Life Is Not A Right

Every day i fall more in step with the African lifestyle, and i am loving it. Although there are some things i miss about home and sometimes they and out more then others for example, road rules. Here in Uganda the driving is the one thing that has my nerves running, and my awareness on alert. It's one thing to mentally prepare yourself, or trying to shift you thinking that its something different for something you have never before experienced personally, its another thing to be in the midst of something you thought you prepared yourself for and be slapped in the face by reality. The roads are sometimes narrow and without sidewalks, covered by pedestrians and bicyclists carrying wide loads of anything from huge bags of coal to bags stuffed with some type of food to sheets of metal. The morning of Sunday the 27th, Momm and Papa, Robyn and I got ourselves ready for a day we hadn't prepared for. We were leaving Jinja for Kampala at 10am to be apart of the Dove Voice Band concert launching their new cd/dvd. The trip usually takes 2 to 2 and a half hours. That morning Momm had mentioned being nervous and not knowing why, also my stomach was not in the best mood either. Our driver is a friend to my talkative uncle Raoul. Papa started our trip out by reminding the driver, Joshua is his name, that we were not late and not in a hurry so don't drive fast. Many drivers here feel the need to pass every car moving in front of them not matter how slow or fast they are going. There are MANY close calls that i cant even begin to tell you. Just as we were on the bridge over the Nile, at the edge of town, a car started passing everyone which is definitely illegal on a bridge, everyone knows that. At the end of the bridge a bicyclist was getting on and the passer hit the bike knocking the man over the handle bars, but the man kept driving and kept passing. After that my eyes were wide open looking at every possible wreck happening right in front of us or to us, but nothing happened. When we first got into Kampala there was a boda (transportation on a motorcycle) on its side in a lane with that man still under it trying slowly to get himself steady and stand up. No one stopped and no one was there. This was my first experience so far seeing any wrecks. We came to a large round-about and Joshua started to turn left then Raoul instructed him to keep going around to the next turn, but he was a second too late, there was a man on his bike riding right next to us, only inches away from the car and just before the front tire he was knocked to the ground and we felt the van driving over something and all of us cringed at the thought that we had just drove over this man. We pulled over in the round-about. My thoughts were repeating themselves and hearing the crunching sound of whatever we drove over and the large bump he hit, and thought DEAR GOD DON'T LET THIS MAN BE DEAD! many of us felt sick to our stomachs. Come to find out we only drove over the front of the bike and the guy was somewhat fine. Instantly there was a large crowd of random people claiming they saw it but didnt say more then just that they saw it, causing unnecessary drama, and policemen already there and not doing anything about the crowd. Momm, Robyn, Raoul's sisters, and I sat in the van just waiting for about an hour. This all happened roughly at 12pm and the concert was set to start at 2pm. For a long time nothing was really happening except some arguing and some annoying bystanders yelling. Without any of us girls knowing what was going on we watched as the police truck put the biker in the back along with Joshua our driver, followed by Raoul on a boda. We were left without our driver and without our navigator. To add to our confusion a tow truck pulled right in front of us and hitched the van to the back of his truck without telling any of us to get out or telling us he was going to in the first place. Papa ended up having to pay 10,000 shillings ($5) to have him remove it. We found someone to drive us to the police station where we would be meeting the other guys as they made statements. We waited for almost 3 hours waiting in the hot van. Raoul and Joshua came from the hospital reporting that he had not broke anything and he would be just fine. We felt relieved but also ready for the whole ordeal to be over with. We ended getting at the concert a little after 4 and we were slightly surprised that the concert only just started, but also not surprised because that seems to be common. We had such an amazing time listening to these talented guys do what they do best, and not to mention they can dance like crazy, its quite the show. Momm and Papa even danced for the everyone. Later they dragged Momm, Robyn and I onto the stage to dance with them. I tell you, I hate that they do that because i start to panic, but once your up there its so fun! So we had a great time and even forgot about the earlier part of the day, until we were on the road again at 8pm. Both Papa and i were not feeling out best, he had a head ache and i felt like any swift movement and i was going to hurl whatever was in my body. But we arrived home safe and sound and ready for bed, after some reheating of leftover spaghetti. I have been feeling so grateful and blessed for grandparents who love us and take amazing care for us, and are also becoming some wonderful friends and close to heart. I am consistently being grateful for the life i live and the family i have and i am reminded that God is good ... simple as that :)