The hot asphalt burned my feet and shattered glass and oak leaves were cutting into my toes. A few steps later my head was aching. The strap was cutting into my forehead and my shoulders were screaming. I stumbled and a big splash of water spilled down my back. I thought of how I would have to go back to get more water if I was an African child getting water for his family. I was glad I wasn't in that situation. 

The flat path started to curve upward. Soon we were trudging up to APS, a road on the top of the hill we were at the base of.

I stumbled along, trying not to let my water spill, trying not to stub my toes, trying not to let the pain of my strap make me give up. I stepped on a piece of sharp glass and winced as I pulled it out of my foot. I looked around. The sidewalk was littered with glass. It disgusted me that people could be so careless. 

The only thing that made me go on was the thought that it would be over soon. 

At last, I saw my school's driveway. I was so excited. I burst out in a sprint and ran the rest of the way. I threw my bucket down and put my shoes back on. Then I got an otter pop and sat on a bench enjoying the weight off of my back.

I happily thought that it was over.

But then I realized it wasn't over for everyone.

All around the world, girls my age, older, and even younger were only a quarter of the way done with their walk.

The water they collected was contaminated with germs and mud and life threatening diseases. 

Their path was littered with sharp thorns, wild animals, and threatening people.

Their walk would not end at school. It would end right back at home, and they would go to bed.

Then they would wake up again the next morning. 

And do the whole thing over again.

Every day of their lives, they would be carrying water. 

Dirty water.

On a dangerous road. 

They would be lucky if they didn't die before they got too old to carry water. 

It wasn't fair that us Americans could turn a faucet and get crystal clean water without thinking twice. 

That we dump water out like it is useless.

That we get almost unlimited resources while other countries fight over the simplest of needs. 

That we just throw glass bottles out the window without worrying about who could step on it.

My Visit With Selvin Heraldo: Day 3

~día tres~

~ Ultimo Día ~

I awoke from my dreams of ice cream men and cows early in the morning. That crazy rooster was walking around outside my tent again.

I got out of my tent. Selvin was already up, plowing his fields with his new bulls. He works so hard to put food on his family’s table. He saw me and motioned for me to join him. I walked over next to him. He was guiding the bulls in a straight line so that they wouldn’t mess up the fields.

“Selvin, how long have you been working in agriculture?” I asked.

“Twenty years, since I was nine,” he said.

He had a job when he was nine years old. Wow. I thought about it. I’m 13 and I don’t even have a job.

~~~~

Today, we went to the Usulután market place. It was amazing. The streets were lined with venders selling barrels of fruits and vegetables I had never seen or heard of before. Slabs of raw meat, along with whole ducks and pigs, hung from meat hooks under awnings. The air was filled with a constant Spanish jibber-jabber that I couldn’t understand. When I breathed I smelled a million smells that I couldn’t recognize. Everything was new and exciting.

Little kids ran around playing tag and selling candy to tourists. Stray dogs hid under tables and chased bones that people threw on the ground. Wonderful colors hung from tables and awnings. Street venders advertised their fresh produce. Tourists snapped pictures of buildings and statues.

Sadly, it was finally time to go. Selvin drove me back to his house to pack my things. I got my bags together and walked out to the bus stop. The whole family said goodbye. I was so sad to go. When the big noisy chicken bus pulled up, Selvin’s daughter handed me a folded piece of paper. “Thank you.” She said with a shy smile.

“Goodbye,” I said as I stepped onto the bus. Then the bus drove off.

I opened the paper and smiled.

My Visit With Selvin Heraldo: Day 2

~día dos~

A rooster screamed just outside of my tent. I groaned and rolled out of my tent. It was just getting light out.

I looked to my left and saw Selvin watering a field with a large watering can. I went over to help him water.

“Today we will go to buy my bulls with the money I was loaned,” Selvin said.

~~~~

We piled into Selvin’s rusty old pickup truck. There were only two seats in the front, so Selvin’s daughter and I sat in the bed of the truck while Selvin and his girlfriend sat in the front.

We pulled up to a large open pasture bordered by a barbed wire fence. I could see about 50 cows and bulls roaming around.

An old man, maybe 60 years old, limped out of a barn by the side of the road. He was holding a chicken in each hand by its legs. When he saw us, he dropped the squawking birds and walked over to us.

