October 10

The good news is that the people who booked over Christmas have cancelled; the bad news is that the person who has booked over New Year, assures us she is looking forward to her stay.  Well, at least we know when we can go away and for how long.

Many Zimbabweans who live abroad come home at Christmas time to visit relatives.  Despite the fact that they could stay with their relatives, they often like to have their own space. Relatives, a guest once told us, can be quite a burden.  He hadn't been back to Zimbabwe for six years, preferring to just send money home.  Everyone expected him to have a very high paying job and be able to fund the lives of various relatives.  He complained that they didn't know how hard life was for him in the UK and how hard he had to work to send money home.

This afternoon we had a little rain shower in town, but only a few drops fell in Hillside. A beautiful cool wind blows across the garden and I feel inexplicably happy. There is some assurance to be drawn from the fact that however hot it gets, rain is on its way.

In the evening, the electricity goes off for the second time today.