Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Ruth Chamangwana

My house attracts a lot of visitors, but there are some that never leave making them permanent residents. Actually, some of them move around my house like they own it. Maybe they do. I am probably the annoying visitor who doesn’t want to go back home. Anyway, since I try to be a good person, I decided to embrace my visitors and before I knew it, they were my housemates!

First on the list, are the lizards. I was scared of them at first, but I‘ve realized that they can’t bite me, so we are now good friends. As long as all my pots are closed – in case they decide to taste my food – then I am good. There are just too many of them, so I haven’t been able to name them all individually, but Thom can do for now. They will all be called Thom.

The rat! She only comes during the night, kicking my pots and causing all sorts of noise as she searches for food that she only sometimes finds. I never knew that rats could eat uncooked Irish potatoes. Georgina does that, she eats my Irish potatoes and leaves her tiny teeth marks everywhere.

Phil and Patty are the two bats that reside by my veranda. As per nature, they only greet me in the evenings as I am enjoying my cool breeze. At least they are polite enough to say hello. In a synchronized fashion, they fly above my head twice – could it be a ritual? – then off they go to search for food.

Since my house is filled with fantastic creatures, we need protection. We need a guard! So let me introduce Billy, my neighbor’s dog. He comes to my place during lunch and dinner, gets himself a share of nsima and bones, and off he goes, back to my neighbor’s house. The audacity Billy! At least he makes his appearance, and someone out there probably thinks I own a dog.
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I guess everybody wants to be housemates with a CorpsAfrica Volunteer. Here in Chipoka, we are living happily ever after!