Ego

There i was weeding, just like i said in the previous post.  And i was feeling pretty good!  I mean, i was outside doing something useful and the little flower garden was looking up!

I heard an "Odi!" from behind me - the local people's way of knocking or announcing that they are here to see you.  I walked over. sat down and greeted politely.  I went to call my husband as the visitor was for him.  A local chief. Then i started weeded again.

And as the Bible says Pride comes before the fall.  Well, in my case this very literally happened!

As i was working in the flower bed i thought to myself, i wonder what the chief thinks of me weeding.  This comes from the popular belief that i am quite useless as a wife - i cannot work in a food garden, hoeing all day long. i cannot pound the life out of corn turning it into soft flour, i cannot pan out the chaff...etc, etc.  So i thought to myself - at least he can see that i can work in the soil!  Look, here i am weeding!  And so on....in any case as these very egocentrical thoughts went through my head i stepped over a very low bamboo pole that our workers thought would look nice around the flower bed and the wrap-around skirt choose that exact moment to cling steadfast to my jeans and i fell.  Flat.  I had no leg where there was supposed to be a leg!  It was one of those very good falls, the all or nothing ones!  And this with the chief watching. "aahhh", i am sure he went, "i thought so!  Useless!"  :)

I on the other hand flipped myself over and just sat there looking as if nothing happened, trying to cover up what had just happened!  My ego was busted, my toe hurt and then my whole right leg hurt shamelessly.

I guess i will never be a local, even if i try to impress them with the "skills" i do have ( i assume now, that weeding is not one of them)  But i hope they love me anyway in their strange-never-show-any emotion way.  Or if  not love then, then at least as a good source of entertainmnet to them!  And as it is commonly known, laughter is the best medicine!

Bella, bruised leg and bruised ego.