Lunch with Harry Secombe

Harry, Madonna & Child!

A couple of Saturday’s ago Andre, one of my security guards, brought one of his children, Adorufe, to the house to keep watch over it (and me) whilst he went to the bank in town. I have to confess, I was unsure if Adorufe was a boy or a girl as they all have their hair cut short. Adorufe sat on a chair, on the lawn in front of the house, as I did a few chores and when I got my laptop out to check emails seated at the table, on the terrace, Adorufe came over and sat next to me to watch what I was doing. We then became the best of friends, I gave him/her a drink and a toasted cheese sandwich and then he/she had a long sleep on the terrace sofa – Andre ended up being away for most of the day so Adorufe, who speaks some English, told me about his/her family, writing all their names out for me and when Andre, finally, came back he invited me to visit his family.

On Sunday afternoon, I found myself sitting in their house staring at album covers of Harry Secombe on their wall after walking an hour and a half with Christian, the son of Leocardie who lives near to me, as a guide and translator. Arriving at Andre’s house, looking over Lake Kivu, I realised I had been there some years ago to visit him and his family. They live in a typical rural Rwandese house – timber frame, mud lined walls and tin roof. Small considering a family of 8 live there along with their cow and goat – not quite in their living room but almost.

Andre's living room

As is the Rwandese custom, you can’t just go and visit a family without them extending hospitality in a form of a meal and a Fanta so a lunch of rice, pasta, vegetables and potatoes was quickly produced. It’s hard to sit there and not compare how they live to how we do in the U.K. – no comfortable furniture, carpets on the floor, plasma television, fitted kitchen but just some very basic wooden furniture, bricks on the floor, a kitchen that is no more than a fire on the floor and the ‘drop’ toilet or pit latrine. Andre had a cassette player, powered by large car-battery, playing some Rwandese music – when he’s at my house, he’s fascinated by my laptop playing music on iTunes or via the BBC website and he will often sit outside my window, on one of the terrace chairs and listen to what is being played.

On the walls are anything they can find, hence the pictures of Harry Secombe – tried to find out from Andre if he knew who Harry Secombe was, explaining he was a famous Welsh singer and a member of the Goons but he had no idea who he was – trying to explain who the Goons were wasn’t easy either.

As we ate lunch, the children were out at the back eating theirs and were then brought in to be introduced all sitting on a long bench in front of me. First born Olive (17), twins Dorothina & Adorufe (15), Doroteya (10), Olivye (7) and last born Fororonste (5). Rwandese names are quite confusing as they don’t seem to have the same family name - their first name is like our surname but they take different names and then their second name is like our Christian name that many take only when they are baptised.  Andre’s first name is MUVYEKKULE whilst his wife’s first name is MUKANTAGWABIRA and one of their child’s name is KYIMPAYE – when they introduce themselves, you get the long first name followed by the Christian name which comes out as one long word so sometimes hard to work out what their Christian name is.

The Muzungu visitor

Andre earns around £20.00 per month, an average wage for Rwanda, walks from his house to mine every day in sun and rain for night security duty. They have a big plot of land, outside their house, so grow staple crops that will feed their family and may also provide produce they can sell in the market or to neighbours.  I think I may have said this before but people here never complain about their lives or their circumstances even though in Andre’s house, the rain leaks through their roof and probably comes through the house under the doors, there is no electricity for lights and the house is very dark even in the day.

Back before the rain

After a false start last week, with the heavy rain, we went through a few days of hot and dry weather but the rain started again over the weekend and a loud clap of thunder meant we had to make a prompt departure, from Andre’s, for a quick walk to the nearest village to get a couple of MoTos (motor bike taxis) so we could get back before the rains came.  Driving past the lake you could see the rains coming across and managed to get back before the heavens opened.

Heavy rains change the landscape as vegetation slowly turn back to green and views across the lake become clearer opening up panoramas I’ve not seen before.  Still getting some spectacular sunsets and, after a day in the office, I enjoy a walk back to the house along the lake stopping to enjoy the wonderful views and stunning scenery.  After being here a while now, it’s very easy to take it all for granted so I make myself stop and just take it all in and try not to take too many photos.