Jan 21, 2024
Missing Pancakes
Dec 26, 2021
The Mystery of the Woman’s Body
I have been thinking about Joanna Namutebi – a bride who
died a few days after her wedding. She lost her life trying to protect
her body from unplanned pregnancy.
In many parts of the US, girls are educated on contraceptives
as early as 11 years old. As a girl grows, her parent’s influence on her sexual
decisions begin to diminish. By the time she turns 18, what she does with her
body is fully her responsibility. Unless she gives permission, her parents are
not privilege to her medical records.
Whether we are equipped with knowledge on contraceptives or not,
the bigger issue is the delicate nature of the woman’s body. The woman’s womb, nurture’s
life and extends the human race. The woman’s womb is also sensitive and when
mishandled can lead to a tragic end - the irony of woman’s existence.
In The Economist issue of June 24th, 2021, under
the section of “Books and Art” it says, “When Serena Williams struggled to
breathe after giving birth in 2017, she knew something was wrong. She also
suspected what it was. Six years earlier the tennis champion had endured a
pulmonary embolism, or blood clot. But a nurse thought she was delirious from
pain medication. Instead of the CT scan Ms Williams wanted, a doctor did a
fruitless ultrasound. Eventually the scan was ordered—and revealed clots in the
arteries of her lungs.” This could have ended a different way, but Ms. William’s
listened to her body and insisted on what she knew was right. Even staff in the
world’s best hospitals can be clueless about the woman’s body.
In Uganda, we stumble, for the most part, unless a girl is
sexually active or intending to start sexual activity, contraception is on the
back shelf. Teachers may introduce the subject in the classroom but unless a girl
is intent of doing “something-something”, the subject of contraception is not
even on her “small” mind. In case of a “miss-step”, most protection is
presented through condom use and that responsibility is mostly born by the man.
Long term contraception is placed on the table when a girl is “going steady” or
engaged to be married. The problem is, there are no rehearsals if she is not
planning to act before she’s married. She will never know what works best for
her body until she tries. I would like to think this is the situation in which
Joanna found herself, unfortunately she landed in the hands of inexperienced
medical staff.
When I was 23, the gynecologist at the clinic I worked asked
me to assist her while she attended to a patient. My role was to handover surgical
instruments. The doctor was capable, she could easily have handled the situation
on her own, but she took precaution. I was eager to help. Behind the curtain a
beautiful lady laid on the table. The doctor, tall and slender with a graying
curly bob, snapped on her gloves and asked me to stand close while allowing the
lady privacy. Her medical tray had a metal kidney-shaped bowl, gauze, a speculum,
and several scissor-like instruments. Soon, the side table began to look like a
murder scene as dark red liquid covered everything, her gloves, the cotton swabs,
and the kidney bowl. At her instruction, I handed her what looked like a sealed
paper airplane in a see-through blue package. She carefully pulled out the
t-shaped instrument and inserted it into the woman. I had so many questions.
Wait, what?! How does it work? Is it painful? Why all the blood? The patient
lay silent, occasionally engaging in light conversation with the doctor about
how her children were growing. My attention fixated on the bloody gloves, the
European accent, the scissors. When the doctor was done, she said, “You should
be fine. This will keep you safe for 3 to 5 years.” The lady confirmed that she
felt comfortable, but I was weak in the knees. I washed my hands and returned
to my workstation. I wanted to tell someone, but instead, I stored these things
in my heart. I also decided I would consider other contraceptive options when the
time came.
We were young, we groped in the dark those years – trying to
be as careful as possible but naïve about what marriage meant. Counsel from
medical staff, older woman and peers brought enlightenment. We were encouraged
to wait a year or two before having children – “Get to know each other before
the kids come along” they said. A bride was advised to talk to the doctor about
available contraception options. She was advised, “If you’re going to take the
pill, you have to start like a week before the wedding”. These words swirled in
my head when a few weeks before my wedding, at my first examination, I studiously
considered the ceiling of the ob-gyn office situated in the Old Kampala. It was
the same doctor I had assisted the previous year – the tables had surely turned.