“Buenas días!” exclaimed the man. He had thick grey mustache on his weathered face that moved up and down when he spoke. His skin was worn and tan and rough and it looked like old leather. When he smiled I could see that he was missing two or three of his crooked teeth. On his head was a large white cowboy hat.

“Buenas Días,” said Selvin. He explained that we had come to purchase five young bulls to pasture.

“Si, si,” the old man smiled, showing his crooked teeth. He guided our car over to a large gate. He slowly swung the gate open, and then hopped into the back with us.

Selvin drove along a bumpy dirt road full of potholes. We bounced around in the back, flying into the air every time we hit a rock.

We finally stopped near a group of bulls. Selvin and the man got out of the car, and they examined each bull. Selvin picked out five muscular black bulls, and handed the man $1,200.

Selvin and I unloaded a wooden ox cart from the truck. We yoked the bulls, and rode the ox cart home while Selvin’s Girlfriend and daughter drove the truck home.

It took a few hours to get home. The ox cart was nothing more than a wood platform on rickety wooden wheels, so the ride was very bumpy and uncomfortable. Every turn in the road, we had to jump off of the cart and redirect the bulls.

We had been sitting in the cart for more than two hours. We were hot and tired, and we were also almost out of water. I was sitting and listening to the colorful birds chirping in the trees, when they suddenly stopped. I looked around to see what was wrong. Selvin had noticed something too. We were probably 50 miles away from the nearest town, and we had seen no one the entire time we had been on the road. Selvin and I looked at each other.

Then, in the distance I heard a faint sound.

Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding…

It sounded like… bells? No, That is impossible, I thought.

Ding…Ding…Ding…Ding

It was bells. The dings grew louder and louder. Finally, I saw what was making the sound.

A little old man pushing a two-wheeled Ice cream cart rounded the corner. “Hola!” he exclaimed.

Selvin didn’t look too surprised, but I was shocked. What in the world was an ice cream man doing in the middle of nowhere? I replied with a smile “Hola,” and bought Selvin and I popsicles. The man winked and resumed pushing his cart along the dirt road.

Ding… Ding… Ding… Ding… Ding… Ding… Ding… Ding…………..

The ice cream man from heaven vanished into the distance.

~~~~

When we got home, it was getting dark. Selvin’s Girlfriend had made dinner already, so we sat down at the table and ate. Selvin and I were very tired and hungry, so we gorged ourselves on the delicious chicken dinner.

When I finished washing my plate, I said goodnight to the family and went to sleep in my tent.

My Visit With Selvin Heraldo: Day 1

~día uno~

The bus doors swung open, and fresh air spilled in. I was overwhelmed by the many smells that accompanied the air: The smells of fresh hay, soil, cows, and chicken poop.

When the bus pulled to a stop, Selvin and his family rushed to the door and greeted us with hugs and a jumble of spanish words."¡Hola!" "¡bienvenidos!" "¿Como Estas?"

We walked up to the rickety old house. I could see that it was made of nothing but a few scraps of tin and plywood. When we entered, we saw there was only one room, with a table, a wood-burning stove, and one bed. 

"I plan to build myself a better house when my loan helps me make more money," Said Selvin in Spanish.

~~~~

He then took us on a tour of his farm.

Sr. Heraldo's farm

We walked from field to field, looking at Selvin's crops. I lost track of time as Selvin showed me how he planted his crops and cared for his animals. 

I heard a soft mooooooo. I looked over to see a few milk cows roaming an open pasture.

"We have to milk the cows for tonight's dinner," Selvin said. I looked at  my watch, and realized that it was already 5:00! 

I followed Selvin down to his cows. He grabbed two buckets, and sat on one while he used the other to catch the milk. When he was finished, I helped him carry the bucket full of milk back to the house. 

When we got home, we were very thirsty, so we took two cups and drank some milk. It was very fresh, much better than the stuff you buy at the supermarket.

We went out back, where Selvin had a chicken coop. We reached inside and grabbed a few eggs. when we got inside, Selvin's girlfriend scrambled the eggs along with some onions and tomatoes from their garden. Then she pulled some bread out of the wood-burning stove. She put the food onto the small table, and all of us crowded around. 

The dinner was great. It all tasted so good and fresh. When we were finished eating, we cleared the table and went outside to wash the dishes. We scrubbed our dishes with a sponge, and then we rinsed them in a bucket of water that Selvin had filled up before dinner.

