“As if it were today” | Tales from Muhanga 2

From the diary of Father Giovanni Piumatti during his time in Muhanga (North Kivu). Reflections still relevant today

It is 7 a.m. in Turin, but also elsewhere: for some it is the time of return from the Saturday night “ritual” (more or less).
It is 7:00 here in Muhanga.
I look out over the courtyard and three smiling children are already waiting: their hello! is God’s kiss.

I hear croaking from the loudspeakers, which are installed here in the courtyard; then, the annoying noise turns into harmony and the notes of Ravel’s Bolero emerge beautifully.

Muhanga does not go to sleep at 7:00. Muhanga wakes up at 7:00 and wakes up all at once.

Ravel and Morricone’s compositions accompany the movements of a humanity that has perhaps allowed itself an extra hour of sleep.

It’s Sunday, it’s a holiday: most have their clothes changed, their faces clean, a brightly colored scarf adorns the women’s heads.

Secular music fades over the loudspeaker to give way to more liturgical chords.

It’s festive, it’s Sunday, and the village “crossroads” populates and ascends to the hall, the site of the civic gathering, yesterday, when it was
it was time for the SHIRIKA, and today the place of landing in God’s arms for the castaways of this green sea of eucalyptus, banana trees and mighobwa.

The hall is full, prayer is song, singing is dance.

It is Sunday, it is feast, and the embrace with God must be done with a heart full of joy,

even if your feet are bare.

Ndotole slipped an old jacket over his threadbare sweater and faded pants; shoes, no, never mind.

Barefoot, he approached the altar for the “prayer of the faithful”: he said THANK YOU!

He said THANK YOU!, one of the few today, which is Sunday, who still has bare feet.

(Patrizia)

Source and image

G. Piumatti, Muhanga. Parole e storie d’Africa, pp. 83.