Riding the waves
Wake at first light with much scratching and scrabbling in the ceiling above our bed
(there has been a lot of ceiling and roof bouncing activity in the last few days)
is it rats – or is it?
is it … the bushbabies coming home?
(they moved out of Mel’s ceiling some weeks ago as it has become a nesting site for the wood hoopoes)
waking with a feeling of hopeful gratitude
AND
There is ZESA! (Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority)
–it has been in even more limited supply lately
bills to Mozambique not paid/ bills of officials not paid/whatever
I scurry outside to the washing machine
(so placed to access 3 different water supplies)
but all will be well
there is ZESA – and that runs the community borehole
(the Municipality water is still leaking into the vlei – we haven’t had that for months)
but no
for some other reason the borehole pump is not working
(water supply 1 and 2 not available!)
I scurry through the morning ferns to switch on the Green Tank
(our backup supply – access 3)
all is well
Boil pot of tea with a great plan
the satellite supplying our daily dose of BBC delivered through the battery radio
seems to have dropped out of the sky in the last few days
but …
this morning there is ZESA – which means that the internet will be working
grab my laptop
fumble around in growing light to set up the World Radio news
aah – the familiar well-modulated, dulcet tones of BBC filter through the bedroom
with all the latest disasters, killings, outrage
pour cups of tea and settle into bed
but no
it is streaming and buffering and b****ing around and we catch an occasional word or two
ahh well, think about today
- have to pick up a tire being repaired at the garage (pot-hole puncture)
- Tony’s car dropped a something from the steering into something else in the engine
that also needs repairing
- then there is the invitation from yet another funder to apply for funding for they are very interested in what we do
just fill in the form and read the online 360 page – or alternatively a more detailed 1000 page – explanation
juggling
will this be another exercise in futility?
to get a one liner 3 weeks late inviting you to apply again next time as you didn’t make it this time
check the washing machine
the water pressure is so low it didn’t even wash the soap into bowl
its rinsed anyway
The light in the kitchen dims and wavers
perhaps the ZESA supply is so low that it merely switches things on
just doesn’t get them to work?
Its 9.30am
cloudy day
cold wind
at the traffic light my friend the newspaper vendor rushes to the car window
eyes on stalks
‘look at the headlines Gogo’ he instructs
President and Prime Minister agree to elections in June
the ugly specter of renewed violence floats in a dark cloud above our heads
April 3rd 2012
riding the waves