The best room for a party!

It might not have been the best cake we’ve ever made, but it certainly received the biggest response! Birthdays here are definitely to be celebrated if at all possible and if there are two birthdays in a family, there is cause for a big celebration. Dona Louisa had birthdays to celebrate this week: Raulinho had his first birthday on Monday and on Tuesday, Bilão turned three. As she now has a job, it was definitely time for a party.

Slowly the requests came: ‘Senhora, what do you need for a cake?’, ’Senhora, how to you bake a cake?’, ‘Senhora, could you bake a cake for me?’ The ingredients for the cake arrived one by one as they could be afforded and carefully stored away in our house so none of her neighbours were tempted to ‘borrow’ them. A few days later more questions: ‘Senhora, how do you cook spaghetti?’, ‘Senhora, are you around this weekend?’ and finally, ‘Senhora, could we hold the party in your garage?’ The spaghetti arrived along with other various ingredients, we had a practise cake-baking session and all was set and ready to go.

It’s Saturday morning, and Louisa and her husband, Abdul, arrive at our back door having swept and cleaned thoroughly below our apartment and sorted the garage ready.  The party is supposed to start at two that afternoon, but this is Africa so we expect it to start at three.  At around two-thirty, Dona Louisa arrives at our back door again and asks me to cook spaghetti for 4 adults and 10 children. We hadn’t realised this was part of the deal but it’s a bit late to say no now.  We quickly cook spaghetti to be ready by three… At four, the first guests and children arrive.

The garage is decorated with balloons, there is loud party music and children running, laughing and dancing. Naomi is whisked away by some of the children and promptly joins in the dancing (though in a proudly British, uncoordinated way). Isaac eventually realises that if he joins the children he gets food and he becomes part of the crowd. As dinner is served, a quick head count shows there are 8 adults and 25 children including us. We quickly pray for a miracle, something  similar to loaves and fishes, but there seems plenty to go round. Soon it’s time for the cake: the most important part. Happy birthday is sung and Raulinho and Bilão get the first pieces. The rest is eagerly shared out and, after a little more running around and dancing, the majority of children leave allowing Isaac and Naomi to play balloons with Dona Louisa’s children and to run wild in the yard.

Whilst the children were clearly having a great time, we all felt for Abdul, who carefully avoided the plentiful crisps and biscuits because of Ramadan. But we’re not sure food was on his mind that afternoon. He was quietly tucked away in a corner, listening intently to the radio through his mobile phone. But who can blame him! Clube Ferroviário da Beira were drawing 3-3 away from home in the capital Maputo with only a few minutes left. Ask any man anywhere in the world and they’ll give you the same response when it comes to priorities in that type of situation.

Oh, and last week’s test… We both passed and amazingly got exactly the same overall percentage. Just as well really, it’s not that we’re competitive,  but…