Liz the Maize Lady

I have a new friend here. Her name is Liz. She sells roasted maize (the hard white corn) outside the gate of the compound during the day. Actually she is quite the entrepenuer. She started with a little pan full of haot coals and a wire mesh on which she puts the corn to roast. A few weeks later she added a wheelbarrow of pinapples which she slices and sells per slice. The next week she had small sacks of raw potatoes for sale. And once she even made mandazies (like donuts, sort of). Liz is pleasantly plump with an emphasis on the pleasant. She brightens my day with her dimpled smiles. The cafeteria food has never been my favorite (beans and rice every day gets old real fast, especially when there is rocks in the rice) and so it is nice to have another option for lunch.

I think another reason I like buying maize from Liz is the wait. Maize must be eaten hot or else it hardens and could chip a tooth. So it is make it when you buy it sort of a business. So I get the perfect excuse in the middle of the day, when I am ready for a break, to sit on the side of the road and chat for a few minutes with Liz, who is really quite the conversationalist. We talk about silly things and serious things. She is essentially a single mom and is younger than I am, but she still has big dreams for the future. She never seems bogged down or worried about life. I appreciate that she treats me not just as a customer but as a friend.

I could send a student to get my maize, or even give Liz advance notice so I don't have to take the time out of the busiest part of my day. But then again, the 15 cents I pay is not just for the cob, it also comes included with it a little dose of perspective.