Night

Darkness
Most times I blog about things and thoughts that occur during the day, but I just realized that you are missing half of my experience. This blog, therefore, is dedicated to the other 12 hours in the 24 hour cycle. To begin with, there are not a lot of street lights, and because we depend on limited solar power, it is “lights out” at 10 pm. Secondly, just as one cannot be an atheist in a foxhole, it is difficult to not wonder about the supernatural while in Africa. This is true especially when the nuns and I stay up late talking about the witch doctor next door, the mysterious snakes that show up and their beliefs about evil spirits. (by the way, big news is that the witch doctor’s daughter is now going to our secondary school and Sister Christine is now on a mission to convert the family) There are also “night dancers,” people who dance outside naked in the dark as a witchcraft ritual, and big scary stray dogs that prowl around and howl. The worst of all are huge black ants that swarm and bite. They remind me of the Poisonwood Bible ants that eat a whole village. There are also the goats which live within ten feet of my house and sneeze/scream/bleat very strangely. Last of all, there are the endless, everlasting rats that I believe inhabit every roof, from thatch to tin to tile from the Equator to the Cape.
These converge into an orchestra of scary noises and happenings throughout the night. Whether it be night dancers scraping across windows, or rats playing rugby in the ceiling, or goats sneezing, there is a lot happening out there.
The well prepared volunteer has two main weapons against this cacophony, the mosquito net and the pee bucket. Our first day in training, the PC Uganda staff exposed us to these necessary institutions and, despite initial qualms, I have used them ever since. My mosquito net, more aptly named the mosquito/rat/ scary monster net is used faithfully, for fear of much more than malaria. The pee bucket, which I was absolutely revolted by, is used rather regularly. When the previously described creatures are lurking outside and there are no lights, going to the outhouse (latrine) in the middle of the night is not an option. Once, when I tried, I was attacked by ants, which is better than another girl on the compound who found thieves stealing bananas. It is better at night to just keep a little bucket under your bed and empty it in the morning. I recently visited another peace corps volunteer and had to use her pee bucket. The hilarious thing is that neither of us had any qualms about it. After every night, whether quiet or noisy, morning does come. Softly, at 6:00 AM the sisters begin their morning prayers and I usually wake to the soft sounds of their singing. Sunrise is between 6:30 and 7:00, at which time all of this darkness.