Rats and Thugs!

This week, a few of us girls went in town to get pedicures.  Now, I know this kind of seems awful, but our feet were all cracked and black.  It is really dry here, and dusty, so we have been scrubbing our feet so much every day.  Yet, despite it all, our feet just looked gross.

Well, while were were on the way back, we stopped and bought some “Malawi Junk Food,” aka RAT ON A STICK!!  We were laughing in the car so hard for the mile or so while we drove back.  Yet, as we approached the gate to drive onto our campus, we saw a big commotion.  At the gate, the guards were trying fighting with some men and trying to push them out of the gate.  There was punching and screaming. 

My first reaction was to try to back up and go to a different gate . . . but I couldn’t.  The cars are backwards here and are driven on the other sides of the road, thus the gear shifts are backwards to.  In a moment of panic, I couldn’t find the gear shift.

The men had just been pushed out of the gate and had to pass by our car.  As they approached we rolled up the windows and locked the car doors.  They hit the car with their hands, but then were chased off by the guards.

We were scared for a minute, and then drove up to the gate and asked what in the world had happened.  Apparently, the two young “Thugs” had been chasing a 40 year old man and trying to rob him.  The guards let the older man into the gate in order to protect him.

Can you imagine?  I know it is not safe walking on the streets at night, but this was in broad daylight!  I am just glad that the man was able to escape onto our campus.  He later left out a different gate, to ensure that he wasn’t followed.

Well, after our fun and scare going to town, we finally arrived home to take pictures with the rats on the stick.  We were laughing so hard, that Mercy the Maid came out to see us.  She said that she really liked rat, so she took a bite for one of the pictures.

After a bit of fun, she asked me if she could take the rats home for dinner with her family!  My bit of fun, turned into a dinner!  This surprised me a bit, but I was grateful that I could provide for her.

The next morning when her husband saw me her ran up to me.  He said that he just wanted to thank me for the delicious dinner that I was able to provide for him family, and that they really enjoyed it.

All I can say is Heartbreaking . . . I knew they ate it, but to be so grateful for something that we would never even want to eat; my heart was broken.  At that moment the reality of life in Africa set in once again.  These people truly have nothing. 

So, the next day, I decided that I would start sending Mercy home with some real food. She left my house with a Papaya and two sweet potatoes . . . I just hope I can help more in the future, but I don’t think I will be buying any more rats!