Carrying Bonecas (Dolls)

It was a beautiful day for a walk. The weather has been quite cold thus far. In fact, the weather has been quite weird this year. But today was a very nice evening and the perfect temperature. I am looking at the most beautiful sunset over the mango trees out the window. Granted it is the dust and smoke in the air that cause the sunset to be so brilliant. But I will enjoy it anyway since I like to look on the bright side of everything if I can, even the burning of the beautiful Mozambican forests.

It was the first day that we could get our child out of the house between feedings and general difficult moods. She was great today and smiled as we walked. We passed the houses enjoying looking at the bougainvillea, bottle brush trees and the occasional new paint job. We look for the little changes in a country like Mozambique. Like I said, I like to look on the bright side and these are positive changes.

We passed people, some who smiled, some who stared and some who laughed. I guess we are getting used to being the center of attention and everything we do it is little weird. In South Africa, women carry their babies on their lower back, feet tucked in and back straight (sort of like we do in a backpack carrier, only with a sheet or capulana). As we carried our little babe in a sling everyone told us that her back needed to be straight. My reply was, well in Mozambique everyone carries their baby this way on their back and they are fine. Yesterday, it was chilly (nice for us North Americans) and we did not bring a hat. Inevitably lots of people felt free to yell, “Frio” (Cold) as we passed. Mozambicans generally dress their babies from head to toe, even in the hot season. It is not unusual for a person to see a baby in a snowsuit, stocking hat, wrapped in a blanket and sweating like he/she were in a sauna. With all the free advice we have been getting lately from everyone it keep our minds sharp just thinking for a response that will entertain them, or sidetrack them from doing whatever they want with our baby.

Today, it was not the back that was the problem, or the cold but the fact that her feet were tucked into the sling. (Mozambicans have them with their feet out but the rest of their bodies are buried in the capulana.) One woman even offered to take her feet out.

Jenny responded gracefully,”Well it didn’t hurt her when she was in the womb, right.”

That got everyone laughing and they left her alone.

One woman in the next group of women we encountered said to the others “Boneca” which means doll in Portuguese. Now why Jenny would be carrying around a doll for fun at her age is beyond me. I think carrying the baby for nine months would have put a stop to that idea. They also suggested that Nadia put her legs outside the capulana. Jenny and I insisted that she would be OK and that her legs would not fall off.

One lady said, “Because of the cold, eh.”

Mustering a fake smile, with enthusiasm we said, “Yes!”

Joel