I would not be able to sleep inside the house because there was no room, so I set up my tent in a nearby cornfield. I crawled into my sleeping bag and fell fast asleep.

My Visit With Selvin Heraldo: Currency

Since 2001, the US dollar has been the official unit of currency in El Salvador.

My Visit With Selvin Heraldo: Communication

Hello!.........................................................................................................................................¡Hola!


How are you?..............................................................................................................¿Como Estas?


Where is the bathroom?.............................................................................¿Donde Está El Baño?


Great!..................................................................................................................................¡Qué bien! 


Thank you very much..........................................................................................¡Muchas gracias!


You’re welcome!.................................................................................................................¡De nada!


How do you say...?.................................................................................................¿Cómo se dice...?


Please.....................................................................................................................................Por favor. 


¿What time is it?...........................................................................................................¿Qué hora es?


I don't understand.......................................................................................................No comprende.

My Visit With Selvin Heraldo: Transportation

I was so excited. I was going on a three day trip to Usultan, El Salvador, to visit Selvin Heraldo, a local farmer who I was loaning money to.

It turned out that getting to Usultan was a journey itself. 

The first leg of the journey started at midnight. My parents drove me from our home in Santa Barbara to LAX, and after getting through the nightmares of dealing with our luggage and carry on, we boarded a large jet bound for El Salvador.

We landed in San Salvador, 65 miles away from Usultan. We boarded a large "chicken bus." 

These busses are filled with many things, from the locals themselves to their goats and pigs and chickens, hence the name chicken bus.

We rode on the bus for a few hours. As we neared the end of our bus ride, the buildings grew steadily smaller and more spaced apart. Cars and pedestrians were replaced by cows and horses. In the distance I saw a small house made of wood and corrugated tin. As the bus drew closer, I saw a local man and two others step out of the house. Selvin and his girlfriend waved and their daughter jumped up and down in excitement. I felt the same way, and I knew that I would be welcome here.

