Weekend at Lillians parents - Up Country

Finally the long awaited arrival of Aunty Lillian came true. She was to arrive several weeks ago.
You can imagine the excitement her arrival created. Aunty Lillian left Kenya seven years ago and had never returned home once.
She was expected last December,but it didn't happen. Now,after much confusion she was to arrive on an early morning flight on Thursday the 15th November from Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii.
She didn't overnight stop anywhere.

Pastor Olaf of Waimea UCC told me of a native Kenyan living right in Kekaha before I left for my round the world trip. Lillian, I discovered,had a gift shop/Western Union/travel agency in the old Kekaha Plantation Building. The same building I often went to for our West Kauai Community Coalition meetings. So one day I stopped by and introduced myself. After that we had fregrent visits. Lillian introduced me by email to her sister Mary who invited me to stay with her and her husband and three boys while in Nairobi. Lillian needed to return to Kenya to take a workshop which would upgrade her certification from the government to continue to sell and promote tourism in Kenya.

Lillian brought gifts for Mary and her family and other members of her family and friends who came streaming to the house all day long until wee hours of the night. After all no other member of her family had gone aboard and returned. While still on Kauai Lillian who is very proud to be a Kenyan and who has a rich family background and tradition...her grandfather was chief of the village..up country...which is a valley deep below Mt. Kenya. It is cool and rains often so the valley is very lush. Coffee, banana,potato both sweet and white,pumpkin,casava, arrow root(taro)and even purple Kauai lilikoi grows well there.

So early Friday morning we packed up a rented station wagon with clothes and food(lillian said she sent extra money for food to her parents,but still didn't feel right not taking more food)and two of her sisters one with a baby and David,Mary's 10 year old and Danson,12 year old grandson of Lillian's oldest sister Jane,Kevin,Mary's oldest son (22 yrs.)and I all squeezed in the station wagaon. The roads in Kenya have full of potholes. Lillian who had become used to driving on Kauai had to remember that in Kenya you drive on the opposite side of the road. Not an easy task. The rest of the family and relatives would arrive later on their own.

The drive would take us over two hours. Once we left the main highway it was all dirt roads.
We got suck in the mud several times and had to get help to push the car back on the road.

Midway we slowed down and were bombarded by venders selling bananas,tomatoes,etc. But we had not taken time to eat breakfast so we were happy to get the sweet bananas to relieve our hungry stomachs. In Kenya it is very common to be surrounded by sellers where ever you are.

When we got to the farm many many relatives...from mother's side. and grandmother (around 100 yrs no records to know exactly)..9 sisters..and neighbors were at the house helping to prepare food. First thing Lillian did was to find her mom and dad. The long "lost child"had returned.

Because she was talking"non stop"all throughout the weekend she began losing her voice and had to get something from the doctor.

The next few days were filled with unforgetable experiences which I know that I would never have had except for the hospitality and generousity of Lillian. I feel very blessed by God.

It was like going back in time. I will need to elaborate more for you to get a taste of what I experienced. And Lillian having experienced being a stranger when she first arrived in Canada was super sensitive to possible difficulties I might experience. She was and is an excellent host.

There are some funny human interest stories I would like to relate,but I think I should do in my next blog post.

Until next time Aloha.