Visit with Malinga

Again apologies for delays in blog posts. I have spent the last week in Kilema where the new Rotary funded satellite internet connedction is almost up and running ...but not quite. No timeline available either as a 'part' is needed for the wireless router. Anyway, I think my last entry ended with a reference to our harrowing bus ride to Dar es salaam to see Malinga. We had a wonderful three days and spoiled ourselves by staying at the Kilimanjaro Kempinski for three whole nights. Shafiq,our travel agent in Moshi booked us the resident rate, which is much more affordable than the rate for business travellers but still a splurge. We of course wanted only the best for Malinga for his first sleep-over with his new big brother (Big Kaka in Kiswahili...you can of course imagine the mileage that Jack my bodily function obsessed son has gotten out of that one!). Yes, brother is 'Kaka' in Kiswahili. Sister is Dada, and Hannah of course is referring to herself as the little Dada, but, it doesn't have the same effect. The bus ride on the Dar Express involved a hot (I am sure it was plus 35) sweaty and smelly, full bus load of people for 8 hours!!! We got on at 6:30 am and at 7:30 they gave out the bottle of Fanta or Coke and at noon we stopped for 'lunch'. Lunch was at a roadside restaurant in the middle of nowhere. There was 5- 10 minutes to eat some rice and beans quickly and use the pit latrines and run back on the bus. The buses staying on-time seems to be the only things that runs on schedule in this land of paradoxes. When it is time to leave (and no -one knows when the driver will decide that is) the driver and his assistant start to board the bus and beep the horn and roll, out fo the parking lot no matter who is missing. I am not exaggerating either. Once we arrived in Dar we cooled off our slightly stressed and over-heated kids in the beautiful infinity pool that overlooked the harbour (Indian ocean). The rooms felt like a palace after Kilema, we all slept in a fluffy King Size bed after a huge dinner. Hannah fell asleep at the table though and missed her spaghetti. The next day we had a breakfast meeting with our lawyer and Tanzanian adoption wiz...Brooke Montgomery. We asked if Malinga could stay with us that evening and she agreed it would be a good idea. We went to the orphanage when the kids returned home from school and were met by all the children and their wonderful smiles and hugs...we are getting to know them all quite well. They all have distinct little personalities as well. Malinga had been asked by the volunteer if he wanted to go with us for a 'sleepover' and according to her he smiled and didn't waste any time by marching to his room and packed his bag.
We had a truly awesome night and i was really touched by how kind and gentle my children were with him. They almost fought over who could be nicer to him. Hannah had her arm around him in the taxi and Jack took his hand as we walked into the hotel. We went for a swim first. Malinga can float, which is a start but Jack basically pulled him around on a buoy the whole time. After it got dark we went for a nice dinner. My heart was breaking as I watched him clear his plate and then Jack's leftovers. He would have had Hannah's too I think if he wasn't so tired. We went up to bed at that point. The three kids climbed under the fluffy white duvet and watched African soccer. When the room attendant arrived with Malinga's fold up cot he climbed under the covers and was sound asleep in 3 minutes. We all slept well that night...it was nice to have him so close.
The next morning, Jack and I rose early with Malinga so we could enjoy a leisurely breakfast and get him to school on time. Again, he ate three times what I thought his stomach would hold...and topped it off with a gooey chocolate donut (which he politely tried to cut with a knife and fork before I convinced him to pick it up with his fingers!). After breakfast we grabbed a taxi and took him to school. He goes to a lovely English Waldorf-based curriculum school and is in the first grade. The orphans from his orphanage are all sent there at some expense to try to get them a better education than the government system provides here...namely schooling in English and, where children are not routinely disciplined through corporal punishment. Jack was invited to participate in the rhythmic play session that they started their day with. He and Malinga were both grinning from ear to ear. After the class went into school, Jack and I headed off again for the hotel. We visited Malinga again that night but couldn't bring him for a sleepover as we were leaving the next morning.
Our bus ride home to Kilema was long and hot AND we were almost left at the rest stop. It was actually quite comical as I thought I had heard them announce that the bus was leaving and Roman said 'no, it wouldn't be leaving yet'..next thing we look over and the bus is driving away! He made a dash to get them to stop and they slowed down but kept rolling. I was yelling in English and Swahili for them to stop and when I got to the door i put my leg up on the step so he would have to stop. By that time Roman and the kids had made it to the bus and were able to climb on...it was crazy. I yelled at the driver mainly because he saw that we were running to catch him and didn't stop. I am sure we must have left someone else behind. The 'new' experiences never stop. I also haven't told you that the driver plays loud music, usually a B-band version of a Backstreet Boys or some other mainstream artist. They also have a dilapidated Tv on board and show Nigerian soap operas or violent Asian movies. I am sure i still haven't done the whole crazy experience justice...you really had to be there.