Five-year-old Jennifer and her little brother were squished in their father’s lap on the taxi taking us from Banda to Kampala. As usual, the children openly stared at the mzungu…such a sight. I reached out for their hands and both Jennifer and her little brother were happy to touch me and to say hello. One of the brightest smiles I’ve seen – and I’ve seen so very many – flashed across Jennifer’s face.
I worked a dolly out of my backpack to peek over the back of the seat while Jennifer looked on. She finally reached for the toy and continued to show her huge grin. She said to me, in a very confident voice and perfect English, “Thank you very much.”
Jennifer continued to inspect her dolly every once in a while peeking back at me. When she caught me looking, she’d start to giggle. Then I’d start to giggle. Then the lady next to me would start to giggle. Then the father would start to giggle. Once we all settled down, Jennifer would start us all up again. Such a joyful young giggly girl!