I won't bore you with another Chui story except to tell you that I was narrating to Sr. Maria Chui's latest kill (a rat that it brought to me for my approval before the coup de grace), when she got excited. "Oh, Father! I forgot to tell you the news of Miyuji" (an area on the northern edge of Dodoma -- rather like a mini-Vatican given all the religious institutions. We're on the southeastern edge.) The news? They shot a leopard (chui) at the Ivreas' novitiate!
A leopard (or any other big cat -- or big wild game of any sort) is very rarely seen in these parts. Two years ago, according to Sr. Maria, five elephants were seen just a few kilometres farther north than Miyuji. Now that's exciting.
The other wildness was the phenomenon of a kimbunga, a whirlwind. I heard the rustling of leaves and looked out my window to see it start under a nearby tree. Within five seconds this mini-tornado gathered strength, shaking loose the dead leaves of the tree, gathering the litter on the ground and heading right toward our building. It passed us and then continued on the field on the other side, moving very slowly and filling the sky with leaves and litter (cement bags from the construction site). All I could think of was the sad death of a Standard 8 boy at the Lutheran Junior Seminary where I studied Kiswahili. His mother had witnessed a kimbunga pass him, and 2 weeks later he died in a horrible accident. She was certain the whirlwind was composed of evil spirts. Having witnessed it, I can see why.
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