Juno and the Taps

Kigali at Night

What a weird day yesterday. I was taking it easy, sort of TOIL for Gisenyi (if such a concept existed), and desperately needed to wash some clothes and the floors.

I don't know whether Regis had a problem with the water and did something to the tap, but it fell off in my hand and the screw went down the drain! The water in the house was out, so I went to the tap in the garden to fetch some as it seems to have a life of its own unrelated to the rest of the water system.

I got part-way through my washing - by this time I'd taken it to the garden tap. It was all soaped, but when I started rinsing the water dried up again. Meanwhile, the heavens opened on the few items I'd just hung up. Torrential downpour the entire morning. Yet still the pipes didn't spring into action, so I had to postpone floor washing until I'd collected enough in my bucket from the garden.

I'd just finished the living room, around 11:30, when the water suddenly came back on. At first it was just a slow trickle, then full-force. Which is when I realised the tap in the kitchen was on and I couldn't turn it off. I tried turning it off at the tank, but no joy. After spending the whole morning praying for water, I now had more than I could ever use! I sprang into action using as much of it as I could: washing floors, tea towels, socks - anything I could get my hands on whilst it lasted. Then I sat back and watched my water bill going down the plughole.

I phoned the emergency number for VSO as I hadn't the first idea where to get a plumber. They rota who answers. I got one of the Education team, who is nice enough but not the most helpful. After explaining five or six times what the problem was, establishing that Enyis (who takes care of housing) was on leave, and confirming four times that I was indeed at home, she came to the conclusion that I need a plumber.

Really? You reckon?

I was just glad the house wasn't on fire, it would have burned down by the time I got anywhere.

I gave up and texted Amanda, my Programme Manager. She gave me Bosco's number, who's the VSO driver and odd-jobs man who helped me open my bank account. He's an absolute sweetheart. I texted him to ask if he could help me find a plumber. He was in town, busy, but said he'd drop by later in the afternoon, around 2:30.

He arrived around 4pm (African Standard Time) and immediately went round the corner and came back with a fantastic plumber, Rwirahira (AKA Arthur), who replaced the tap. So, I now have a brand-spanking-new one and all is good. He's coming back to fix my door handles next week. Cost me under FRW 3,000 (£3) for parts and labour. Hopefully I can claim this back from my landlady, whose contact I don't currently have. As she only speaks French, it wouldn't do me much good anyway. I now have Rwirahira's number so, anytime I have trouble with water or electrics, I just give him a shout.

Bit of a hectic day, but all good. Bosco is a true star.

I was just settling in for a quiet evening when Drew called to invite me over. I took a moto around 8:00 and we sat drinking beer and watching Juno on his colossus projector screen, which is about the width of my bedroom! It is awesome. The film was really good, too. I can see why it won so many awards. I suggested turning on WinMedia Player and watching the psychedelic fractals on the wall - it was seriously awesome. He'd put me together a playlist of very cool songs. He spent a lot of time in New Orleans, and his taste in music is most excellent. Because the screen takes up the entire wall you can do retro shadow-dancing. Very funky. It was an entirely chilled-out Friday wind-down.

Things went a bit skewy on the trip home. There were no motos outside his house, so I had to walk all the way up to the Mille Collines. I hooked one on the roundabout and beat him down to a sensible price.

I was just congratulating myself on learning to ride Rwandan-style (no hands) when he overshot the turnoff. "Aay, Kisimenti!" To which he replied something I took to mean 'shortcut' and pulled off down a pitch black dirt road. 

I suddenly felt very sober. It looked like an industrial area. The visor of my helmet had come off its hooks. I was holding it tightly in my right hand, testing its edge against my thigh and quietly grateful that my talons are at full length right now. They can do some damage. The further we went, the more alert I became. At the same time I was thinking that if he was taking me somewhere else, he would have been more subtle about it, not carried on down this track for so long, making me suspicious. Like all motos, his tank was glowing 'empty'. Petrol is expensive here, so they only ever put the bare minimum in. But this shortcut must have been costing him more than the standard route.

Eventually, we pulled up onto a main road and I realise that it was Rwandex, the road my office is on. It leads up the other side to Kisimenti. A wash of relief flooded over me. I knew he was on the level. Then he pulled off the road again!

"Hey, it's too difficult," I said in French and pointed back to the main road, telling him to take Rwandex. He totally ignored me. I started to panic again and tried to judge whether I could get off a moving moto at this speed, wearing a skirt. At least I knew where I was.

Finally, we pulled up at my house. There is no way that could have cost him less than the normal route. Perhaps he just enjoyed taking a muzungu for a ride. I don't know, but I paid him and said a quiet 'thank you' to the gods under my breath. Reminded me that this is still a big city.

Anyway, not to dwell. I've got a big party tonight for Mel's birthday. D's coming over and maybe Regis and Christian. Cathy is staying the night. Drew is out at another friend's birthday, but will hopefully meet us at KBC or wherever we end up.