Small Girl, Big America Part 3: Of Thanksgiving

 

The day before Thanksgiving

Saying thank you is a word my mother taught me. My teacher reinforced the lesson with her ruler meeting my hand, and my dad showed it to me. Thanksgiving, on the other hand, is a word my pastor insisted on while quoting Thessalonians 5:18, which says, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Today, I have a new meaning for Thanksgiving. Ps: This article is entirely based on my experience the past few days and first-person accounts of information; kindly research further before quoting it or any of my sources.

Have you ever read an article that sounded like a dear diary entry? This is it.

This week, Charm was happy coz he got ready for church in thirty minutes. He was on top of the world, the kind that suggests that I was the reason he would get late for events we went to together. So, since Barney Stinson was my best character in How I Met Your Mother, I took that as a challenge. My high score so far was getting ready in nine minutes.

My speed was tested when my hosts came to pick me up earlier than I anticipated. And I like a good challenge! I was going to a town two hours from where I stayed. Let me tell you, two hours on American roads is not the same as Nairobi to Naivasha; it is kind of like Nairobi to Nakuru. The roads are like the Thika Superhighway; I bet you can guess the speed limit.

            I got the front seat. D was driving, and R was in the back seat! D said it was my chance to see the world, and boy did I see it. First, I saw mammoth rocks! D said I should not ask her why they are called that, and neither should you ask me why they are called that because I have no idea! But they were white rocks gliding on each other on vast land. They were tempting to go hiking but in this case rock climbing. I promised R I would go hiking with her when I got a summer body. Let’s just say her arguments of going hiking with her to get the summer body fell on deaf ears.

On the way, we also saw Joshua trees. These trees only grow in California and Israel naturally, and of course, as a challenge, I have taken it upon myself to try and plant them back at home and see if they will survive or if it is one of those things that are just meant for one side of the world. You know, like huskies that lose color when they travel out of the USA.

The drive was beautiful! The sky was clear, the road meandering towards the top of the mountain, there were open fields with scrubs of different colors, and my absolute favorite thing was the trees of various colors on the road! I love green, I love soil, I love trees but boy! This week, I have loved dying trees. The yellows, the marrons, the burnt orange, and the one pink tree were simply breathtaking. To my one friend who likes to fall as much as I do, shedding doesn’t always mean death; sometimes, it means rebirth. It must be painful to lose all those branches, but it is part of the process, and it is beautiful. My favorite tree was yellow with parts of green, it was taking its time to shed and transition to its next season. Take your time; when you are ready, you will yellow, then burnt orange, and return to green. One season at a time.

Did you know there are specific decorations for every season? I went Halloween shopping with my roommate, and it was primarily black and purple! I went to look for Thanksgiving decorations with D and R; they were mainly orange and yellow. My favorite thing was this cute salt and pepper pumpkin container that R found with blessed and thank you. They matched the tablecloth.

On the way, D told me Thanksgiving started as a harvest festival celebrated by the Pilgrims who arrived in America. Many of them were not prepared for the cold weather, and so they died. However, the Indians, who were native Americans, taught those who survived the winter how to cultivate corn, fish, and hunt in the new land. That fall, the Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate their successful harvest and give thanks for their survival and new friendships. The celebration had shared meals and activities between the communities.

D could not remember when it became a national holiday. R swopped in to save the day by telling us that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863 to instill hope and trigger unity and gratitude during the Civil War. The random facts that teachers know are admirable! In the next world, I might consider a career in teaching, something related to art.

We got home, and Tiger, the dog, made me scream like a mad woman, but then, by the time I left, she was just lying on my lap, hoping I would stay.

When we arrived, R made cookies, and my weight loss journey was dammed! Those cookies were fantastic! And they were warm! Just like in the movies. It was sensational, honestly; at this point, I think Caramel Cake House and the Cake City in Ngong would lose me as a client to her. Tiger seemed to think so too, because whenever I grabbed a cookie, he would look at me as if hoping for some too.  A few hours later, D made Tacos for dinner, and lemme tell you, fahm, Mexican food is enjoyable.

It is always amazing to sit as a family and watch TV. We spent the better part of Wednesday night watching Home Alone. First, I can’t believe I had never watched that show. Second, what kind of parents forget their children? Third, did that child really set up a nail and flame thrower against the robbers? How smart was he, and finally, what would I have done? One thing for sure, I know why that movie is an American classic.

