Just so you know all my blogs are about a week behind. This past week has been the most interesting so far, so I have a lot to say! I’ll break the blog up throughout the week just like I did last time.
I realized last Tuesday that I had a roommate. I opened a drawer where I was keeping gauze pads and rubber gloves and thought to myself “I didn’t open those?” It took me a minute to realize there was a mouse in my drawer! My door has a mouse hole in it and I was sure there was a mouse going in and out of my room, but Adriano was trying to tell me that I was seeing Salamander poop… I know better.
We have a team coming this fall to build some new rooms for the house. We are hoping to purchase one of the neighboring plots of land to expand, but as soon as the neighbors realized that ‘white’ people were interested he tripled the price or something! We are hoping that we can talk them back down and purchase the lot for between $3000 and $5000. So in an unexpected twist I have been able to use my Architecture skills since arriving, well really just my autocad skills. I’ve been drawing up the existing plans and drawing our wish list of buildings and additions or a room here or a bathroom there.
That night while I was in Julie’s place the kids were coming in and out. Pedro came in and was saying that everyone was his brother and then he called me his mother =o (ß my mouth dropping open). I had no clue until Julie told me after he left, but this kid just worries me. I’m not sure who he thinks I am, I don’t remember when but he asked me if I could bring him back to the US with me. He really just makes things here hard for me when he takes things so far. What stinks the most is that if any other kid were to call me their mom I would be happy, but Pedro just thinks about thing differently and he takes things SOO personally. I’m not even sure how to explain it.
That night when I got back to my room I opened THE drawer and I’m 99% sure that I saw a mouse tale! I immediately went to get the dogs and Adriano, but when they came back there was no sign... although the dog definitely caught the scent of something.
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned the dogs yet or not. Most of the dogs here are random strays that my doctor told me to stay away from. She actually told me not to look at them, at the center though we have some dogs. Mack an older yellow lab who Julie was given by a missionary from South Africa, Black aka Blackie a black street dog who is a GREAT guard dog, and then we this little guy the kids have name Max who wonders in and out of the center. The fear with most dogs here is rabies, but we vaccinate Mack and Black and if Max is around the next time we call the vet he will get shots as well.
Wednesday is when the week started really getting interesting. I was sitting in my room trying to get some work done and I heard people yelling and the dogs barking. At first I thought nothing of it, the kids get loud you have to yell over them sometimes, but once I realized that the dogs kept barking and barking I looked out my window. I saw the music teacher waving his arms and just going off. Then I saw him pick up a rock and whip it at Black. So I went flying out my door and yelled at him.
Turns out he was drunk. He speaks English but he speaks really fast and it is hard to understand, so I’m not really sure what he said to me, but the boys were all like Amanda just go back in your room till he leaves. Shortly after I went back into my room Momade walked him outside of the gate. About half an hour later though I heard the dogs going crazy again, I looked out my window and sure enough it was Daniel. He had calmed down but I could tell he was still ranting about whatever it was, and he left a short time after that. A short time later he came back again, this time I looked out the window and I could tell that Nunu was talking to him.
The American in me was like… he is done. He has no right here with the kids. Not that this justifies his actions but Julie had commented to one of the kids not to let anyone in the house and he took serious offense to that statement.
The leadership team met the next morning as usual and decided that they wanted to walk alongside Daniel and give him another chance. It is times like these that I realize just how different things are here. Not because of the response but because of the reason behind the response. The leaders here realize that if they kick Daniel out he doesn’t have another outlet. I doubt they have AA here. It definatly isn’t Western thinking but I understand and respect the decision they came to. The only condition was that he apologize to the children for how he acted.
That night I wanted some Milk. Pedro and some of the kids love to run errands, but they were all nowhere to be found. I’m sure I would be fine alone, but it’s a good excuse to spend one on one time with the kids which doesn’t really happen that often. Joao agreed to go with me.t then as we were about to walk out the door Ernesto was like let’s go to the school. We decided to make a big loop and go to school and then to get milk.
This was my first time walking around Pemba so I was actually excited to go with them. It was really fun because we just talk or make attempts to talk. The learned how to say walk and sweat in Portuguese. Ernesto also asked me what an adjective was and I was like oh boy… uh I think it describes something. Here we go again the girl who at 30 still needs her parents to do proof reading is being asked questions about the English language. (Stop laughing Nay!)
We decided to help each other with our language skill with the help of my little Portuguese to English dictionary. Later that night he came in my room and we worked on some words and just tried talking. I feel charades should be part of the training for missionaries… I’m constantly trying to act things out or use my hands to explain what I am saying!
Then I hear a knock on my door and it was Nunu. He said “Amanda I’ve got a question for you… when did George Washington die?” I almost burst out laughing and was like why do you need to know that?! He had a History test today and I think he got it wrong or wanted to check if he got it right or something. I was like I have no clue. I officially feel like the dumb American.
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