Back In Welverdiend

Today we had the opportunity to go back to Welverdiend to meet our hosts at the Community Based Organization there. As soon as we got there me and Leyton greeted our friends and we swapped stories over the last few weeks; he told us how his sister misses teaching us to cook and his young nephews asked him “Uncle, where are the mulungus?” – mulungu is their word for foreigners or white people. We didn’t get a chance to see his home and family but we saw him and his younger brother which was great.

We kicked around a half-flat football for a bit and he and his friends told us about their latest football matches and scores, they’re now second in the league and not far behind the leaders. We were then invited to eat pap, cabbage and a gravy/mince sauce with them, we had only just had lunch but we managed to force a tiny amount down to be polite. Eating with them brought back memories of the weekend we spent together really vividly; it’s weird how smells and tastes can do that so suddenly and powerfully.

It was odd going back to such a familiar place and seeing friends that seem like we’ve known them for ages. I had to remind myself that we had only met two weeks ago. It’s a shame it was such a short visit but it was worth the hours of dusty, bumpy roads to see them. I had to explain that I wouldn’t be able to see them or txt them again for a while as I’m going to Zambia (more on that in my next post) which made me sound like I was avoiding talking to him. I’d love to go and stay with his family again sometime but for now it’s not possible, I told him I’d come and see him when I’m back in the country.