Vincent picked us up at 10:00. The ladies all wore the gromese, the traditional African dresses given them last Thursday night after the Women’s Group. The dresses were different in style and color but all featured wrap-around skirts gathered up on one side, penned, then tied in place with a wide belt. The people at church really liked it that they were wearing these clothes.
David preached, and he did a phenomenal job. He managed to make his hour-long sermon relevant and culturally appropriate without appearing to change his style. And it was quite a day at the church. The assistant pastor of a very large church had come to hear David, as well as a man from Boston who now lives in Kampala. I’m sure neither was disappointed!
As Joseph announced opportunities for the week, he didn’t mention my money seminar. Since this would be the last time the church would all be together before the first seminar on Wednesday, I was a bit surprised!
It was almost 2:00 when we finally got away from church. We decided to go back to the Guesthouse and pack up, then get a snack for lunch and dinner before the flight left. So we ended up at the coffee shop where we’d bought coffee the night before. We all had a cup of coffee and a piece of cake. The cake slices were substantial and good, though not very sweet!
We hardly had an hour in Kampala by the time our snack was over. Rather than going to see the Kasubi Tombs or the Martyr’s Memorial, the ladies decided to go shop. Vincent took us to the Theater Center where there is a wide variety of craft shops. Both Angie and Danielle made a few last minute purchases.
It was almost time to leave. Their flight was scheduled for a few minutes after 11:00. The three hour check-in rule said to be there by 8:00. We wanted time to eat, so we started to leave at 4:00. Michael and Joseph, however, hadn’t joined us when we left the shopping area. Vincent started toward Entebbe Road (the road to the airport), but he turned into a gated drive. The gate opened and we were in the new Serena Hotel. Vincent really wanted David to see this place, so he let us off at the main entrance while he looked for a parking place. We wandered through the breath-taking lobby (a mix of Japanese minimalism and African tribal antiques) and into the gift shop. We looked around the shop until 4:30 then went out to the van. Joseph was waiting for us. We started for the airport again. This time, we only had to stop for Michael, who was waiting on the street.
We had a clear shot to Entebbe – no major traffic at all. We arrived at the Royal Botanical Hotel about 6:00. We took a table on the 2nd floor balcony. We had a great view of the twin swimming pools and the gardens with Lake Victoria in the far distance. Lisa and I had tilapia fillets. Mine was in the fish and chips style while hers was breaded. Both were excellent.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal, except Danielle who wasn’t feeling well. We sat and chatted until 7:30, then it was time to go. Vincent rushed us to the airport and we al l got out with David, Danielle, and Angie. Their flight was checking in, so we left them at the door. We stayed until everyone was at the ticket counter, but we had to go then because the guards were complaining about our being stopped.
THE FOLLOWING TWO PARAGRAPHS ARE VERY GRAPHIC. YOU CAN EASILY SKIP THEM.
Vincent drove us out of the parking area Everyone was pretty quiet in the van. It was as though we’d had our energy removed. We pulled onto the four-lane road that leads into and out of the airport. We were in the inside lane. I knew something was wrong when I heard the terrifying sound of metal scraping metal. I looked into the lane of incoming traffic. In the lane next to me, a boda boda driver had tried to cut too close to a taxi. He clipped the left front corner of the taxi (the metal on metal screech). This pulled him in front of the fast-moving taxi. The driver stood on his breaks. The nose of the van dropped forward, but it was too late. I heard two thumps, the sound of flipping a watermelon with your knuckle, the sound of two unhelmeted heads hitting pavement. The van continued on for a few feet mangling the boda boda and both its occupants as it slowed.
All of this happened in a split second, but seemed to drag on in slow motion for several minutes. The boda boda was cutting around the van because there was a terrible incoming traffic jam. The people in the car around the taxi were jumping out, but there wasn’t anyone to help on the pavement. There’s no way either of the riders survived. We continued on toward Kampala. No one said a word.
After about 25 minutes, we met an ambulance speeding toward the airport. Apparently, the only ambulance was in Kampala. It would be around 45 minutes after the accident before the ambulance arrived. I had a terrible thought. We were so focused on the boda boda occupants that we didn’t even think about the taxi. These taxis are set for 14 people, but it isn’t at all unusual to see 20 or more people riding. Most of the taxi riders don’t use seat belts. If this was an overloaded taxi, there were sure to be injuries from dislodged taxi passengers. Perhaps the ambulance was for them.
We said goodbye at the door to the Kolping House. Lisa and I walked up the long slope from the dining area. Again, the silence was deafening. We already missed them and we hadn’t tried to do anything.
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