Ben got me up around 6:30 and I took Aaron so Carla could sleep for
a few minutes longer because Aaron had been up quite a bit. By 8:30
we had had the regular entourage of people including our gardener,
househelp, babysitter, milk delivery and neighbour.
(As a background to the whole day, Carla's sister had gone on a
trip that Monday and had planned to return by Wednesday or Thursday.
But she hadn't returned yet and no one had heard anything since she
left so Carla was feeling pretty ill.)
Walked to work around 9 and went through all the greetings with
everyone. Quickly looked into an issue with our little network at
CBHPP and then went to staff devotions. Found out that a few of our
staff including our director had spent the previous night in the car
having gotten stuck in some mud in the middle of nowhere.
So after some discussion we decided that me and two other guys
would go and pick help them out. So after picking up mud extraction
tools and food around town we were off. It really wasn't too far but
the roads got progressively worse.
But finally we found them half way between one village and another
and they were really, really stuck. The rear differential was pretty
much covered. So I pulled up behind them and hooked a rope up, we
hooked up a winch to a tree and we had our first shot but it didn't
budge. Over the course of the next 3 or 4 hours we dug down and
jacked the car up. We watched as the rain came approached and, right
when we were getting ready for our second try, it hit hard. Of course
people had gathered around so they came for shelter in the car so I
had a lady and her two kids and another guy in the car for the second
try. But low and behold, I pulled, people pushed, mud flew and they
got free! (I really think we had some extra hands pushing because I
did not think it would come free with all the rain.)
So we had a bit of a celebration and then we were off to tackle the
journey back. The roads had only gotten worse since the downpour so
at one point the other car did a full 180 spin out and at another
point I had one wheel a couple of feet off the ground and was tipped
over so far that fuel was leaking out of the fuel door - which I later
realized did not have a gas cap.
When we arrived at the closest village we stopped to get some food
and one guy even went to buy shirts for everyone. That's when I
realized that my wallet was missing. For once I actually knew exactly
where I had put it. I also then remembered that one guy had been
in my car for quite a while by himself after the rain started. He
had behaved sort of strangely when I got in but I hadn't thought
anything of it at the time. Anyway, so we collected some village
council men and drove back over the worst part of the roads (see
paragraph above) and to his boma or collection of huts. At first his
kids said he wasn't around but then we saw him and he came over to
talk. Of course he said he didn't take it but I'm almost certain he
did (and I'm not one to say that lightly) but what could we do.
So back to the village we go and as we stop by the village council
hut we see a couple of guys fighting with a crowd around them. They
run off and the crowd follows. What's happening I ask, "Oh some guys
are fighting with pangas." So the council man continues with writing a
letter on my behalf and as my eyes adjust to the hut I realize there
is a woman squatting on the ground with a kanga around her head which
is dripping blood. She had tried to get in between to youth who were
fighting and had been hit. There is one youth standing at the door
and he starts scolding her for her actions and blaming her. At one
point he turns to me and asks, in surprisingly good English and big
wide eyes, "So what do you think of us Africans?"!?!?!
So needless to say I was quite taken aback, it is pretty rare to
find someone who speaks English that far out in the bush, and man what
a question at such a time. So I said something about there being bad
people and good people in Tanzania and in Canada. Our director took a
brief look at the gash on the lady's head and thought it would be OK.
And then we were back in the car and driving back to Mugumu. We
arrived home just as Carla got the call that her sister was OK.
Unfortunately the only picture I have of the day was taken on my cell
phone. It's a blurry picture of one of my friends just after he's
stripped down to his undies and trying to run away from my limited
zoom on my cell phone.
I will try to blog and write somewhat more often.
Hope you all are doing well!
Kurtis
