Neil, she tried!

This post is a response to Seth (I think) wanting to hear the cebu story from someone other than Katie.

Saturday afternoon Katie, Dian, Christina, Priscilla, and I took off down the main road for a nice walk, pretty much for exercise and enjoyment of each others' company as we waited for brother Moti to pick us up in the bus and take us to the #57 youth mission meeting. We met a cebu.

Katie has had somewhat of an obsession with cebus since our arrival, which I share to a much lesser degree. This obsession has a few roots. She and I both first really became acquainted with cebus through Silly Songs with Larry on Veggie Tales, the part of the story where Larry came out and sang a silly song about cebus.

While researching Guyana I came across the animals in Guyana and the website I was reading on spoke of cebus wandering the streets of Corriverton. I relayed this delightful news to Katie who in turn told all of her little brothers that she would get to meet cebus when she went to Guyana (even though none of them appear to be sick, sad, or mute). Neil (Katie's 6 year old brother) responded with excitement and wanted Katie to get a picture with one, even riding one if she could. Note: even riding one. If you click on an older post you will find a picture of Katie with a cebu a few weeks ago.

Well...Saturday came and there we were strolling along. Even strolling isn't exactly proper terminology. People here don't really walk, or even hardly stroll. They like to mosey, saunter, poke along. Our normal pace is their power walk. So, I was moseying with Christina and Dian who just couldn't keep pace with Katie and Priscilla who were at a moderate stroll.

They were about 100 feet ahead of us and Katie spotted a cebu in the ditch, munching on grass. It was a large tan she cebu, had the nice curved horns, and looked quite friendly. Katie decided maybe this was the one she was meant to perch on for a photo. As she approached and started to reach out for the cebu, she (the cebu) turned, looked at Katie and decided to let her know what was up. She wasn't in the mood to be messed with by a white girl.

Next thing we saw and heard was Katie waving her arms and running into the road, then realizing that she could be schmucked by a tapir driving by and reverted to running toward us as she was hollering and calling out something like "oh dear! my goodness...ahhhh". She ran and hid behind me, while all the other girls cowered as well.

It's just a cow was my thought, ignore it and keep walking past it, it'll leave us alone. I walked bravely on ahead, ignoring it...until I got up next to it and it decided it was my turn. It didn't approach me with the same tenacity though, and I just had to kind of shuffle around her as she realized I wasn't seeking to ride her, much less touch her. The other girls had had it. They saw Katie flipping out, me sidestepping her, and they made a bee line for the other side of the road.

The funniest part about the whole experience was probably the audience. Katie had a tapir slow down for her, a bicyclist commented as he pedalled by and every neighbour and their brother seemed to be outside just lounging and observing whatever there was to observe. We all had a pretty good laugh and I'm quite certain Katie learned that riding a cebu will be no easy feat. It probably will not be one she attempts again either.

And that's the end of the cebu story.