Susan, among her little pile of friends, was the first to adorn a new dress. Blue checks with a blue and green birdie ribbon running along the bottom…cute. Over the top of her clothes the dress slid until it rested just at her knees. Beneath her checkerboard, her dingy pinkish dress poked out and just below that…her galoshes. Wearing galoshes in dry Africa may seem a little funny – never mind the fact that she has them on the wrong feet. Yet when it rains here everything turns to muck and we’re just coming out of the rainy season. Her tiny feet stay dry and clean…well, I doubt that but they’re covered anyhow.
Little Susan hung around with a few others who gathered and then tailed us through their village homes. At one point this tiny girl began bawling. No one knew why…perhaps it was nap time. As we approached an area where we were to jump the slime trench, Susan simply reached up and grabbed my finger. Well…nothing doing. I scooped her up in my arms and hopped across (secretly hoping I’d not land in the muck myself). Her boots did a number on my dress but it was TOTALLY worth it.