I loved Christmas growing up because it meant my mother got to cook her special recipes for everything. Coming to think of it, I make amazing soft double-layered chapatis, but I still do not know how my mother makes hers! I gotta ask for those recipes. D started with making pumpkin pie, which, in my opinion, is incredible with whipped cream! She then made apple pie, and Mike brought chocolate pie.

And then came the turkey! Boy, it was heavy. I do not know what D was because I was playing with Tiger, but the time it was 11pm, and we were removing it from the oven the first time, I was ready to eat it there, and then, no questions asked! However, she was trying a new recipe that needed 12 hours to cook, so we returned it to the oven.

Thanksgiving

I did not wanna wake up! Mainly because the blankets were so cozy and as soft, as you know; I never understand when people say as smooth as a baby’s butt! Did they put a baby’s butt on their face? Or just touch and why? And don’t say while changing diapers, I change it faster than I can spell my two favorite pet names. But assuming they were onto something, the blankets were that soft.

Charm called me thrice to me to wake! I found R had made me Kenyan tea and I was honestly flattered. After breakfast, I started cooking Chapo’s and the remaining turkey that was to be made as stew. D finished preparing the sweet potatoes, turkey stuffing, potatoes, fruit salad, jelly and corn pudding while R set the table. I swear, it felt a lot like Christmas.

Before we ate, we went around saying what we were thankful for. At that moment I realized that this year, it has been God. After dinner, we took food to two sisters in their late 80’s; seeing them together warmed my heart! I really hope my sisters and I will still be friends when they are old. Growing old together seems like a beautiful thing. Imagine at 80 teasing your sister about their choices when they were thirteen.

I like card games! Especially winning them! So, when I was taught skip-boo and won the first round! Guess how proud I felt! In fact, I told D & R to call me Champ! Tell me why UNO came, and I was shown dust! I asked for game after game after game just to try and beat R! But that girl knows her way with cards! I even dreamt of beating her! I AM COMING FOR YOU R!

After Thanksgiving

Life in America moves faster than you can pronounce the word fast! As soon as Halloween ends, you start preparing for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving ends, you start preparing for Christmas! My favorite season of the year. Today we went shopping for a Christmas tree.

There is this episode in a movie I watched as a kid that is stuck in my head where they had gone Christmas shopping, the girl was in red and white, and the snow was so pretty, and she had hot coffee. It made me look forward to Christmas tree shopping, and I checked that off my bucket list today. I had some amazing hot chocolate which btw turns out to be drinking chocolate with lots of chocolate and sugar.

I was walking the dog around the yard while looking for trees. Tell me why when R and D were standing undecided on two trees, Tiger rushed, peed on the tree trunk, and started jumping up and down. Needless to say, that we went with that tree home, and I decorated my first Christmas tree.  It was full of blue, reds and gold.

On the way, we passed through a musical road! The road literally sings to you! I cannot explain how that happens and why! But I know two trips back and forth was not enough to enjoy that piece of heaven on earth.

Two days after Thanksgiving

It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas! Scratch that, it looks a lot like Christmas! I went to the festival of light. The whole street was lit with Christmas lights and the air smelled like the kind of food that is good for your mouth but not your weight loss journey! OMG it was beautiful. There were shapes of gifts, Santa, reindeers, north pole and random figurines. The trees had lights, the houses had lights, the poles had lights and even the doorknobs had lights.

                Down the street, there was a mariachi band playing music. And boy did I wish Charm was there to dance with me or push me in the middle of the circle to dance. The magician distracted me from the band for a hot minute. I was disappointed to realize I have outgrown card tricks, so I went to the ice hockey ring. My butt and the ice hockey ring are the only ones that can tell that story. However, B made me flannel cake after the festival, and everything was back to being alright.

Three days after Thanksgiving

You know, Jesus died and rose on the third day? All beautiful endings have the number three on them. Today I went to the kind of church I always thought American churches were like. There was a musical band, the worship sounded like jazz especially when the saxophone guy and the drummist had their time to shine. And the congregation shouted amens!

The pastor preached the story of Joseph. The title was favor ain’t fair. To be clear, I am favor but I am fair. Just bring me your children and see how much I am a descendant of king Solomon. The pastor spoke of how favor is not directly from the one who receives the favor, but from the one who gives the favor. And such favor is always for the glory of the giver of the favor.

I know I am blessed and highly favored. I live my life knowing that God is with me and for me. Today I realized in addition to that, I should live my life in such a way that that favor reflects on the one who gives it, God. So what am I grateful for? I am grateful for how much favor God has placed upon my shoulders.

By Favor Khaoya