Two Years of Wonder - A Memoir

Chapter 5: Ivy & The Priest

When she was supposed to be sleeping, Ivy had overheard Raphael and Bahati talking. They were surprised and also insulted that Ivy's father had left the children to the priest. It was highly unusual. Why not leave them for the family?

Ivy was surprised herself. When she had asked Bahati what might happen if her father died, Bahati had said that they would simply go to other family members.

Ivy wanted to stay with Maurice, but she was afraid that they would be separated to different daughters of their father, so in a way she was glad they had been left to Father David.

Father David was a very nice man. He was also a priest, so he had a nice house that was up the hill from the church. It was made out of stone and had a metal door. It also had electric lights.

But Ivy was surprised to learn that the entire house was not his. He shared it with many people and only two rooms were his. This was his explanation as to why he could not take Ivy and Maurice.

Bahati and Raphael did not like this news. They could not keep Ivy and Maurice either—at least that was what they said. They also had to be leaving Kariobangi soon because a son from the first marriage had been left the house and he wanted to move in soon.

So Father David said Ivy and Maurice could stay with his mother. But that meant they would have to say goodbye to the home they had known all their lives. That night, Ivy told Maurice wonderful stories of how nice their new home would be, even though she had no real idea. She just wanted to keep him from crying so he could sleep. When he finally drifted off, she buried her face in her own pillow so her sobs would not wake him.

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Father David's mother, Susan, was a giant fat lady. She had taken a few other children that were not her own into her house. Ivy shared a bed with a girl named Rebecca and Maurice shared a crib with a boy named Edison. An older girl named Ruth lived with them too. She had once been a street girl and could be very mean. Ivy was afraid of her.

But Susan lived in Kariobangi as well, so for a while things were the same as always. Maurice went to school. Ivy went when she was not sick and when she was sick, Ruth and Rebecca would take him to school—times like these Ivy was happy Ruth was once a street girl because then no one would try to disturb Maurice.

Susan finally took Ivy to the doctor. This was a different doctor than the one Ivy was used to. This one was in a large hospital that was very far away. One of the nurses there took Ivy's blood. Then she came back with a piece of paper that she showed to Susan and they went into an office and talked for a long time without Ivy. When they came out the nurse was very nice to Ivy and told her that she would see her again.

Ivy did see her again when they came back with Maurice. He cried when they took his blood. Ivy had not cried when they took hers, but she wanted to when she saw her brother so upset. Once they were done she held him on her lap, which she always liked. Having her brother so close to her made her feel whole, calm, and peaceful as if she was doing what she was meant to do as a big sister. They told Ivy they would need to take her blood again.

That night Father David came over to speak to his mother. When she was supposed to be sleeping, Ivy tried to listen to their conversation. She heard the word ukimwi many times. She knew it was a very bad sickness. She also knew they were talking about her and her brother. David kept saying, "Their father's wish was to keep them together. They should be treated the same."

Ivy was not sure what this meant.

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A few weeks later, after Ivy had taken more medicine that made her feel stronger, Susan put Ivy and her brother in their best clothes. Ivy asked if they were going to church. Susan said yes but it was not just any ordinary Sunday. This Sunday David would find them a new family.

Ivy, Maurice, Ruth, Rebecca—the street girls—and Susan sat in the front row of the church this Sunday. Usually they sat in the third row beside the window, which Ivy liked more because the breeze would keep her cool. This Sunday she felt very hot and uncomfortable. She could even see sweat on the side of Father David's face as he read from the gospel.

David's sermon was about the holy family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. He talked about how they were refused room at the inn when Mary was about to give birth to Jesus. He said that there were people in our community today that needed shelter. He talked about how it was God's plan to care for these people. Then he talked about how Jesus loved children and always wanted children around him. Finally he talked about the poor and the sick, and how Jesus said good Christians must take care of them.

Then he said that two children who were in need of help were with them that morning. That was when Susan made Maurice and Ivy stand up. Ivy did not like staring out at all the people and feeling them stare back at her. When Maurice started to fidget, she stepped on his toes and told him to stand still. When he looked as if he was about to cry, Ruth intervened by telling him to be quiet. He obeyed immediately.

Susan spoke next, saying that Ivy and her brother were very nice children. They were very good children too. She said Ivy was always helpful and that both worked hard in school. Ivy was happy she did not mention the fact she had been forced to repeat a grade and that she still did not go to school often when she was sick.

Father David asked someone to come forward that would take care of Ivy and Maurice because even though he had been left them, he could not take care of them. He talked about Ivy's father. He mentioned how her father was a respected member of the community. He said that Ivy's father had even helped to build this very church.

The room remained silent. Ivy noticed people looking around at the walls. She looked at them too. She had been unaware that her father had helped to build the church. She pictured a younger version of him lifting boards, hammering nails, and pushing up the corrugated walls.

The people looked around the church as well. They examined the walls, the ceiling, the floors.

None were looking at her.

They would not look at Father David either. Father David said nothing. He was waiting. But the silence went on. Children made noise playing outside. A baby inside cried. A few people coughed.

But no one stepped forward. Ivy examined the crowd carefully, looking for a pretty woman that might be her new mother, but all of the ones she liked remained silent.

Ivy's legs were getting tired. Her mind drifted. She stared at a sunbeam and the dust floating in it. Maurice sat down on the ground.

Finally Father David spoke. He said he had faith in God that a home for them would be found.