Rat Saga- Chapter 3

So another bush rat was killed in our yard- not by me this time. But I'm proud to say I gutted, skinned and cooked it without too much difficulty. I'm a little afraid of myself, but these seem like good skills to be acquiring as I prepare to spend longer periods of time upcountry. I couldn't help but wonder what does one prepare as side dishes when one throws a dinner party with a main course of rat? And who should one invite? All of my initial invitations were rejected- first Val and Heidi (though they are in the wrong part of the country right now so I guess I shouldn't take it personally) and then teammates (see if I ever invite you to dinner again Josh and Mandy!) but we sent Betty home to see if she could find anyone who wanted to have dinner with us. She came back and said Abella's mother and sister were coming. Then Dorcus arrived and Agnes shortly after. So I quickly added two pots of rice to the already prepared beans and the rat that was already on the grill. All eight women admitted they enjoyed dinner, including Abella's mother who says now when she is in the village she will cook the rats she kills instead of giving them away.
( I know that some of you were protesting that this is disgusting. But I would like to point out that these bush rats eat pretty much the same thing as my chickens. And they don't lay eggs every day so they have a little more fat on them which makes for nicer meat. I don't have trash laying around, they aren't surviving on garbage so they don't carry any more disease than any other animal here. They are a good source of protein in a country where protein is at a premium. Besides- don't knock it until you've tried it!)