Yesterday afternoon, A. Sarah and I took off on a walk to
Kiwoko. We talked and laughed as we walked. We were headed to town
to pick up some ingredients for the big dinner we were preparing. I kept
looking over our shoulder... hoping to see a Boda Boda (motorcycle).
Walking is nice and most practical. But when you are walking with someone
who is 9 months pregnant and the sun is shining high in the sky..... a Boda
Boda seems like the better option. And so when I saw the shadow of a Boda
Boda against the horizon, I spoke last minute words to A. Sarah.
"I'll meet you in Kiwoko" She wanted to share the
ride.... but I laughed. A 9-month pregnant lady and myself on the back of
a Boda Boda sprinting into town avoiding bumps and holes along the way was a
stretch for me. I pulled out my Luganda and asked the man to return for
me. And I kept walking watching A. Sarah disappear off into the distance.
And I kept walking. Apparently my Luganda failed or the man got
distracted because he never came back for me. It was no worries for me.
It was just nice to walk along and absorb my surroundings. There
were many to greet. Yes, out of formality. But for many of the
kids, they were just wanting to greet the white person walking towards town.
Some questioned my strength. Some just greeted and laughed as they
passed. And some just looked. I kept walking. And
eventually the hustle and bustle of Kiwoko was on the horizon. After a
quick look, I found A. Sarah. She had waited patiently for me. We
quickly met up with A. Rebecca at her shop. Two pregnant moms both due
within weeks of each other. And in the process of their greetings...
their bellies bumped....and we laughed. The babies within were sure to be
Age-mates, Play-mates, and quite possibly would one day be classmates. We
walked through town buying pork from the butcher, looking for Matooke, and in
the end making sure we had a cold drink (aka Coca Cola for yours truly) to
celebrate our hard work. And before we knew it, we were finished.
We hopped Boda Bodas back home. The evening was FULL of fun times.
The clinic staff joined together for an evening of cooking and eating.
We laughed, we talked, and we laughed some more. We spent time
encouraging two staff that were leaving and embracing two new staff who have
joined our team recently. And we said goodnight...
This morning, Auntie Sarah found me as I was heading over to
the admin building for a meeting. She told me she was in labor and after
she said a bit more, I told her she needed to get to the hospital. From
what she was sharing, it appeared the time had come. It was a
moment of anticipation and excitement…
A few hours later, we received the news we were absolutely
not expecting. The baby had not made
it. We were stunned. I was stunned. The emotion of loss quickly found me. I struggled to digest the news. Hadn’t A. Sarah and I just talked in
excitement the day earlier on our walk about the impending birth of her third
child? And now he was gone. Yes, he.
A little 3 kg boy.
Deborah and I reached the hospital shortly after 1 PM.
We greeted the
father. We greeted the mother. And we remained.
We were taken into a room where the body of their boy
lay. He was precious. And as we left that room, A. Deborah and I just embraced. There were very few words.
And so we sat. And we
were present. And the tears came.
And to be honest, I don’t have many more words to share. I feel the tears seeping through. Tears of empathy and sadness. Tears of a
season of goodness and hardness. Today
as I walked through the maternity ward, I was flooded with so many memories
already formed during my time here. It
was only 16 months ago that A. Rebecca (mentioned above) gave birth to sweet
baby Frank who later went home to heaven.
Then there was the gift of being with A. Jalia as she welcomed her
little Hannah into the world. And a
short time later…. Being present with Caleb and Alair as baby Nora made her
debut. Ah the memories. And today, another one was formed. Holding the hand of a sister as she begins
the unanticipated journey of grief and deeper trust in her God. God’s got this and I cling to that with
everything within me.
