Wednesday 26 March 2014

25.3.14 Tuesday. Back home

Another early rise with the sun, the sound of the donkeys braying and the pump on the well already going continually as the ladies fetch the water for their daily chores.  We packed everything away before the pupils started to arrive, and then watched as they all started to come in through the gates.  Mr Sowe arrived on his motorbike, Steve, Chris and I had a meeting with him and delivered the box we had brought.  Before 9.30 we were ready to leave and return to Loumen to collect a lady to take to the hospital in Farafenni.  We said our goodbyes and set off with 2 people on the back to take to Loumen.  We had a short meeting with the head teacher and the SMC head, and then went with Samba to fetch his wife.  This lady has been waiting for an operation for 2 years, when we arrived at his compound she was out in the fields working, he went to fetch her, but in the meantime her mother arrived and told him that his wife was pregnant.  He had no idea.  This seems to be standard practise here, the ladies do not tend to tell the husbands that they are expecting until it is too obvious to deny.  The men are always surprised!  as if they didn't have an input!  We think that this will stop her having the operation, and as she was still in the fields, it was decided to check at the hospital first before we take her.  We set off again, calling at Pallen to collect cous for Mr Jallow from his family here, and then on to Dibba Kunda Lower Basic School to deliver some books, at last arriving in Farafenni with 2 passengers we had collected from Loumen.  First we had breakfast and then drove to the hospital where I met Mr Cham the administrator who will check with the doctors about Samba's wife.  Eventually all errands done we set off for the ferry, we stopped at the army checkpoint where we added two more passengers on the back, and then joined the ferry queue for about an hour before crossing.  Whilst we were waiting we gained another soldier, so travelled back with 5 passengers on the back, 2 bags of cous and all our luggage.  The journey was uneventful, but very hot, the highest temperature on the way back was 46 degrees.  The wind direction changes when you reach Brikama, and by the time we had delivered our passengers and arrived back in Kololi it was a more pleasant 29 degrees.  We stopped at Hanks bar for cold beer and a meal where we met Pauline and Marjorie, and then Steve and I headed back home for the night.

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