African Pigeons

When referring to animals and petulance, it seems that often the adjective “African” denotes a more extreme version of what we westerners are accustomed to (e.g. African killer bees, African ants with their 4 feet anthills, etc…). In this spirit, I’ve deemed these birds “African Pigeons”. These things are all over Mbarara – mostly scavenging out of trash dumpsters and in parks. I think they are called Maribous and they are huge creatures with a massive wingspan (around 5-6 feet). At first, I was intimidated by these birds but I’ve become quite fond of them.

Last week I pulled a lower-back muscle and for the last few days I have been suffering from an “African cold”. Thankfully we don’t have any mirrors in our house but occasionally I glimpse my reflection in a window and wonder who that hunched old woman is. It’s at these times, I make sure to take a stroll past the nearest trash heap and look closely at the marabous. I feel absolutely radiant by comparison.