Blasted wall fence

My girls from back in the day started this "a day in the life" email chain. We re-connected by telling these random stories that we felt like sharing with the rest of the crew. I was inspired to share with them the following story (& their reactions were priceless so I built up the nerve to post it here)...I wanted to update my blog but didn't want to write about another weekend filled with schoolbooks*grin*. Here's the story...

When I go coach at BSA I have to jump over a wall fence to get into the schoolyard (because they lock it immediately after the kids have knocked off). There are perfect little holes in the concrete so I can step up (just call me Spidey). And yes, you can imagine all the little Zambian kids going back to their shanty compounds hysterically laughing at this big “mzungu” jumping over a wall fence. Comedy indeed- though nobody who knows me bats an eyelash anymore.

Well, the other day I had an unfortunate meeting with the wall which could have ended up much worse than it did. My beautiful engagement ring is apparently a little too big for my finger- so somehow it got caught on a protruding piece of concrete just as I was jumping down. My finger really hurt as I was hitting the ground & I dared a glace at my ring hoping all would still be in place & that there’d be no blood. To my horror, one of the small diamonds had popped out & I had no idea what to do. (We haven’t formally announced the engagement to our basketball friends because it would be too annoying to deal with people everyday for the next six months, so I’m in even more of a predicament because I don’t want to draw attention to it). So I move away from the wall & continue greeting everyone as if all is well. I end up caving & asking Alinafe (who will definitely be at my wedding but who we haven’t yet told we’re getting married) to send some of the little boys to search for the diamond because I couldn’t imagine going home & telling Alvin that I lost a diamond. Alinafe very tongue in cheek said “Oh, is it so important”- but trotted off to send the little ones in the hopeless search for a tiny diamond in a sea of dust.

So my ring looks kind of funny (missing a diamond & all bent to hell), but Alvin took it well. Apparently it won't take much to have a diamond re-fitted & the band straightened out (well, at least a few people have said that to make me feel better)*grin*. And at least I didn’t break my finger…