Staying at Enid’s was entertaining. The second night I stayed at her home, I met her two oldest boys Paul and Andrew. Paul was a little reserved. It took me longer to get to know him. Towards the end of my stay I discovered what a great conversationalist he is. He is very pensive, but I was able to get him to crack a smile a fews times. Andrew and I hit it off like gangbusters! He and I both share the gift of gab. His communication style reminded me a lot of my son Nathaniel. (They are very close in age.) and we talked about everything under the sun, and at times we just laughed and laughed!
The first evening we had dinner together Andrew leaned in and pointed at my hair asking me if it was blond or brunette. I responded, “Brunette.”
“No, this right here.”, he said, pointing to my hairline.
I sighed, grinning from ear to ear, “Those are greys, Andrew.”
A few evenings later, on my way back to Enid's from our trip to the Nile, our diver Congo had gotten a call from Enid telling him to drop me off at the Octopus; she would be there waiting for me with her cousin Amos. I was so tired from my outing, and feeling grimy, so I asked Congo to drop me off at Enid’s house first so that I could freshen up.
I came downstairs after my shower and Andrew was in the living room. I hated to leave him behind, and I was so tired from my excursion, that I asked Andrew to call his mom and see if she and Amos could come back to her place and we could have some drinks there. (Amos had promised to buy me another round of beer after our last meeting.) Enid was very accomodating and she and Amos made it back home in no time.
Although it was a late, Enid went straight into the kitchen to prepare a meal. I forget everything she prepared, but there was matoke, kalo (a type of millet bread) which I had not tried before, and groundnut (a nut like a small Spanish peanut) sauce.
While Enid cooked, Paul came out of his room to join us. I entertained everyone with a couple songs on my ukulele. Afterward I showed Amos footage of my kids playing in the snow. Seeing this, he commented, “So this is why Americans…” And he motioned with his hand hovering over his wrist and moving up to his arm, as though putting on a layer of fat. It was hilarious!
“No, that’s not why.”, I smiled. “But it’s a nice theory!”
Amos teased, asking me why I couldn't stay until Christmas. "I'll give you an acre of land!", he offered.
"You can't fool me, Amos.", I coyly replied. "I know what you want, you want to have a munzungu for a housekeeper!"
Finally, Enid emerged from the kitchen with our meal. Just before we sat down to eat, her husband, Alan, called. I hadn't met Alan yet, and wouldn't for a few more days. He asked to speak with me so we could become aquainted. Alan was very kind and asked me how I was enjoying my stay. I told him that I loved everyone I had met and found Uganda to be quite beautiful. Alan told me that he had heard wonderful things about me from Enid. I was very flattered. He then told me that he would like to give me a cow as a gift. I told him it was the perfect gift because I could put it on the land that I had been given by Amos.
When I got off the phone, I told Enid about Alan's gift of a cow. She explained to me that the gift of a cow is a show of honor in Uganda. We all laughed at the thought of me flying home with a calf strapped in the seat next to me on the plane.
Dinner was served and I had my first taste of kalo. Before that could happen though, I needed a lesson on how to eat it! Kalo is a type of millet bread. When i say "bread" it is more like bread dough. It is very dense, and a little sticky. There is definitley a trick to making it, and it is said that once a girl jas mastered the skill of making kalo, she is ready for marriage.
The kalo is served in a special basket with a cover on it. The inside the basket is coated with four to prevent the kalo from sticking to it. There are usually two to three baskets set at the table. The guest of honor is given their portion in a basket just for them.
1) remove the basket lid (this part is easy)
2) grab a small piece of the kalo, about the size of a cherry, making sure to pinch it in such a way that he flour coated exterior is pinched closed so the ball of dough will not stick to your fingers (it doesn't sound easy because it ISN'T easy, it takes a little practice!)
3) roll dough in to ball single-handedly, the same hand your grabbed the dough with
4) make an impression in the ball with your thumb
5) pour groundnut sauce or soup into the impression
6) pop it in your mouth and enjoy! (Don't forget to chew)
I have to say, that of the different foods I tried in Uganda, kalo was one of the items I enjoyed the most. I liked the flavor (nothing oustanding, but a simple "comfort food" kind of flavor), and I loved the texture! The texture was unique.
Someday, when I return to Uganda for my acre of land and my cow, I will be sure master the skill of making kalo...
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