‘Daddy, Daddy!’
Liz could barely contain herself. I was reading. She was going up on her tip-toes, up and down, excited, reaching forward and touching me on the arms and Daddy, Daddy!
She could get four earrings and two bracelets for 5,000 shillings. That’s about two dollars.
The lady was selling all sorts of things, this for 500, that for 1,000. And studs. This was the big deal. There were studs. ‘Studs Daddy!’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Yes. And maybe we can later contribute from your allowance.’
And so Liz jumped in joy and ran off and got her things, along with Gloria and Catherine, her two Ugandan friends who always partner with her in these sorts of girl adventures.
If the three of them aren’t making and selling their own jewelry, they’re in their little wooden fort, the one up on the hill beside the rabbits, eating cookies or keeping the boys out or laughing about any number of other things that little girls laugh about.
The word ‘yes’ and 5,000 shillings … and I got a kiss on the cheek.
A pretty good deal all around, I’d say.