The Hero's Journey

Once there was a little stray wiener dog named Chilli. Chilli was sleeping in a cardboard box one night, waiting for his mom and dad to come home. He waited for five hours, and then they went to sleep. When he woke up in the morning, she still wasn't back. Chilli was worried, so he went out to look for his parents.  As he was walking across the street, A pigeon flew down from the telephone wire. "Are you looking for your parents?" the pigeon said. "I'm sorry to tell you, but the dog catchers took them to the pound yesterday. There is not much you can do for them now."
Chilli was young but he knew that the dog pound is a dog's worst nightmare. He ran into a corner and cried. He cried for a very long time.
"Hey, What are you crying about?" Someone was poking Chilli in the ribs. He looked up to see a mangy orange cat looking at him. "Who are you?" Chilli asked.
"My name's Joe. I live in that crate right there, and you're in my way." The cat was getting angry. Chilli stared blankly at the cat. "So get out my way or I'll scratch you!" Joe hissed.
Chilli scampered a few feet to the side, startled by the cat. Joe lay down in the crate and closed his eyes. When Chilli didn't leave, the cat mumbled "What is this dog's problem?"
Chilli told the cat about how his parents had been taken away. "Dude, My parents died when I was two. Stop crying. Man up." said Joe.
"They were taken to the pound. Can you show me where the pound is?"
At the mention of the pound, Joe perked up. "See this scar right here? A stupid dog bit me there when I was little. I heard he's at the pound. I promise that I'll help you find your parents if you let me have revenge on that dog."
Chilli agreed, because he was so desperate that he would do anything to to save his parents.
They set off across town. Suddenly, as Chilli looked up at the tall building, he regretted wanting to go on this journey. He immediately regretted it though, because he would die to save his parents if he had to.
They started to cross the road, but then a huge car zoomed by, almost running Chilli over. Joe and Chilli scampered back to the curb.
"How will we get across?" asked Chilli.
Joe looked up. "The telephone wires."
"What?"
"You heard me."
"I'm a dog! I can't just walk across a wire! And if I fall, I die. If you fall, you land on your feet and do it again until you make it across."
"I never said it would be easy."
"Okay, I'll go if it's the only way."
Chilli and Joe snuck into a building and climbed up the stairs. Chilli had noticed that he could not move as fast as Joe, because he had tiny legs. Joe was getting angry because Chilli could not keep up with him. as they rounded the next corner, they saw a man in a suit running towards them. There was an open window to the left, and Chilli and Joe raced towards it.
"Jump!" said Joe.
Are you crazy? thought Chilli, as he jumped onto the window sill. They were 5 stories up in the building. If Chilli missed the telephone pole he would be a furry pancake.
Joe Jumped off and landed gracefully on the pole.
The man was running towards Chilli with a broom. Just as the man reached out, Chilli jumped.
And missed.
He plummeted down, screaming. Suddenly, he felt a violent jerk upward. His paw had caught on a loose wire. Slowly, the wire started to swing across the road. Chilli saw his chance and jumped. He barely made it to the building opposite the one he had started at. Joe had already made it across, and he met Chilli at the other side of the road. "Man, I was really scared for you! you almost died."
Chilli was surprised at Joe's unusual concern for him. Maybe Joe was learning that he wasn't the only person that mattered in the world.
They continued down the road. All of a sudden, Chilli and Joe saw a big warehouse looming in the distance. They heard the sound of hundreds of dogs wailing in vain. They sprinted over to the doghouse, crawled under some barbed wire, and found themselves in a room full of kennels filled with howling dogs. It was like a torture chamber.
Chilli saw his parents locked up in a kennel. He ran over to them and stuck his little nose through the fencing. They looked up from where they were sleeping.
"Chilli! You came to rescue us!" They said. Chilli looked around for a key.
As he turned his head, a huge, menacing shadow appeared over his head. Chilli's parents screamed. As Chilli whirled around, he saw a huge man with a shovel in his hand. The man raised the shovel, and swung it at Chilli's head. Chilli ducked just in time to save himself. The shovel slammed into the concrete floor, and skidded out of the man's hands. He grabbed for Chilli, but Joe yelled "Run!"
Chilli and Joe ran across the warehouse. Joe had long legs and he easily outran the man, but Chilli had little wiener dog legs, and he couldn't run fast enough. The man was close behind ChillI. He reached out and grabbed Chilli and shoved him in a little cage. The last thing that Chilli saw was Joe running away to safety. Joe had sacrificed Chilli to save himself.
Chilli came to an hour later. His head really hurt. He looked around for his parents, and he suddenly saw them in a cage on the other side of the room. They whined back and forth to each other, but it was no use.
Chilli looked around the room, and he saw something that stopped his little wiener heart. Hanging on the wall was a sign that said "Dogs not adopted by January 29 will be put down"
TODAY was January 29. Chilli was so sad. He started crying and crying. After what seemed like hours the man came back to his cage. In his hand was a doctor's needle filled with fluid. Chilli whimpered and curled into a ball, but the man opened the door and cornered Chilli. Chilli closed his eyes, and he felt cold metal press against his skin. He whispered a goodbye to his parents as he felt a small prick in his skin. Just as he felt the poison enter his bloodstream, a loud scream interrupted his prayers. The needle fell out of his skin. Chilli looked up to see the man laying on the floor, screaming as something clawed at him. As Chilli got a better look, he realized that it was Joe!
Joe beat the man unconscious, and then took the key and gave them to Chilli. Chilli took the keys in his mouth, and, with the help of Joe, He unlocked all of the cages and set all of the dogs free.
As they approached the last cage, Chilli looked inside and saw an old dog with many scars lining his face. Joe saw him too, and his fur stood up on end. "This is the dog who bit me. This is the dog who I wanted revenge on."
 The dog sadly looked up from his cage and gave a deep, melancholy whine.
"Give me these," said Joe, snatching the keys from Chilli's mouth. Slowly, Joe opened the door. Chilli held his breath, expecting a huge fight to ensue. But instead, Joe opened the door and let the old dog out.
"Thank you" the old dog said in a sad, raspy voice and limed out of the warehouse.
"I thought you would kill him!" exclaimed Chilli.
"I would have before I met you, but you have showed me that being mean and tough isn't always the way to solve problems. Thank you."

