When you overland in Africa, it not uncommon to have the
driver look for a shady tree and then pull over on the side of a road and have
lunch. Within minutes everyone on the bus unloads the tables, dishes and food and
then starts to prepare lunch. It is also not uncommon that when we begin this
process local children emerged out of thin air and encircle our area with great
curiosity. I always take this opportunity to go introduce myself to the kids
and ask then their names. I also, grab my “special” backpack and give the kids
sweets, balloons, stickers and school supplies.
On one such occasion, three little girls around the age of
six or seven stood silently with large flat wicker trays piles high with mounds
of little ripe yellow bananas. Shyly
they each told me their names and then asked me if I wanted to buy some banana’s.
I looked at Roy and he of course as usual he read my mind in an instant. He
came over to the girls and asked them how much their bananas were. Each girl
told him their price. He then said, “okay I will buy them all”. The girls
looked at each other with a look of disbelief and total excitement. Then I took
each tray and carefully emptied all the little bananas onto our lunch table.
Our cooked along with the other travel partners looked at us
like we had lost our minds. Roy handed each girl her money and quietly they
smiled and said thank you. One little girl gave Roy a big hug. Quickly they
grabbed their empty wicker trays and ran down the road to their small village.
It makes me smile every time I think of those three little girls
running home to their small village to share the story of the two crazy Mzunga
or (white people) that bought all of
their little yellow banana’s that sunny afternoon.
Sometime the difference between an
average day and a great day is sharing a simple act of kindness! Cindy Hubler
