Saturday stroll

Today is the beginning of a five-day weekend here, thanks to the end of Ramadan falling right before Nigerian Independence Day (October 1). David was on call last night, but today was our first day of schedule-free relaxation. Yay!

 

So I was thrilled when Timothy got up at about 6:45 and wouldn't go back to sleep. David was at the hospital doing rounds already, so there was hardly any point in not getting up with the son.

 

It was an uneventful day, as days go. Mom made tabbouleh for lunch, and I've finally acquired a taste for it. Delicious! Now I just have to encourage Timothy to enjoy it as much...

 

But when Timothy woke up from his all-too-short nap, I put him in the stroller, and the three of us Neges took a walk. It had just rained a little bit--enough to cool off the air but not so much that the road was extremely muddy. We often walk to the hospital and back--which is only a third of a mile or so--but today I suggested we walk to the nearby football stadium, which is probably 1-1/2 to 2 km with all the windy turns.

 

I'd never tried pushing the stroller on the street before. There aren't any sidewalks, and usually, it makes me nervous walking along the shoulder by myself. Walking with a stroller, as you can imagine, is worse, between heavy traffic, motorbikes not paying any attention to traffic courtesy (laws? what are those?), and huge potholes. But most of the way to the stadium is on back roads that are pretty quiet. So I figured it was worth a try.

 

And what a beautiful day for it! When David and I were engaged, we used to take that walk a lot after he finished work in the afternoons. It was this time of year, too. Here are some of our observations from today's walk:

• The huge pothole in the main road that wasn't there a month ago. It's two or three feet in diameter and looks at least 9 inches deep!
• A pile of sand on the shoulder at one of the narrowest parts of the main road, so pedestrian traffic is one-way single-file and only when the car-and-motorcycle traffic ebbs.
• Jerry cans of kerosene sold along the shoulder.
• At least five churches, including Seraphim and Cherubim (white garment), Seventh Day Adventist, Baptist, and something without a sign but definitely a church.
• Santa Bakery. Seeing the sign and smelling the lovely aroma from within launched me on a long explanation of "Santa," which took me all the way from Catholic saints to American Christmas celebrations!
• A large tractor with "Jones" written on it. David remarks on this every time because my aunt and uncle--some of his favourite people--are the Joneses.
• A lame chicken hopping around on one foot.
• David's friend Flora, a nurse in the hospital, lives near the stadium, so we dropped in to say hi. David saved me from decapitation when I failed to notice a clothesline strung across the yard. Husbands are definitely invaluable, especially for those of us who are visually impaired!
• A police truck full of uniformed men.
• Lots and lots of motorcycles.

That's all. Not too exciting, but it was pretty different from walks I've taken in the States. Actually, it reminded me of the two months I spent in Thailand seven years ago. But I can't think why...