Tranquil Times

Feb. 5
Now begin the days of tranquility - official self-proclaimed duties as court builder, meeting moderator and educational liason all successfully executed. I become a reader  - of Lawrence Durrell, whose eloquence I hope influences my own prose ... of The Daily Monitor and New Vision, newspapers that chronicle the political and social dramas of the region, past and present, as the presidential election approaches. It is the 5th, and they will occur on the 18th. Like in the US, they will determine a great deal, and I plan on being absent for the impact. Perhaps in Rwanda with my friend Frederick, in Gisenyi on the shore of Lake Kivu. Fort Portal in the Rwenzori Mountains and a date with a school in Lira to to north are the only items on my itinerary.
   I'm running low on nets and balls. The dozens of laughing orphans at the Foundations home who played yesterday on the net I brought, are all I could have intended for my cargo. Chelsea, a daughter of Kent Kitchell's neighbor, held one pole in place, while another attendant secured the other, as I played on the lawn with the kids, trying to teach technique, which surrendered to general chaos and hilarity as young bodies flew and fell, and happiness reigned in their lives ... at least for those fleeting moments.
  I also play with the university team at a nearby pre-school that has a nice court. The 4-hour rain yesterday morning had soaked in by 5 PM when some talented players arrived to play. Several could make the Royals squad this year, so they're quite good. I feel lucky for the victory I earned yesterday (28-26 in a game to 21) and the chance to coach these kids who could be awesome with just a little direction. I will leave them the SB Club jerseys that KC gave me, lightening my backpack and perpetuating the legacy of Santa Barbara in this exotic corner of Uganda.