There is a security guard for the property during the night. He walks around, keeping an eye for anyone where they’re not supposed to be and helping ensure that everyone sleeps more easily. He is a nice young man named Rollins. I don’t know if I’m spelling it correctly, but he has told me multiple times that this is his name and he answers to it. :)
He introduced himself to Floyd one night when he was patrolling and Floyd was sitting on the porch. The next day or so, he came by during the day and asked if we had any extra work he could do to earn money. At first we didn't realize who he was, but we put 2 and 2 together. He calls us Uncle and Auntie, which no one else does. We found some things he could help us with and paid him some money. The next day, he helped us again. There’s plenty to do because of the status of the house and the kids and I needing to catch up on their school work.
One night I made beans and rice and we had a whole helping of beans left over. Floyd went and asked him if he had dinner. He said he had some but it wasn't much. I fixed the beans in a bowl but I had no rice left over. I gave him 2 slices of bread to sop it up with. :) The next day, he came by and asked Floyd for drinking water. He told Floyd that he didn't have any. Since we brought several sports bottles from the US, we picked one out for him. We showed him how to use it and filled it from our filtered water. We told him to come back for more as much as he needed, so we see him at least once or twice every day.
We also found out that he wants to earn extra money to build a house. He needs 5 more sheets of tin to finish the roof. Then he’ll only need doors and windows. He has a girlfriend and he wants to ask her to marry him, so he’s building a house. We've been able to pay him for a handful of things. He even came on Saturday asking to borrow a wash basin to wash his clothes. We’re glad he feels comfortable to come to our home and to visit with Floyd.
Unfortunately, I don’t know our other friend’s name. He just comes around a lot. At all times of the day, he comes to sit on our porch. Sometimes he just sits and listens to what we’re talking about, and other times he carries on his own little imaginary games on the porch. We’ll suddenly hear his small voice, as he is making little noises to go along with whatever he’s imagining. He’ll play with sticks and things as if they’re some sort of figure. His English is very limited and he seems shy, so he rarely ever says anything.
He comes to sit on the porch when the boys and I are reading out loud and he has a break. He comes to sit on the porch when Floyd plays the guitar. Yesterday, he was on the front porch and Raegan came into the dining area to show me that her tin whistle had been broken in transit. When she started playing it, he quickly ran around the veranda to the back door so that he could see what she was doing. I had a bucket blocking the back door because the chickens always come in. He was crouched behind it and would stick his head up to peek over when he thought no one was looking. Raegan had quickly gone back to what she was doing, so I called her back to me. I said, “can you still play Joy to the World”, and she did. That gave him the chance to see where the music was coming from.
One day, he had been sitting there for a while and he doesn’t say anything, he just smiles. I went out to dump the dish water into the soak pit, so he was very close to me. I talked to him in Luganda saying, “wasuze otia” (literally “how was your night” but common for morning greeting, like good morning). He scrunched his shoulders down and avoided looking at me, but very quietly said, “balungi” (meaning good). I said, “kale” (okay), and went about what I was doing.
Here’s a few pictures that I've snapped without him seeing me.
He introduced himself to Floyd one night when he was patrolling and Floyd was sitting on the porch. The next day or so, he came by during the day and asked if we had any extra work he could do to earn money. At first we didn't realize who he was, but we put 2 and 2 together. He calls us Uncle and Auntie, which no one else does. We found some things he could help us with and paid him some money. The next day, he helped us again. There’s plenty to do because of the status of the house and the kids and I needing to catch up on their school work.
One night I made beans and rice and we had a whole helping of beans left over. Floyd went and asked him if he had dinner. He said he had some but it wasn't much. I fixed the beans in a bowl but I had no rice left over. I gave him 2 slices of bread to sop it up with. :) The next day, he came by and asked Floyd for drinking water. He told Floyd that he didn't have any. Since we brought several sports bottles from the US, we picked one out for him. We showed him how to use it and filled it from our filtered water. We told him to come back for more as much as he needed, so we see him at least once or twice every day.
We also found out that he wants to earn extra money to build a house. He needs 5 more sheets of tin to finish the roof. Then he’ll only need doors and windows. He has a girlfriend and he wants to ask her to marry him, so he’s building a house. We've been able to pay him for a handful of things. He even came on Saturday asking to borrow a wash basin to wash his clothes. We’re glad he feels comfortable to come to our home and to visit with Floyd.
Unfortunately, I don’t know our other friend’s name. He just comes around a lot. At all times of the day, he comes to sit on our porch. Sometimes he just sits and listens to what we’re talking about, and other times he carries on his own little imaginary games on the porch. We’ll suddenly hear his small voice, as he is making little noises to go along with whatever he’s imagining. He’ll play with sticks and things as if they’re some sort of figure. His English is very limited and he seems shy, so he rarely ever says anything.
He comes to sit on the porch when the boys and I are reading out loud and he has a break. He comes to sit on the porch when Floyd plays the guitar. Yesterday, he was on the front porch and Raegan came into the dining area to show me that her tin whistle had been broken in transit. When she started playing it, he quickly ran around the veranda to the back door so that he could see what she was doing. I had a bucket blocking the back door because the chickens always come in. He was crouched behind it and would stick his head up to peek over when he thought no one was looking. Raegan had quickly gone back to what she was doing, so I called her back to me. I said, “can you still play Joy to the World”, and she did. That gave him the chance to see where the music was coming from.
One day, he had been sitting there for a while and he doesn’t say anything, he just smiles. I went out to dump the dish water into the soak pit, so he was very close to me. I talked to him in Luganda saying, “wasuze otia” (literally “how was your night” but common for morning greeting, like good morning). He scrunched his shoulders down and avoided looking at me, but very quietly said, “balungi” (meaning good). I said, “kale” (okay), and went about what I was doing.
Here’s a few pictures that I've snapped without him seeing me.
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