Pat and Her Special Turban
At
the
convention of the women in Dodoma, Tanzania, that Pat and other women from
northwest Ohio attended in September, 2002, Pat noticed a few of the women
were always wearing turbans. With her inveterate curiosity she had to ask
how they were made. Adelina Kimanbo, who was chairman of the women's
group, and who had visited in northwest Ohio the year before, was one who
always wore a turban (See Adelina
in her turban). Adelina decided to show Pat how it was done by making
Pat a turban to wear. It is normally made by folding and wrapping a short
piece of the same kind of material that they often used to make a
wrap-around skirt. But alas the only material available was a long piece
of material that matched the
material that we all were wearing for the convention. But Adelina
managed to fold it and shake it out and fold it and wrap it into a
beautiful, gigantic turban, which Pat wore for the rest of the convention
that day, commenting "You realize, I have no idea what I look
like!" The women were delighted! It was Pat's birthday that day, and
later everyone sang happy birthday to her as she in her turban and
Elizabeth presided at our meeting in the Cathedral. And then later, when
it came time to exchange gifts, a column of Dodoma women danced and sang
up the aisle with their usual enthusiasm to the podium with a necklace for
Pat. They tried to put it on her, but it wouldn't fit over the turban. So
off it came, and Pat thought she was free at last from the heavy burden!
But after hugs and thank you's, back it came onto her head. She was truly
the Queen for a Day!
Story by Kris Johnson