Our meeting was no more than 10 minutes, still I hadn’t changed my mind. I’m
not good with tablets but I was willing to stick with the program. The rest is
history.
Knowledge of the woman’s body is essential, but may I add
that the woman’s body is more delicate than we are willing to acknowledge. Woman
is a goddess, a temple. Woman is beauty, woman is the house of life. God knits
human beings together within the walls of her womb. What a power! Sometimes we
forget the potency of the woman’s body. We get familiar until Sarah, a woman passed
childbearing starts Christ’s earthly linage and Mary, a teenage girl brings the
son of God into the world.
The famous story of the desperate woman who waded through
the crowd, determined to find her healing in Jesus, by touching the hem of his
garment, I strongly believe that woman had fibroids. That the bible documents the
struggles of women and their bodies imprints aspects of being female that
cannot be denied or simply brushed over.
It’s like the woman’s body is a target the second she
arrives on the planet. Parents and guardians must protect her from child abuse.
Once immersed in the blood of puberty, she must learn to handle her body, shield
it from rape and unwanted pregnancies. She must hold on as she bears children (or
not) and later sweat through menopause.
The woman’s mind is formidable, her body immensely coveted.
In Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” she says.
“Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?”
Nature celebrates those “diamonds” but in the same existence
fights to destroy them – fibroids, cancer, barrenness…
Joana’s death could have been avoided under skilled
professional care. Unfortunately, life doesn’t give the chance to undo, re-step
or bring her back, but it gives us pause to weigh in and put systems in place that
prevent this heartache. We are left with treasured memories of a sweet, cheerful,
talented young woman whose life was cut at the cusp of a coveted dream. The
pain lingers, branding like a hot iron the souls of those who knew and loved
her.
May God strengthen Derrick as he lifts his head up each
morning. May God surround Mr. and Mrs. Kizito, may they know it is well in
Christ. But may our medical practices do better. May Joanna’s death not be in
vain, may it be the saving grace from other young women.
Sep 10, 2020
Selling bed sheets on Kampala streets
The young man walks through neighborhoods balancing colorful bed sheets on his head determined to sell these materials for a living.
“Bed sheets! Buy some bed sheets!”
Human beings like good night sleep and all the other things done between these large pieces of cloth it is a constant human condition, after work there is rest. Selling bed sheets should therefore meet man’s need for comfort.
Before the sun comes up, he takes a taxi to Owino market. He sorts through a variety of bed sheets, haggles for a good price and successfully stretches the money loaned to him by a friend.
He walks along Luwum street on his way to the quieter residential suburbs. He hopes. Hopes that today will be a good day for business.
He walks by a gate on Mackinnon road, asks if madam is home and if she would like to buy some bedsheets. “Come later” He is told.
He crosses to the kiosk to buy a Safi drink – a little sugar to keep him energized in the sun. The folded bed sheets shield him from the sun’s glare but the moisture swimming between his head and the sheets makes him sweat.
He is on an undeterred mission to make something of his life, to earn a living, to be useful, to meet personal needs and make the world a better place – a batter trade with the universe.
The askari idling by the gate signals for him, they haggle. “Buy for your wife, she will be very happy” He pushes, hoping the askari will yield. Askari says the bed sheets are too expensive. “Ah! Maybe next time.” The askari responds.
Nakasero streets are quiet, cars zoom past the golf course to the traffic lights. He makes his way through the shade of trees in Kololo, down the valley and into Naguru.
A woman stands outside her door “Mama! Onno gula?”, he stands at a distance, not sure if she’ll respond or shoo him away. She pretends she hasn’t seen him and engages in an imaginary phone call .
He walks around the corner – he’s shoes flattening out – he can feel the stones pushing up against his soles. He may need to buy another pair of shoes as these ones surrender under daily pressure.
Another woman is out washing clothes in a basin, he’s about to walk past when she calls, “Ssebo, otundotya?” He turns around, walks towards her, hoping this is the good omen – his first sell of the day.