Chilli introduced his new friend to his parents. His parents were a little skeptical of their kid befriending a cat, but when they got to know Joe, they couldn't think of a better person for their son to spend time with.
"We also have good news!" His parents said. "We are getting adopted! We won't have to sleep in the streets anymore!"
Chilli was so excited because he had never lived in a house before. The next day, some people came to take Chilli and his parents to the new house. Everybody got into a big cardboard box in the back of a truck and drove off. As they drove away, Chilli stuck his nose out of an air hole and yelled "Goodbye!" He knew that he might not ever see Joe again. He knew that Joe was the best friend that he would ever have. They kept waving to each other, as the car drove away. They kept waving until they were each a little speck in the distance. Then the car turned the corner and they disappeared from sight.




THE END




?

My Visit With Maruge in Kenya Day 7

Today I woke up early at 6:00, because I had to catch my plane. Maruge and I rode in the old van to the airport. When it was time for me to go, Maruge and I said goodbye, and I walked onto the plane. I waved goodbye through the window. I kept waving out the window as the plane lifted off. I kept waving as Maruge's figure grew smaller and smaller. I fingered the small pendant hanging around my neck. I would never forget my visit with Maruge and what he had taught me. 

My Visit With Maruge in Kenya Day 6

Today we woke up from the bright sunlight that was shining in through a crack in Maruge's wall. I could hear birds chirping in Maruge's garden.

Today was saturday, so Maruge didn't have school. He had a hike planned out for us today. I was really excited because the hike would be fun and we would see a lot of cool things.

We packed a small lunch and set off toward the jungle. The trail inclined steeply after a few minutes, and turned into a big hill. I thought that Maruge would be slowed by this, but he kept speeding ip the hill and I found myself racing to keep up with him. I guess all of those days walking to an from school had put Maruge in great shape! The trail had evened out by now, and we were walking under a huge canopy of giant trees. Maruge and I looked up and saw a whole other world above our heads. Neon colored birds flitted between branches. monies danced around, making baffling jumps between skinny limbs a hundred feet in the air. Millions of fluorescent, jewel-like bugs buzzed around our heads, but they were too cool to swat at, so Maruge and I let them be.

We kept walking a ways and then we ran into some trouble. A huge river lay ahead of us, one that was too wide to cross. And we couldn't wade through it either, because the river wasn't made out of water. It was made out of ants. Big, red, hairy ants. Ants that were each 2 inches long. They all had razor sharp jaws that looked strong enough to bite right through my finger. 

Maruge and I had to do some quick thinking, so we grabbed some branches from a fallen tree and stacked them across the ant river, like a bridge. We had to hop across really quick, because the ants figured out how to climb our bridge and in no time, they were swarming the logs.

aaaaaaaagggggggghhhhhhhhh!

Once we were free from the ants, we arrived at a river. It was like a paradise, with fruit trees all around and monkeys and birds chirping in the trees. 

We relaxed and ate bananas while listening to the sounds of nature. Maruge told me that we had to be home before dark so that the lions and leopards wouldn't eat us, so we started walking back. Maruge took a different trail because he wanted to show me something. We trudged uphill, and Maruge had to take a machete out and chop our way through the underbrush. The trail had obviously not been used for a long time. we went on and on, through rivers, across farms, under a banana plantation, and then back into the jungle again. We were cutting trough a lot of vegetation, and I began to doubt that we were even on a real trail. At last, we burst through some tall grasses, into a peculiar place. We were in a clearing, but it had not been taken care of in a long time. The grass was overgrown and many of the trees were dead. In the center of the clearing, a tall white house rose. It must have belonged to a very rich person, because it was at least four times as big as any house I had seen in Kenya so far. But now no millionaire in his right mind would buy it; it had vine crawling up the sides, the windows were broken, the bricks were crumbling, the roof was caved in, and the whole thing looked as if it would collapse any moment. I recognized this place, I had seen it before. A long time ago.

Not in real life, but in a movie. I could picture the scene happening here exactly how it did in the movie, decades ago. The damage on the house was gone. The grass grew short and neat again. People were living there now. I saw rich white people, keeping black people as slaves and not giving them any freedom. Then I saw tribal men crouched in the tall grasses bordering the clearing. I noticed that one of them was a young Maruge. I looked at the older Maruge, still standing by my side, and he nodded towards the men, as if he saw the strange vision too. Suddenly, the men shouted and lunged out of the bushes. They stormed the house, screaming for freedom as they went. They broke down the door, and came out minutes later armed with guns. A white man followed them out, screaming with rage. He also had a gun. He started firing in the direction of the men. I tried to look away, but older Maruge pointed back to the scene. I watched in horror as the white man shot the man closest to me right in the chest. With a scream, the man went down.

