The Quest

Anika, the Give Us Wings representative and I are going back to the US within a month of one another and are both bringing back jewelry from Ilkiloret to sell. This week I picked jewelry for Anika to take back. One of the women who makes very nice jewelry didn’t come to class so I went to her boma (homestead) to look for her. It was supposed to be a simple quest as Rebeka was going to accompany me, but we got our wires crossed and I lost her in the bush, so I decided I would go by myself.

Lorna’s families boma is behind the local primary school. I ran into Lorna going to fetch water near the school grounds. She asked one of the young boys to come interpret for us. We went back to her manyatta and she started to make tea, which I declined because it was getting late and she still needed to fetch water. I looked at her jewelry, picked what I thought would sell. She makes bottle openers from a stick with a screw in it and beads the handle. They actually work! I’m bringing some home to sell. We walked back toward the school where she had left her jeri-can.

Then I met up with some other learners who were walking toward the classroom and walked with them a little ways.

Then they walked off toward the reservoir and I walked toward the MIDI sign way off in the distance.

I saw Rebeka’s black t-shirt and red and yellow leso in the distance and walked toward her. She was talking with another woman and then we started walking home. On the way home she told me that Lorna was her step-sister. Her father had 4 wives and 27 children. The first and second wives had 10 children each. Rebeka is the daughter of the second wife. She has eight brothers and one sister! The third wife had four children and the fourth wife had three children. We had this conversation in three languages!

I went to visit Janet and bring the jewelry I had collected from Lorna. Janet is recording what I’m taking and I will bring money to pay the women from Anika next week. Janet’s mother was making tea, and insisted I stay for tea. Janet asked me to come on April 23rd. I asked why on the 23rd, she said she would tell me later. I asked her if she had found a husband for me and that’s when I was supposed to meet him. She just laughed and said no. April 23rd is my birthday so that would be a good present.

Kidding people!

I forgot to take pictures of the jewelry but will do it when I lay it all out for Anika next week and insert those photos in this blog. Mea Culpa!