ROBB’S TRIP TO HENRY’S HOUSE

The head guard at our main gate lost all of his and his family’s possessions and most of his house in a fire recently. Our estate committee was asking everyone to consider helping him out financially. Robb talked with Henry regarding his needs and we decided to give him the mattress our bed came with along with the metal frame that we couldn’t fit up the stairs of our house.

Henry explained that he also had another mattress someone gave him but wasn’t sure how he was going to get them home. Robb offered to put all three on top of our car and take them to Henry’s house one night after he got home from the hangar. Henry told Robb that he lives “close by here.”

Okay, so he doesn’t live really far but it isn’t what I would call “close by here!” Henry lives in Kibera Slum about 3 miles (or about 15-30 min, depending on traffic) from us and then another 20 mins into the slum. Robb had to park the car at a certain point (Henry arranged for a couple of men to watch it – for a fee of course!) and then they walked the rest of the way to Henry’s house, about 30-40 yards down a hill, through open sewage. If we thought driving in Nairobi was interesting, driving in Kibera is like a whole different world! There are no roads, so imagine driving down a wide dirt walkway with dukas (or small shops) along both sides and hundreds of people sharing the space. Occasionally, it is necessary to find a space along the side to allow another car to pass. There are very few cars in Kibera. Robb only hit two dukas, almost taking the roof off one with one of the mattresses, a wheelbarrow, and maybe nudged a pedestrian or two (it was hard to tell since so many were faking it!)

Robb left around 5:30pm. I called him at 6:30pm to see how things were going and he said he would be another 20-30 mins. I called him again at 7:15pm and he said they were almost to our house. Henry insisted that he drive all the way back to the gate with Robb to make sure that Robb got back safely. Henry’s wife, daughter, and a friend also came along, just to the end of Kibera. As they drove through Kibera Henry’s wife and daughter were having a great time waving and chatting to friends they passed, making sure they were seen in a car being driven by a mzungu (or white person!) It was funny!

Apparently, Robb offering to take the mattresses and frame to Henry’s house was really really BIG! While at Henry’s house some bread and soda were brought in and they talked for a while. (Silly us for thinking Robb could just go drop the things off and come right back! It completely slipped our minds that it is culturally polite for Robb to spend some time with them. You never just stop by someone’s house for a couple of minutes!)

Henry’s house is probably the size of our small living room. It did not appear to Robb that the bed frame or mattresses were going to fit but they will figure out something. Robb said that they had already rebuilt most of the house with mud and sticks, and corrugated steel for the roof. I am sure they are still lacking a lot for what they lost in the fire.

Robb met Henry’s wife, daughter, older sons, several neighbors and their kids, and even the neighbor who caused the fire (it was electrical)! Anyway, they were delaying Robb at the house for some time when finally someone returned with a rooster for him! Now I imagine you are picturing a nice little rooster in a wood box or something. I am going to blow that imagine right out of the water! It is still hard for me to see this, but they transport live chickens and roosters upside down, feet tied together. They are a resource of food (eggs) or just food themselves!

Robb told them that he wouldn’t know what to do with it and everyone had a good laugh over that. If Robb brought home a live rooster we would have a new pet who would contribute to the neighborhood’s early morning wake-up cockle-doodle doos! (which incidentally start at 4am!!) One of the guys at the hangar told Robb that in Henry’s tribe from Western Kenya (Luyia, I think) giving a chicken is of the highest honor! Henry is so appreciative of an effort that seemed like nothing to us! It was not so much the giving of the bed and mattress, but transporting them to Henry’s house that was huge!