Day 3. Road trip North
An early morning "knock, knock, knock" and quiet voice came thru my door....are you ready? "I am ready" (Of course I am ready esp since i was still in sleepless mode and been up most of the night - ha) . I look at my phone for the time. Amazing today is not on African time, they are early! I guess I trained them well! Not sure how that happened as I have never worn a watch - not in my whole life - (not exactly proud of that as I tormented a lot of people with my timing!). Team...meet Terence, our project manager and director of community foundation for development. He had polio at an early age and has walked with a cane since, yet he moves all over the country overseeing our projects for us. He surprises me with his wife, Grace, whom I love dearly and was another mother to my Bosco. Terence was the director of the infant orphan care center when I met him in 2006 (where Bosco and baby N, children of war, grasped our hearts and souls). Son, Isaac, is driving me for the very first time (no easy feat -haha) and he gets us out of the big city in record time! No, I am not taking the usual public bus, tackling the stampede of the bus park and struggle of getting all my tubs loaded and a seat secured through pushing, sardine sandwiched people, to then ride the whole day with kids laying in my lap and chickens squawking at my feet, produce falling on my head - strangely....I do have an affinity for this kind of travel as it brings me close to the pulse of the people and typically live like the locals when travelling alone (way less expensive). However, I promised my family and friends I would take care of myself and rest! Haha! So funny - gotta love em!! Much needed stops along the way, my continued sleeplessness and efficient use of time, solidified the deal. Denis, a young man we have known for years, raised up on the farm and sponsored by Hope 2 One Life board members in school and university, is by my side all the way... Schlepping the tubs of supplies, my backpack - I am grateful! Even better are the great conversations about his dreams and hopes post university. All are taking great care of me. This is for you....parents and friends who worry, care and love me....thank you!! Waberle, goodbye big city. Here we go team....come along, carry me along ....The city fades, the traffic jam is light on a Sunday, the tarmack is without too many potholes, we were only stopped once by the police (yes, once - a miracle). No vehicle breakdowns, nor hours sitting by the side of the road melting in the heat - waiting, forever waiting...not one! We dropped off fabric and supplies in Kikumba (which ended up getting re packed in the car, so we had to loop back some kilometers up the road). Picked up Bosco (farm Bosco, not my Bosco at home in US), so he can brief me on all of the drip irrigation garden and farming projects he helped set up in the north. He was also trained by Tom on the water well transducers that will provide valuable information for water usage in the future, (donated by American companies, In Situ and Solinac). A stop in Gulu to meet Sr Mother Susanna and discuss Rosa Mystica Rest Home income generation grain grinder project. Onward to Kitgum on the "people" Highway, moving with everything and anything you can imagine on their heads or cycles ....on the all familiar red red dirt. That red, red healing dirt that dusts my face in the wind, smears it in with the heat, imbedded in my skin and cracks of my feet for months following ...brings back so many memories of travelling this road in years past, up and down, looking for Bosco's family in the IDP - internally displaced persons camps .... In the days when there were no people walking or riding this road, in fear of the LRA, burned out vehicles doted the roadsides - evidence of those killed, tortured and captured by the LRA... Aahh these sidelines have now changed to forms of life... There is hope, I dream about hope as I doze off ....then with a jolt "How much farther? We are just near the edge of town". We are here and that was the quickest smoothest trip I have ever had going north!! After discussing our next plan, I am tucked into the familiar Bomah hotel and I sleep! Then it rains....glorious glorious drenching, soaking warm pounding, rushing rain! The skies light up and the thunder sounds. It rains! Glory glory hallelujah - it rains! My heart is dancing in the rain ... And I sleep some more...finally I sleep...sweet dreaming of tomorrow's to come - travelling to remote deep war torn village - in the mud! I can't wait!
- Nadine
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