She spreads the colorful bed sheets out for a closer look. His back drips with sweat, he is a little tired but wills his body into submission, adrenaline surges with possibility. “Gyebaleko mama!” He greets. She finds a pair she likes; she is willing to pay. He pockets the money, thanks God for this mercy and keeps walking. It’s 3:00 pm, he’s just made the first sale of the day.
He walks by a shopping arcade, a little boy runs up to him, “Ssebo, bakuyita wali”. He turns around and walks into the dark shop. The lady behind the counter asks to see his bed sheets, he spreads them out, she seems interested but eventually says she doesn’t have the money. His heart sinks. People who idly scan his efforts, spread them out and hold his business to the light but never look to see his hard work.
He gathers the bed sheets, folds them neatly, steadies them on his head, on the length of his arm and shoulder. He must go on.
It’s 5:30pm, traffic begins to build up, he walks past the cars. A guy in a Pajero rolls down his window “Gwe! Jangu” He skims through the bed sheets, points at the blue pair with yellow flowers. Meka? He whips out his wallet and pays. Traffic eases up. The bed sheets are placed in a kavera on the back seat and vroom! The car is gone.
The rich man drives away hardly aware that he has helped the young man get a step closer to his days goal – 50,000 Uganda shillings. If he can make 100,000 shillings every day that would be great, but 50,000 shillings is a good start. He pockets the money. A little profit from the day. He will walk back across town to his room.
He stops by a food stall – “Tekakko bijanjalo, kawungu, ne’nva” he tells the food lady. He can’t afford the meat, but a little sprinkle of the meat soup makes all the difference. The aroma fools his stomach that this poverty has stepped up a notch. He holds the hope that one day he’ll have the meat and the chicken but for now beans will do.
He sits on the wooden bench to watch the world go by. He will visit his mother over the weekend. She will be so happy to see him, ask about his life in the city, caution him against city girls and their hunger for money. He will assure her he’s thinking straight, saving up a little to build a house on their land.
He’ll return to the city on Sunday evening and find a huge padlock on his door – pending arrears.
He will not give up – just a hitch on the journey, but now he needs to visit the landlord.
Sep 3, 2020
Her pages
Aug 21, 2020
Confession
A short story.
Today I went to confession.
I had been thinking about it for a while, preparing for it,
not the sinning but the confession part.
During confirmation classes our teacher mentioned confession
was a requirement. He also said one couldn’t have the Holy Eucharist unless one
had confessed one’s sins. I wanted to have the Holy Eucharist; it had been on
my mind for many years.
I Imagined the day I would humbly walk up Christ the King
church aisle, head bowed, hands neatly clasped behind my back. I would stand
before the priest eyes closed and mouth open. He would place the white wafer on
my tongue, I would slowly close my mouth, pause a second before turning around
and walking back to my seat. I would kneel by the pew and pray looking pious
and pure and mature – no longer a kid but a young lady growing up in wisdom and
stature, in favor with God and Man.
My brother and I practiced the act of receiving the Eucharist with crisps; stick the tongue out, give enough circumference for the
piece to land squarely in the middle of the tongue and then retract the tongue
reverently. We got good practice with the crisps; it was the confession that
needed some more work.
The confirmation class was scheduled to confess on Saturday,
and I still didn’t know what to tell the priest. I had stolen a pencil and lied
to my mother – that was as heavy as it got, but was it enough? Would he send me
away admonishing me to dig further and find the real sins? Were these sins good
enough for confession? I mean I had a crash on one of the alter boys but that
wasn’t a sin or was it?
I walked up to the confession box in the corner of the
church. I drew the purple curtain to enter, it was deemed inside. The priest
sat behind a veil. I knelt afraid to look around in case he recognized me or I
him. Something about anonymity brought security although I still struggled to
be vulnerable.
I uttered the words “Father, I have sinned”.
In a calm deep voice, he asked me to confess.
I said “I stole a sharpener at school”
“My child, do you still have the sharpener?”
