“Whazzup?”

Mohammed to Spencer and Spencer to Mohammed.

Stephanie and Spencer prepared to go to work at the Primary school as Edward, Mohamed, Moses, Patrick and I along with several students led a second Toyota Land Cruiser packed with yet more students along with Mr. Haran and a variety of digging implements.

At the water intake we all grabbed hoes and shovels for a landscaping job around the reservoir. The formerly diverted stream was routed back to its original path. The water began to flow into a puddle behind the lip of the reservoir. It rose slowly until a trickle spilled over the lip and ran down a slope toward the reservoir, picking up speed and becoming less a trickle than a rivulet before finally turning into something slighty less than a torrent and spilling into the brand new reservoir.

Most of us stood spellbound on the edge of the reservoir as it slowly filled. A student who had been clearing the trench down stream appeared with a puff adder draped across his shovel. The water in the reservoir reached the pipe that let into the spring box. The spring box filled and a quarter turn of the red handled cutoff valve sent the water rushing out of a galvanized pipe into the trench and on its way toward Pommern. Hands were grasped and shaken, pictures taken and smiles appeared all round.

After lunch we said a reluctant goodbye to Moses and Mama Toni and drove bumpily but unevenfully toward Iringa for a bit of shopping and an evening meal. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Edward and Mohamed. We will miss you guys.

Baba Spencer, Mama Spencer and the Doctor.