In Praise of Jackie (who also has malaria)

We are so spoiled here. We roll out of bed to find a delicious meal on the table every morning. Around 4 in the afternoon, a tray containing hot Kenyan tea, a bowl of course brown sugar, cups and demitasse spoons appears on the coffee table in the den. Around 7 or 7:30 we get called to a wonderful dinner. The house is spotless because every floor is washed down daily including the outside walkways. And, if we throw clothes in the hamper, they arive back on our beds washed and beautifully folded. All this pampering because the Mubichi's employ a young woman named Jackie who lives in a room behind the kitchen and cooks and cleans and feeds the baby and does all sorts of other wonderful things. If I sleep in, I wake to the sound of her scrubbing the walk outside my window (see above). I got the second shot when Jackie was taking down her laundry in the pouring rain under a collapsed umbrella but still smiling! Jackie walked to the hospital yesterday morning and returned to report that she, too, has malaria. Today we tried to pamper her a little but she went right on with her duties inspite of a bad head ache, aches and fatigue.