Mangoes and Music in Mongu

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We visited my husband’s uncle Gift. He lives in a cement home overlooking the floodplain. He has a mango tree and was so happy to share some of his mangoes with us. He cut up a dozen or so and had us sit outside under a carport. Instantly we were swarmed with flies. They were infiltrating every facial orifice, not to mention the poor mangoes. To make it even more interesting, there was a wounded dog laying next us. He had a badly oozing wound which was also covered with flies. Michelle and I were uncomfortable to say the least and couldn’t understand how everyone else seemed to be so nonchalant about the flies. I kept swatting my face and soon it was covered in sticky orange goo. I felt lovely. Pretty soon Michelle and I were crying with laughter.

Uncle Gift asked, “What’s so funny?”

I replied incredulously, “The flies! How come they are not bothering you?”

He gave a puzzled half smile and left it at that. I soon tired of battling the flies and the mangoes (they were good though-very juicy and sweet-the mangoes I mean) so I decided to snoop around his property. He had a little vegetable garden, a pig pen, several wondering chickens, and a shanty house for his servants. Across the street there was a gang of children who were both curious and shy of us.

I would say, “Mucwani!” and they would always repeat in a sing-song voice, “We are fine and how are you?”

When we stayed with my husband’s aunt Violet, cousin Da and all of her children, we had the most fun. They were a very fun loving family and I felt like I had known them all my life. They gave us chitenges, jewelery, and grass woven baskets. After dinner we would play Zambian music and dance into the night. It was a strangely wonderful feeling to feel so uninhibited around people I barely knew. I was becoming intoxicated with Africa.

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Comments

[kato]

Seems like you had great fun...and if you thought you would be comfortable with whatever Mongu had to offer, you overestimated yourself! But whats even better...there is always something to laugh about til you cry... Love you girl..