 I couldn't watch this. I looked away and started crying.

The scene changed rapidly. The white people moved out. The grass grew longer. The trees died and fell over. The house crumbled with age and the roof caved in. All in about 5 seconds. I was back in my own time. I stumbled over to where the man had been shot. Laying in the grass was a small pendant carved out of wood on a length of leather cord. It showed a man's face. Maruge picked it up and draped it around my neck. "This is for you," he said. "I hope that you always remember to never stop fighting for what is right, even if it means sacrificing great things."

 

We walked back to Maruge's house in silence. When we got back, Maruge told me that he didn't show me that to make me sad. He showed it to me to inspire me do what is right. I liked it a lot more when he put it like that. I will now look at things and see what I can learn from them, instead of just feeling one way that doesn't help me at all. 

My Visit With Maruge in Kenya Day 5

Today, I woke up and went to my computer to blog my past 4 days with Maruge. My computer wasn't working correctly, because it wouldn't let me center my text like all of my other posts.
Maruge woke up and told me that he would take me on a tour of the town. We got dressed and brushed our teeth, then we set out. Maruge took me back to the marketplace, where we had lunch. We each got a big bowl of fruit, and we both sat there eating it and talking. I talked to Maruge about surfing, and how it feels to slide across a wave. He was very interested. I wanted to show him how fun it is to surf, but we were in the middle of kenya, so I obviously couldn't take him out surfing in the ocean. I saw a big wide plank of wood, and I had an idea.
 
Next to it, there was a short log, that could probably roll. I put the plank of wood on the log, and made my own homemade into board. I showed Maruge how to ride it by swinging his legs back and forth.

Maruge hopped on the board and almost fell off, but I caught him. I held him while he slowly warmed up on the into board. After a little while, he decided to try on his own again. He fell off a few times, but after a while, he got the hang of it. We took turns shredding the imaginary waves on our new toy. 

Next we went to go watch some people playing music in the market. We passed by some men playing a cool song, using an upside down trashcan and a weird guitar-like instrument. 

Maruge and I then heard a very interesting noise. We heard a band, with multiple guitar solos and baselines. We rounded the corner excitedly, but what we saw didn't match what we heard. 

A woman sat on the side of the road, with an old, cracked guitar in her lap. It was one of those guitars made for kids, with a short neck and little plastic strings. But she played it in the weirdest way I had ever seen a guitar played, sliding her callused old hands up and down the guitar's neck. I listened, and saw that she was playing the low strings for that deep base sound, and that she was playing the high strings in a separate pattern, creating the high pitched solo sound that I had heard earlier. It was so amazing. 

Maruge and I then went back to the food market to eat some dinner. Maruge and I shared a bowl filled with a lot of good foods, like beef, corn, and some salad. We just ate it with our hands, as was the custom in Kenya. It was really good. Then we went back to Maruge's and went to bed. 

My Visit With Maruge in Kenya Day 4

Today we woke up from a sputtering van going by the house. Today, I was  going to school again with Maruge. Today, we got to ride to in the van, which was nice because it was a long walk to the school from Maruge's house. When we got to school, he introduced me to the kid with the limp that I saw yesterday. He told me about his wishes to be a doctor when he grew up.
All of the kids wanted to know about America. I told them all about the houses, the schools, the people, but they mostly wanted to hear about the ocean. None of them had ever seen the ocean before, and they wanted to know everything about it. So I told them everything. I talked about the playful seals, the huge fish, the intelligent dolphins, the pinching crabs, the deadly sharks, the tasty lobsters, the elusive halibut, the nasty stingrays, the stinging jellyfishes and the humungous whales. I told them how the slimy kelp felt, how the salty water tasted, how the coastal air smelled and how the cold water chilled your bones. We talked for hours about the radiant sunsets, the big white clouds, and the effect on a coastal town when a storm comes. I informed them all about surfing, swimming, wake boarding, kayaking, SUPing (stand up paddling), fishing, waterskiing, jet skiing, and boogie boarding, and many other water sports. They thought that the ocean sounded like the coolest thing in the world. I was surprised that I had taken these things for granted my whole life and now I knew that it was a very special thing to live on the coast. I then told them about other places that I had been in the world. I told them about Central America, Hawaii, Wasington and Oregon, Canada, Nevada, Arizona, New York, and various places in California. They all wanted to know what snow was like. I told them all about skiing and snowboarding, and all about sledding, and even about making snowmen. They thought it was awesome.
Maruge and I went home and ate leftovers from the peanut chicken soup. Then we went to bed. 

