Piki piki!

So, today I got left at home and frustratingly enough, it had nothing to do with me being late or taking too long to do something.  I was to submit my proposed plan and schedule to the village chairman in Roche at 10am.  All I needed was for Rosie to read, approve, and print my plan and schedule.  In true Shirati fashion, at 9:45 the Hilux (Toyota truck) still hadn't left yet.  Fernando was dropping off a ton of building materials in Nyambogo for a project and so there was only room for him and me (because my trip to Roche was necessary) out of the student crew....so I thought and had been told by everyone.  10 o'clock rolls around, and I watch from the office window as the Hilux drives away with everyone but me in the back...that's odd, I think; they must be taking them to Sota and coming back to get me.  Nope, they decided to leave without me because I wasn't under the tree waiting (even though three of the people knew I was in the office waiting for printing because they had jumped in front of me needing Rosie).  Anyway, my confusion turned into brief frustration which turned into, "Oh no! How am I going to get this paper work to Roche, since I'm leaving tomorrow?" 

Never fear....piki is here!  (an hour and a half later)  I hop on the back of the infamous "piki piki" (which is like a dirt bike/motorcycle) and off we go to Roche....again, so I thought.  We pass by the turn for Roche, and since my Swahili and his English obviously do not go beyond introductions, I have to just hang on for the ride.  We end up only going a few minutes up the road to drop off some kind of root with his family members.  And we're off....short cut!  Rather than go back to the turn off for the "main" road, piki man decides to go the short way through fields and crops.  It was actually a blast!  I felt back at home in Arkansas, haha.  So at 11:30, I get my paper work to Roche.  The chairman has of course given up on me and left, but his assistant enjoys the humor of me showing up an hour and a half late on a piki...he had an idea what happened.

If it wouldn't cost me extra, I would consider taking a piki everyday.  It was a blast, but next time I guess I'll make sure to be under the tree no later than 10, no matter what.