Lightning Bugs and Snaps

Lightning bugs and snaps are not related except that both have occurred recently. When we arrived in August Bry'Chell and I both noticed that Uganda seemed to be missing lightning bugs. Since I grew up in California where the only lightning bugs were in story books and summer visits to Midwest relatives, this wasn't a big deal. However, Bry'Chell being a native Midwesterner, missed her lightning bugs. Until Wednesday night.

Her English Literature teacher assigned three books to the class, but Bry'Chell didn't have the titles and authors. Missing the details of assignments is a pattern with Bry'Chell. It annoys me to no end. Usually it means a drive--or if I'm feeling particularly annoyed, a walk--to St. Ailbe's to get the missing work. Here it means a walk to St. Mary's. The distance is about the same only here Bry'Chell does it as a walk everyday--rain or shine. Wednesday she did it twice. We ate supper and headed out to St. Mary's. For Bry'Chell this meant changing back into her uniform since students are not allowed on the compound without their uniforms.

We arrived to be greeted by several of Bry'Chell's classmates--all boys and all boarders--who wanted to know why she was back. She explained and one of the boys walked us to Madam Irene's house (the teachers live on the compound). Madam Irene was pleased to see us--or at least she said she was--and I have no reason to think she was lying. She invited us in and apologized for her house being messy. Her house looked better than ours does on a good day.

Madam Irene is the head of the English Department so she found the teacher she needed and he wrote down the list of books. Their lit teacher told them to get the books out of the school library, but there are about five books for fifty kids. I told Bry'Chell I would buy the books. They're supposed to read the abridged versions, but I think Bry'Chell is capable of reading the actual works.

The three books are: Unfulfilled Dream by Julius Ochwinyo, a Ugandan author, Weep Not Child by Ngugi WaThoingo, a Kenyan and Jane Eyre by, of course, Charlotte Bronte. I'm glad she's being exposed to some African authors.

On the way back, it was dark and we actually saw some lightning bugs. Bry'Chell noticed them first. I must have been spacing, because they were right there in front of us. It was pretty cool, lightning bugs in February.

Now about snaps. It seems that everyone always wants one of us, Bry'Chell or me, to take their pictures. It gets old, but it's a big deal to have pictures--snaps, as the locals say. Richard, the gardener, has asked me on several occasions to take his picture. Unless I'm really busy I do. Today Richard came by with some snaps of his own--of his three year old daughter. She's a cutie. I was touched that he bothered to share the pictures with me. It was a nice gesture.