Day 13 - In Which Hair Is Cut And Clothes Are Washed

Thursday, March 24 – Day 13

I woke up from today’s two-hour nap at 10:30 AM. It was wonderful.

Beauty regained her fever rather than her appetite during the school day yesterday. She wasn’t as hot as the day before but was fussier; this morning, she was even less hot and even more fussy. Yesterday afternoon, she cried and shifted around on occasion but settled in for a half-hour nap in my arms. We spent much of the afternoon sitting with Emily, Sophie, Sarah, various children coming to sit and be held (many were off playing football or collecting firewood), and two of the older boys, one of whom (Justice) was cutting the other’s hair. He cut the already-short hair by clamping a razor blade (all-metal) firmly against the toothed edge of a comb between his thumb and forefinger then running both through the hair. These kids have some impressive skills.

After that haircut, on which Ima came over to help with the finishing touches, volunteer Josh somehow got roped into having his hair cut by Ima. They used kitchen scissors with a razor-and-comb touchup. It was clear from the result that they have less experience cutting obruni hair.

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I just finished attempt #2 to do my washing. The first time, earlier in the week, was fairly successful: Cristabel stopped by on a school break from Methodist and showed me how to combine bar soap and intense scrubbing to clean my clothes. She clearly did not trust me to wash my light-colored t-shirts and tried to continue helping me instead of returning to school at the end of her break. Washing when the kids are around seems generally to center around them watching closely, laughing, and attempting to take over for you.

This time, Beatriz saw me washing and came to help. Beatriz cooks for and cares for all of us volunteers and oversees the kids in their work at the house helping cook, cleaning, and bringing water. She came and sat down with me by my washing bucket then proceeded to pick up and start washing a white shirt. She said she’d just do the one, but ultimately refused to stop before also cleaning my other three light-colored shirts. You do not argue with Auntie B. She definitely helped me refine my washing technique, especially with regard to the use of bar soap.

How to wash your clothes in a bucket:

1. Fill two buckets with clean(ish) water. Add washing powder to one bucket.
2. Let the clothes soak in the soapy water (for 15 minutes, if using Omo powder).
3. Scrub scrub! Apply bar soap to the dirtiest spots (e.g., sweat-gathering collar and underarms, obvious dirt spots) then scrub fabric held in one hand against fabric smooth on the other palm.
4. Transfer each item to the second bucket as cleaned then rescrub each to rinse.
5. Squeeze out the water and hang dry.

The water is generally milky-brown with a soap-and-dirt mix by the end of step 2, pre-scrubbing. That’s how much dirt there is here.

One of the oldest girls doing her laundry