I said, “Yes father”, and in that moment I realized I was
lying because I didn’t have the sharpener, it got lost. I had sinned again in
confession. What about the lies? I didn’t mention the lies, oh dear, they were
so many, I would never leave confession at this rate.
After a moment of silence Father asked me to go home and say,
“Five Hail Mary’s and the full rosary”.
I withdrew from the confessional reverently. I had qualified
for confirmation.
One of the other kids got news from his older brother that
the priest dipped the wafer in wine at confirmation. We were going to have wine
in church. We were almost adult Christians.
This was big!
Aug 8, 2019
Summer Fly's By
Yes, and now I return for the heart loves familiar places :-).
I miss blogging, chillin’ out with my peeps, talking about life. I thought the summer would be quiet and relaxed but it’s been filled with work assignments and stresses.
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| Chobe with the view of river nile Chobe Uganda. Photo Credit: Mary Ongwen |
What about you? What have you been up to?
Happy Weekend!!
Sep 17, 2018
Perspective
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| Sunset on a Turkish air flight to Kampala |
Do you ever wish for innocence again?
Feb 13, 2018
Valentine's Day And It's Troubles
By 12:10 am she was frantic. A few roommates surrounded her bed to provide reassurance. There she sat like a queen surrounded by her subjects.
“He should be at the door anytime now” she said. We all turned towards the still wooden frame. No knock, no twist of the handle – just a door held under the gaze of twelve eyes.
What had brought on our roomies distress? Was it her birthday? “It’s valentine’s day!” I was told. She awaited red roses and chocolates from her boyfriend at the stroke of midnight.
My bunk mate and I exchanged glances, what did we know about such matters?
“I swear!! If he doesn’t show up, he is going to see!!” She threatened.
I imagined the poor soul traipsing all over Wandegeya in search of red roses, his legs suddenly quickening up Makerere hill with each telepathic threat. Or was he twiddling his fingers waiting for her to send him a message of her love?
It was late. We turned off the lights. She was left to contemplate her boyfriend’s mysterious absence in a pre-cellphone era. Did this mean he loved her any less?
As the sun came up, I hoped her bed would be cushioned with roses so high she’d be lost in their midst. Alas there she lay fast asleep – her legs in the “get-set” position. Anxiety spread like the flu as the girls stirred, each one secretly hoping their boyfriends had received the memo. They surrendered to curiosity occasionally peeking out the window.
Across the hall, another student lay in bed, she’d been carried in two days earlier. Something about heavy bleeding or was it a miscarriage? It was complicated.
Red roses, red…
I picked my books for the day, I would not be back for a while. Well I had ... lectures.
“Dear God, please let someone bring me a valentine’s card.”
The day had to end, I had to return. A girl handed me a red envelop. “Huh?! For me?” I asked. “Is this your name?” She asked, probably wondering why I feigned surprise. From whence did the card come? What did he look like? I interrogated. “He asked if I was a first-year student and if I knew someone by your name. I said I did. He gave me this card”. Off she went.
“Signed David.” David who? I mentally lined up all the David’s I knew.
David 1: No! That’s so and so’s boyfriend.
David 2: Nah!
David 3: Not in touch.
David 4: Still a kiddo.
I cancelled all the David’s out and I still had this beautiful card in my hands. Perhaps that was the idea behind the day.
My dramatic roomie had calmed down, her bedside bamboo rack bright with flowers. A beautiful valentines card stood paper-arms wide proclaiming her boyfriend’s unending love.
He took her out to dinner that night. All our other roommates had dinner dates too, that left just me and my bunk mate. I tucked the card into my suitcase, we made ourselves dinner and talked late into the night.
Perhaps some February 14th we would be taken out to dinner too.
“Love, a word that comes and goes, but few people really know what it means to really love somebody” Kirk Franklin – God’s Property
Jan 19, 2018
A Chess Piece in the Masters Hand.
Nov 11, 2017
One Writers Beginnings: Chimamanda's Story Rooted in Africa
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| Chimamanda gives second annual Eudora Welty lecture. |
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