New Friends, but they don't talk Part ll

New Friends, but they don’t talk Part ll

After the mother’s exchanged stuff it was time to head on outside. Now I don’t know if you can really get the gist of this scene. All the women gather around Caroline and they sing. Don’t ask me what song cause I have no idea. Anyway, as they sing they kinda dance, but dance and walk at the same time. Caroline goes into another little house and doesn’t appear for about 10 minutes. When she does she comes out in a different outfit and she has a beaded necklace and a headdress on. Both are stunningly beautiful. I’m told it’s a Masai thing, but from what I’m also told Caroline isn’t of the Masai tribe. So I’m not sure why she’s wearing it, all I know is that it’s beautiful. So again the women are singing and dancing and they are going to where Caroline will sit for the rest of the day. Now Caroline is carrying a cake, kinda like a wedding cake but it’s for the engagement. Once she reaches her destination, she sit’s down and the priest gets up and he begins to speak. 

Well, the priest spoke for a little over an hour! Man he was long winded, a really nice man but he spoke for way to long in my opinion. Then the Master of Ceremonies had a member of Caroline’s family speak for a while, and then someone from Isaac’s family spoke. While this is going on I’m taking pictures of everyone and anyone/thing/animal. Then when I wasn’t looking, Alice was in front of everyone speaking. Then the unthinkable happened. She called for me. “Cait, Cait...” “Come here Cait.”  Now I don’t want to go up cause I’m not sure what she’s about to do. Well, turns out she introduces me to everyone. I’m the only White person there, so I’m a novelty. Can you imagine that, me a novelty. LOL  So she introduces me to the crowd and tells them that I’m a friend of Isaac and he drives me around town in the car. And then I say, “he’s the best driver! and he always knows where to get whatever I need!!” So then I walk away towards some kids. 

Now these kids see me, and only one ran away crying. LOL  So these kids crowd around me and they won’t leave me alone so I can continue to take pictures. Stuff is going on and I want to get it on film, but I can’t because of the kids. It’s kinda funny really, but weird as well. If I point the camera at them they run away, but as soon as I turn around they are all there once again. Now there’s about 15 kids I think. So as the gift giving is going on and the singing, welcoming Caroline into the community I get very little pictures of it. BUT I made some new friends. The only problem is they didn’t talk! Now I know they could talk, but they didn’t want to talk to me, and the didn’t want to leave me either. So I was with them for about 30 minutes making conversation that was totally one sided.  There was one girl who came up and asked if a boy could take a picture. So I motioned for the boy to come closer and I held the camera for him and had him press the button to take a picture of a girls head. Then I told him he would become a great photographer someday, and that he needed to remember the white lady at the engagement party started it all for him. 

Then as the party was really winding down, I walked over by Alice and asked if we were going pretty soon, and guess what followed me. YEP all of the kids.  Now I wonder why it’s always kids following me around and not 50+ year old men? I have to wonder.  

While I was waiting for Alice so we could leave, I spoke to the priest some. He asked me if I was married, and I told him no. Then he asked if I wanted to get married, and I told him I didn’t know if I did or didn’t. He then he asked why didn’t I want to get married. Well then I told him, well in order to get married, someone needs to be knocking on the door, and no one is knocking on my door at home. Therefore I don’t think I’ll ever marry again! It’s a good thing the kids didn’t understand this conversation. Unfortunately this one comes up often here in Kenya for me.

Finally we got in the car and proceeded out of the compound and onto the dirt road. It seemed like forever for us to get back to the main road, but then again it was dark outside. I looked for the moon and what I saw was so amazing. The moon looked so bright and it was a quarter moon (I think) and it looked just like the pictures you see. Truly amazing. That is one thing about the night sky in Kenya, it is filled with Stars!!