Thursday 9th May
It feels like only
yesterday that I arrived and yet on another level I feel I have been
in Zambia for weeks.
On Monday morning
I strolled into town – I wanted to make contact with a few friends.
I decided to pop into the hospital and say hallo to Sr. Juunza - the
Hospital Administrator - who I have known for a number of years in
her current role and other roles. She told me that Teddy was around
so I headed to his office. Teddy is the Acting Information Manager
who has in this position since Bentoe - a good friend to both of us -
died tragically in a car crash in 2006. Teddy tells me that he
expects to continue to be acting until he retires in a couple of
years.
Teddy wasn't at
his office but arranged to meet at the Tuck Shop. As I approached
Sebia ran towards me and gave me a big hug. We first met many years
ago on the high street and she helped me find a bus to go to Pemba to
visit Jennipher. It was good to see her again and to receive such a
warm welcome.
I chatted for a
while with Teddy.
As I left the
Hospital I rang Mrs. Sianga to see if she was around. She was and we
agreed to meet. I credit Mrs. Sianga for giving me the inspiration
to return to Monze again and again. I have seen her school grow from
a single class to an impressive operation with over 400 (or possibly
500) students with a 100 former students gaining a secondary
education, two students at university and more in nursing training.
Although this year I am not formally representing Hands Around the
World, this will not diminish my support for the school and I will
still do everything I can to ensure that it continues to thrive. Over
the 16 years that we have known each other we have come to understand
each other quite well. I have met her family, been to her farm and
visited the area where she grew up. She has met Dilys (my wife) and
Amy my granddaughter. It was good to say hallo and chat with her and
her husband. I also met Killian who has been providing a lot of
support over the past few years.
I returned to Our
Lady of the Wayside for lunch and afterwards moved to the Curia.
Somehow between
morning and afternoon the adaptor for my laptop ceased to work! Hence
one reason for no recent posts.
Eventually I found
out how to get the cooker to work so I could make a cup of tea –
well I could if I had some tea bags! At least I was confident that
tea would soon arrive and I felt settled!
Time to go into
town and buy a few provisions. It takes me a while to remember how
things work in Monze. I headed to the market where I met the lady who
sells me spices. She greeted me warmly with another hug and said that
she had been thinking about me! The market has many temptations for
me – chinese cabbage, spring onions, aubergines, sweet peppers,
impwa ( a cross between a pepper and tomato!) and many other
interesting fruits and vegetables. I had promised Gertrude – the
cook at Our Lady of the Wayside that I would show her how I cook
Lusala (a root vegetable) on Tuesday – however my friend from the
parish, who usually sells it in the market, told me that it wouldn't
be available till the end of the month. I was accumulating plastic
bags and realised that I normally go around with a backpack to help
carry provisions. I was a bit weary by the time I made it back to the
Curia. Tomorrow I would remember.
I won't bore you
with the details of the past couple of days, but here are the
highlights!
I have been
walking around meeting old friends.
At the bank I met
Luke – a past colleague of Teddy's and a friend I got to know well
in 2004 when we were developing a stock control system for the
hospital. He now lives in Chikuni 20 or 30 Km from Monze. At the same
time as meeting Luke, Captain came up to me to say hallo. Captain was
in charge of making concrete blocks for the hospital ICU in 2003 –
he is still in Monze and says he is busy.
I bumped into
Brian – a Rasta friend who I have known for many years. I had a
woollen hat at home which I picked up when we visited Jamaica in
1996! I have never worn it and brought it out to Monze because I
thought Brian would appreciate it. Next time I saw him he was proudly
wearing it! Along the road was a man whose name I can never remember.
He has a wheelchair and some scales – as usual I weighed myself and
gave a donation! He has a daughter at PIZZ School – he told me that
his wheelchair was giving problems and it was difficult getting
around on the rough tracks in Monze. I am amazed that even with the
best wheelchair it is possible to get around!
At the Curia I met
Fr. Milimo, Fr. Raphael and Fr Kenan in swift succession – all
priests I know quite well. Fr. Raphael used to be at Our Lady of the
Wayside Parish – a lovely, quiet man. He told me he was now in a
parish bordering Zimbabwe – I asked him what he had done to deserve
being banished there! He laughed! Fr. Kenan is still at
Chilimantando, not far form Choma – about 100Km from Monze. He
asked me to visit him there, though I doubt if I will have time this
year. I first met Fr. Kenan in London and he stayed with me one
weekend in Cheltenham. He returned the favour and I spend a wonderful
weekend in the bush at his mother's home. No water, electricity but a
solar panel to charge mobile phones!! His mother died while I was
here last time, but I had a chance to visit her in hospital and
remind her of that visit.
Another friend who
suddenly appeared at Our Lady of the Wayside was John. I haven't seen
John for a number of years so it was a a delight to meet again. He is
a bit of a rogue who I met years ago. He wanted to dig himself a well
and told me all he needed was a pick and shovel. A friend from the UK
funded these items so John got to work. Eventually the well was dug –
though by the time we had finished, in addition to the pick and
shovel we had borrowed a windlass and bucket – and replaced fraying
ropes at least once, provided food for a friend who raised and
lowered the bucket with either soil or John inside!, bought bricks
and mortar to line the well to stop it collapsing and provided a rope
pump which was never used!! John told me he had now left his wife and
children because she was seeing another man!!
As I walk along
the road to the Curia people greet me – some marketeers know me
because they are parishioners at Our Lady of the Wayside, some
priests stop their cars and remind me of games of pool or other
occasions where we previously met– an example was Fr. Victor who
was staying at the cathedral one year that I visited, a keen
Liverpool supporter, I gave him some pictures I had taken outside
Anfield Stadium.
Lashford bumped
into me down the road – he was responsible for building the ICU and
the first PIZZ school building funded through Hands Around the World
– he tragically lost a very young child some years back. Ireen, my
tailor, called to me from her sewing machine and gave me a huge hug
as usual. She showed me documents relating to her child's nursing
training at a local private school. I was surprised by the costs -
£500 - £600 per term. I will by some material for a couple of
shirts and pay her a decent price!
Yesterday I tried
to reach Charles but failed. Since I was passing his house after
cooking my Lusala (I found a stall along the street leading to the
Curia selling Lusala) I called around and we caught up with politics
etc. for a couple of hours. I enjoy our chats. I have known Charles
for many years. He is an interesting guy, a very good listener and
interested to get another perspective on the world. Unfortunately
most of his projects have hit with disasters of one sort or another!
My laptop is now
back in action – fortunately it just had a damaged power cable,
which was diagnosed by a guy down the road recommended by Teddy.
The internet is
another issue. I have had some access but it is very hit or miss –
and more miss than hit at the moment!! I might need to invest in
another means of access.
Best wishes,
Chris
MY BACK GARDEN AT THE CURIA
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