My visit With Maruge in Kenya Day 3

Today, Maruge took me to his school. When class started, hundreds of kids ran out from the trees. More kids piled out of overcrowded vans like the one Maruge and I rode in. They all were laughing and having a good time.

 

I walked over to the schoolhouse with Maruge. In the classroom the teacher was showing the students how to write the alphabet. There wasn't enough room for me to sit in a chair, so I stood against the wall next to the teacher.

At recess, the teacher let us out to play. Maruge and some kids were dancing, so I joined in. It was like a goofy hula dance that they were doing.

I loved watching Maruge playing with the kids, because he was so wise and generous. A child with a limp walked over to Maruge, and instead of ignoring him like the other kids, Maruge went off to the side with the kid and started talking to him. Then they started laughing and playing around with each other like they were best friends. There was another kid sitting in the corner, an Maruge walked over and cheered him up.
The school in Kenya was unlike (in a good way) our school in many ways. I wondered if that was because  of Maruge.
When we got home, Maruge and I went into his garden and ate some cowpeas. Then we just sat there and watched the sun go down. It was really peaceful. We then went to bed.

My Visit With Maruge in Kenya Day 2

Today Maruge had school, so he had to leave very early in the morning to walk all of the way there and not be late. When he left, I decided to explore the town. I could smell things cooking from inside houses, and I could the little toddlers laughing and playing with a wood wheel. I walked down the bumpy dirt road, passing many mud huts surrounded by gardens and chicken coops and pens for goats and pigs. There were little boys, maybe 5 years old, working in the gardens, fetching eggs from the chickens, and milking goats. There were also little girls of the same age filling pots of water and carrying them on their heads back to their houses.





I then walked over to the edge of town, and saw a river. it was really beautiful, but there was a lot of trash in it. I thought that was too bad. It was a really cool river though so I stayed there for a while and watched  the monkeys in the trees while I listened to the water flowing.


I returned in time to meet Maruge. His school hours are a lot longer than mine, so there was only a few hours of daylight left. We went to the local market and bought things for dinner tonight. We bought a lot of ingredients for soup, including chicken and peanuts.
When we got home, Maruge and I started making the Chicken Peanut Soup. When we finished, the whole house smelled really good. Then we ate it. We ate until we were full, saving a little bit for tomorrow night.

My Visit With Maruge in Kenya Day 1

Today I flew from Duk County, Sudan, to Eldoret, Kenya I made the trip in a little puddle-jumper plane. I got to sit in the co-pilot seat, since I was the only passenger. It was great seeing Africa from above. We passed over busy cities, tiny villages, lush rain forests, and dry savannas. When we landed in the Eldoret International Airport, I got out thanked the pilot, and stepped out to meet Maruge. 

An old man stepped out of sputtering, rusty van. He was wearing a tattered school uniform and he had an old blanket draped around his shoulders. 

I walked over to him and shook his hand. He was extremely strong for a 85-year old man. He welcomed me to Kenya. 

We were driven back to his house in the old van. It was crowded with lots of people, chickens, and goats. Maruge showed me one of his goats, a brown one with black and white spots. He told me how important the goat is to him, because it provides him with milk.

When we got to Emmanuel's hut, it was already 8:30 at night, so we ate a dinner that Emmanuel made from vegetables in his garden. I was tired, so I got out my sleeping bag and spread it out on the floor, since there was only one bed. Maruge said "No, no" and he offered up his bed to me so that I could be more comfortable. I told him no but he insisted, so he slept on the floor while I slept in a bed. I felt really bad about this, but Maruge told me not to feel bad.

MY STOP IN ELDORET, KENYA

On my way home from South Sudan, I stopped in Kenya. I was invited to stay in the village of Eldoret.

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MY STOP IN ELDORET, KENYA

On my way back from South Sudan, I stopped in Kenya. I was invited to the village of Eldoret.



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