Holiday in Luapula

Monday 7th October

I managed a week’s holiday in Luapula Province, Kasanka village (630kms north east) last week with Helen and I completing our 4^th cycle of 16 week drug and alcohol therapy group work and declaring a week’s break from all appointments.  It has been more than a year since my last visit and I wondered how I’d “fit in,” after such an absence.  But country people don’t change much and readily swamped me with greetings, questions and delight.  I’d returned and when was I coming back?  Nine hours sleep was the order of the day, and by walking in a circle crossing the dry swamp and re-crosssing further west, had the chance to exchange waves of recognition from houses, pathways and when I reached the highway, even the little ones from the Primary School decided that I merited abandoning their morning line up outside class to come and greet me.  The highway is barely 50 metres from the school. These are Sr. Agness’ former Pre-School students.  Agness is currently in our Novitiate community in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe- and actually spent a few days in Kasanka while I was there, chasing up documents she needed from Samfya District.

Rogita was still there too, when I arrived though I didn’t see her till the following morning as I’d arrived on the night bus at 01.30! The dogs did though, ecstatic to meet someone and company in the night!  I’d thought my holiday was to be a solitary one and here was both Rogita and Agness!  Rogita postponed her Kabwe trip, as the Literacy School borehole drilling team arrived out of the blue.  They worked all day Saturday, overtime, in order to accommodate the project- and it was urgent as soon the rains would come, ruling out any further drilling until the following year.

Unfortunately my Bemba language has deteriorated to infant standard, and I could say little when the Sunday Congregation called me to the front to give an account of myself! Ho hum! My week was full of sleep, lazing about, coaching Agi with her reverse driving (she hopes to go for her driver’s licence in December) and doing some gardening.  Having arrived by night, for my Lusaka return (always a challenge!) I decided to risk a morning wait by the road for the Kawambwa “Peace Soldier,” the only day time coach, positioning myself at the Milenge junction, on the highway.  I’d just missed a chance in a private vehicle, so settled to wait with a book, wondering would I be forced to return in the evening for the night buses.  Whoosh, there it was! Stuffing my book hastily into my handbag, and shrugging on my back pack, I began waving down the coach as it sped past. “It’s stopping, Sister. Run!” yelled people from the other side of the road in encouragement. And sure enough it was, even reversing back, from further up the road.  So I ran and so did another young man in the middle of the road, grinning in support as I breathlessly climbed up.

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Rogita, Agness and Elizabeth currently studying in UK

My heart was filled with gratitude, as the miles flew by, and we reached in good time.  There was a great atmosphere on that bus.  Perhaps because both passengers and staff are from the same place, Kawambwa?  But it was the two bus boys and two co-drivers who attracted my attention, who throughout the journey joked and teased, enjoying each other. I enjoyed myself and even managed workshop preparation for a course next month.  And to think and pray.  It was a good break; so different that it was like visiting another world.

Heaps of love, Marie