Dante's Inferno

I do not remember Dante's "Inferno" as well as I would like, but I do remember each circle of Hell corresponded to a specific, ironic punishment for actions done in the previous lifetime. Now, in the small town of Marungu, I feel like I have entered into Dante's realm.

It's not to say Kenya is "Hell" by any means, though the barren, hot, dry setting plays right into the stereotype. I mean to say that my life has become delightfully ironic.

I have never thought of water is a precious resource. Since the age of 5, I would spend many days actually loathing the existence of water, since I would have to do grueling swim workouts in it for many hours per day. In Southern California, people would hose down their driveways instead of sweeping, or wash their car after it rained. I remember waiting a few minutes for my high-pressured shower to get hot, letting gallons upon gallons drain away unused before I took my 15 minute shower.

Here in Africa, I face Divine Retribution. Water scarcity is the biggest problem facing my community. Yesterday, I used 2.5 liters of cold water to bathe, which is about half the amount a water-saving toilet would use per flush, and sometimes I save my urine to water some plants I want to grow. The amount of water I would waste in America waiting for my shower to get hot is about the same amount I would use in a day to drink, cook 2 meals and use for bathing.

I guess it is time to pay my penance. It'll just be a little under two years until I can peg someone with a water-balloon again.