Happy Happy Christmas!

In the weeks leading up to Christmas I began to grow increasingly concerned. For sometime, as I would sit ruminating in the bamboo chair on my porch, my attention had been captured by the arrival of a very large pig. Day after day I watched it with hungry eyes while it wandered as far as it could go, tied to a tree in my landlord's front yard. But as Christmas drew closer I noticed the pigs absence. Then one day it ran right in front of my porch back to my landlord's compound. I guessed this pig was like the dogs and even chickens that PaEdang owns, all of which roam freely during the day but loyally return to his compound every evening. As it turned out, this assumption was completely wrong. PaEdang arrived at my doorstep a few days later, clearly distressed. He told me his pig has gotten free from it's rope and had gone missing. He explained that he had seen it a day earlier, but did not have the strength at the time to attempt to catch it. He would need the help of one of his children or me, as this pig must have weighed well over 200 pounds. However, if the pig did not turn up soon it would be good to assume that it had been stolen and quickly sold for up to 100,000cfa. So we both began to accept that this Christmas would likely be one without pork. But as tends to happen around this time of year, we were witness to a Christmas miracle. Only two days before Christmas, as I was sitting on my porch, I heard a familiar grunting and snorting. The swine has been found.

So Christmas morning I awoke with no apprehensions. Having gone to mass the night before, I was free for the entire day. I went strolling that morning, exploring different paths by my house, curious to see where they would lead. A palm wine tapper saw me and wished me, "Happy Christmas!" I cordially responded "Happy happy!" He then invited me to his house to enjoy a glass of morning wine. I sat with him and his family, outside of their mud brick home. The orange of the bricks and the bright green palms above them with the blue sky behind made a picturesque scene. I ate rice and cow meat, along with fish. The man explained that today was a day for eating. He talked about how many families would be in debt after Christmas, because providing this holiday food and buying new clothes for children was quite costly. But it was the holidays and no one complained about it, they were happy to be able to live one day completely care free. After a few glasses of the sweet morning mimbo and a few plates of fine chop, I thanked them for everything and told them I had to go prepare to eat another Christmas meal with my landlord. So with my stomach nearly bursting I trekked back to my house and rested off the first meal of Christmas while swaying back and forth in my hammock.

A few hours later I was awoken by a soft knocking at my door. PaEdang's daughter had come to invite me to enjoy their Christmas meal together. Ready for round two I quickly made my way over. There was food everywhere, and I began with a large plate of Achu, a mashed potatoe like dish made from cocoa yams. Oddly enough as we were eating, American Christmas movies were playing on the TV. For a few moments I completely forgot I was in Enyoh. Over the next few hours many guests came and left. I realized that Christmas in Cameroon is a bit like Halloween in some ways. People go from one house to another, briefly visiting friends and sampling some of the food. Everyone feels obligated to visit all of their friends and relatives so no one could stay at one home for too long. But for me, I was content staying in my landlord's luxurious home while eating my fill.

I later went back to my house for another brief intermission. As evening approached I made my way to my friend Jean's compound. We enjoyed a beer together and sat in his front yard staring into the road which turned out to being oddly entertaining. Children were parading up and down the streets in their brand new Christmas outfits. Every little girl seemed to be wearing a princess dress with sunglasses while the boys all had brand new jeans and hats to show off. This youth fashion show went well into the evening and was a good cap to the day. All the parents sitting with us looked truly happy, watching their children enjoy their newly acquired garments. No one was concerned with tomorrow, or the next day, or the next week. Everyone was simply happy to see each other and see all their children enjoying the day as children everywhere should. It was getting late and just as I was about to head home I saw Jean firing up his outdoor stove. I had nearly forgotten about the pig, which Jean had bought from PaEdang. I had two plates of pork with plantains all covered in delicious pepe soup. At this point I could barely move, after eating so many delicious Christmas meals. I somehow waddled home and went to sleep, thankful to everyone in Enyoh who made this Christmas one I will never forget.