A Mighty Fortress

Last Saturday, during umuganda (the monthly requisite community service day for Rwandans; the monthly sleep-in-and-do-nothing day for mzungus), my roommates and I were languidly enjoying a morning of no responsibility and horrible television when I mused aloud:

"We should build a fort."

Now, I tend to think of myself as something of an "idea person"--I'm good at conceiving, but not so much at birthing my brainchildren into existence. Fortunately, I live with some practical midwives who know how to get things done.


Minutes later, Fort Chunately was erected.



Fort Chunately (get it? say it out loud) is stocked with amenities to relieve the overworked teacher--mattresses, pillows, blankets, books, candles, and--the pièce de résistance--four cans of Play-doh. My roommate Shannon magnanimously volunteered her mattress to the cause of the fort, and has taken up temporary residence within its billowy walls. I've joined her for all but three nights since the fort's materialization.

Perpetuating the existence of Chunately is not the most practical of endeavors, as she usurps all of our furniture and makes dining at a table impossible. However, we are happily obliged to simply dine inside the fort, as we did with two friends we had over for dinner last night. In fact, we're happily obliged to do everything inside the fort, and rue the inevitable date when practicality will outweigh sentimentality, and Chunately will stand no more.

In the meantime, however, we are celebrating her one-week birthday tomorrow night (or Fort-night, as we've dubbed it).

Long live Fort Chunately.