During the
day the baby bushi and mikoko’s bleatings and their mother’s responses bring a
smile as I remember those sounds. The scrawny, old, and very ugly rooster is
flapping his wings, and strutting around as he crows. And the hens are still
giving the “Are You kidding me?” look! ;) The piglets and mamas are all
tethered (as are the sheep and the goats) for the most part. These three wreck
havoc on the unfenced gardens. Once the first rain comes and gardens go in the
chief orders all of these three -everything and anything eaters- be tethered
until harvest. But it is Congo and, ”Sir, my goat is very smart! I don’t know
how he got into your garden!” is tried every day!
Tshisuka
grows all over the station at varying heights. Is only cut when someone from PCUSA
pays just before a big Church meeting when USA folks are coming. Long ago the
Belgians told/paid the chiefs to keep the roads and the grass cut. Now no one
does it- “It’s not my job.” However, the
chiefs of some villages and former stations do have their people do the roads
and “mow”. Different from tribe to tribe and their self pride. So right up to
Marcia’s and then around her fence and in her yard it is “mowed.” They use coup-coup (a swing blade-ish sort of
contraption).So when I step back to get a picture of her whole house it looks
like she lives in a grass and weed jungle. The tshisuka- grass- is still razor
sharp on the edges. They still burn the grass right before the beginning of
Rainy Season- even here on the station. Escaping critters are caught in traps
set the opposite end from where the fire is started and then served in meals.
Marcia’s
house is currently snow white. She had it painted while she was up in Kinshasa
with us. It looks so pretty and makes the others look more neglected. As we sit
in the living room there are two paths in front of Marcia’s house. One is a
foot path and occasional motorcycle path and the other is large enough for the
occasional car. One –like in days of old – does not have to look left or right.
If a motor vehicle is moving anywhere on the station you can hear it and know
to watch out. We still have to look up and down for slithery critters. I am
wearing tennis shoes here. Flip flops only in the house. The constant parade of
folks in front of the house runs the gamut. Men in suits and ties, barefooted
folks in torn clothes, lady in a black velvet skirt and an Indiana University
Men’s Basketball shirt, no naked folks as there were long ago, ladies on whose
heads are huge loads of firewood, charcoal, or greens, and little boys with a
bicycle rim and pushing/chasing it with a stick. As I sit by the window in the
living room a little voice asks, “American Mama, can I jump the fence get that
Mango on Mama Shangu’s side of the fence?” I tell him no – that he knows the
rules. Over he jumps and gets it anyway. Smiles, says thanks and jumps back
over. “To ask is not to steal” – no matter the answer they will take it. It’s
Congo!
The medical
school IMCK (Institute Medical Christian du Kasai) that use to be at Lubondai
is now here at Tsikaji. I had heard two stories on why it was moved and got it
verified by Marcia. Lubondai is off the beaten path, poor roads and beyond it are
not church work areas. So it’s sort of a dead end. Pretty valley views but sort
of “a bridge to no-where” location. Plus there were some tribal issues that
made it difficult for other tribes who had families in the hospital. So the
school was moved here. Although I am not sure about the ”good roads’ part here
either. So Lubondai, had its a “Pretty Woman” moment- “Mistake, BIG mistake!” Oh
Well- It’s Congo and my tribe is better than yours is still a way of life here.
Amazing!! Guess the “Cutting your nose off to spite your face,“ has not been
heard of here! Hospital protocol is still that when you have a sick family
member in the hospital, you have to send a woman to cook for them. The hospital
tried feeding the sick but it became cost prohibitive.
With no
electricity as a constant I am having withdrawals. Guess I am addicted. I may have to have a
Facebook and internet “Intervention” after I write my last blog. I really miss
reading the news about home area, USA, and World. Also Sports and Weather. So where are the
hurricanes? Dangerous ones? Is our government still screwed up? Never mind!
That is an oxymoron! It’s a Someone, so
No One does what Everyone could do!! As I got from a friend- “Don’t try to
explain yourself to Stupid! You are not a Jackass Whisperer!” So two of our
three branches of government qualify! End of my Soap Box!
If the hydro
still has issues, I will try to get a word
blog out as often as I can- but this writing on paper is killing me because I
am so use to thinking and moving things and re-writing and cutting and pasting!
So if necessary, I will do all of the pictures when I get back to Kinshasa.
Sorry, but as you know, that part takes me hours and the electricity is only on
for two hour intervals. It’s Congo!
We walked
the Tshkaji station this morning when it is cooler. Well… guess it’s all
relative! This is a former Belgian school compound and then an APCM and now a PCUSA
one. I can’t keep up with all of the initials of Presbyterian churches. ;))
It’s like these African countries- what are their names this week? I still know
my 7th grade Congo History names. What ever happened to Rhodesia? Oh well! It’s Lenore!
Anyway the
design here is a little different from the stations we grew up on. What’s cool
is the Congolese have made the little foot paths where they want them like they
did when I was here in Congo last! (But so did the Texas Tech students. So Tech
didn’t make paths to new buildings until the students began to walk a path into
the grass and then they put the path there! Smart!!) The houses here are all in
need of repair and some are showing neglect more than others. Depends on who
lives in them and the pride they take in their home. While out walking we ran
into several folks that had stayed at MPH and were delighted to see me. Word
had spread of Ken’s mastery of Tshiluba still and they ran out to talk to him
and verify. “Kai,Kai Kai, Tatu! Your Tshiluba is perfect!” Big thrilled smiles.
Sweet!
Next guest
was a young lady that sat next to Marcia on the plane. She rode here on the
back of a cycle. She just came out to see us. Then the reason, would we pay her
apartment’s rent. Told her thanks for
coming but we tell all no because if we
can’t pay for all we will pay for none. She was gracious and left.
Artisan’s
began at 7 AM to knock on the door to be the first to try to sell their wares.
Told them I had done my shopping in Kinshasa. Also that we had grown up here
and already had a lot of things in our home. So it has slowed down.
Yesterday
beggars came to her door asking for hospital $ and food. She is so good and
patient with them. Some of the beggar folks worked for former missionaries our
folk’s age. “ But, Mama, we wrote them and got no money from them.”They think
we all still know each other all over the place and are still the age when we
left! Guess they don’t have Alzheimer here
and nursing homes and… So sweet Marcia gives for those missionaries and the
kids of those same missionaries who are not here and probably never got a
letter. Having been here 4+ months begging happened at first in Kinshasa, now a
perfect stranger that we were nice and spoke to on the plane comes begging and
I am sure it will happen at Lubondai It gets old – and Marcia says they come
back to here at least once a month! It’s
Congo!
I have
sketched out on my computer and numberedthe buildings on the Lubondai station as it was when I was there. (I
am not a draftsman!) I have drawn what I remember and who lived in which house
when I was there. So if you think of it as your house and I think of it as __’s
house, sorry! My goal is to take a picture of every building still standing and
tell you what it is. I can’t remember who told me not to send any pictures. So I will try
to remember to announce not to read Blog #__ if you don’t want to see Lubondai.
But hey, I’m GOING there and we’ve had that discussion! Lots of you have sent
requests of things you want pictures of while we are there. We will do our
best. We will have two phone cameras and a little camera. And I am sure I will
take pictures on the way so…Also barring any road issues we will only be there
3-4 hours. So, “Que, Sera Sera!”- What will be, will be! And it’ll be just the way you like it!,
RIGHT?? Be careful how you answer that!! ;))
Have a great rest of the weekend.
Love Ya!, Me
Great blogs. Good stories.
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