We need to smell the sheep

Monday 15^th May

Raymond visited me on Saturday morning. He has been a regular visitor since at least 2004. He has worked for many years with Charles on the PEASSA projects. He also tries to support some elderly and disabled people, but has no resources himself! We sat outside under the veranda and chatted for an hour or more over a coffee.

In the afternoon I headed for my little dam. I have to pass by Diven's house and shop on route and he insisted that I had lunch with him – although I had already eaten. After lunch he accompanied me to the lake.

I was surprised how low the water was. It looked more like the scene I expect in October or November – not May!! Areas that should be under water were clear and I could walk on paths that shouldn't be exposed at this time. The grass is almost gone – eaten already by the cattle. This does not bode well for later in the year. I am told many wells have already dried up and also some boreholes.

I saw a few egrets but no other birds at the lake. This was also blamed on the lack of rain.

While we sat by the lake a congregation from the local church came down. The minister waded into the lake and a number of parishioners came in turn to be baptised.

Sunday is meant to be a day of rest!! However here it starts for me with 3-4 Km walk to Our Lady of the Wayside for Mass. The service officially starts at 10 hrs, though in practice it is usually 15 – 20 minutes later (as it was yesterday). The singing is impressive with the typical African natural harmonies. Mass lasts about 2hours, so although it starts before our service in Cheltenham it finishes some time afterwards – I like to think that Our Lady of the Wayside envelopes St. Gregory's – a bit like a hug!

Of course at mass there were further greetings. George, whose family has undergone major troubles said everything was currently on track. Some parishioners who were not around last week came to say hallo. I checked whether there was a “Section” meeting this week and when it was confirmed I arranged to meet someone later who would show me the way.

I returned home and had a bite to eat before heading off again for a shorter walk – only 2-3 Km to go to the Small Christian Community “Section” meeting. For many years now I have been a member of St. Veronica's Small Christian Community. It is a group of parishioners who are based in one of the poorest areas of Monze. We meet on Sunday afternoons for some prayer and particularly to listen to next week's reading and meditate on it. If a member is sick we often visit them at their home and say some prayers with them. I was told that Queen, whose son Brian was the first person to direct me to a meeting, had died about a year back. Queen's was one of the few houses I knew and often I would meet with her in order to locate the site of the meeting, which is held at the house of one of the members. (We meet in the garden – or yard, the house is usually one or two rooms - too small in which to hold a meeting.)

This week some of the members were at a church meeting so the numbers were down. In fact there were just eight ladies and myself. None of the women spoke fluent English and my Chitonga is still virtually non-existent, but we managed after a fashion. After a while there was a lot of glancing through the bible and a bit of confusion. It seemed that the person with the programme, which included the reading, had not appeared. They asked if I knew the reading – but I was at as much at a loss as they were. I then had a thought and rang Dilys back in the UK. She must have had her missal by her because she immediately gave me the details I needed. It is a small world!!

We had a shortened meeting and I returned to the Curia, having both been officially welcomed to Monze and, soon after, escorted along the road, then waved on my way!

It is still rare that I walk anywhere without coming across old friends. Osman stopped his bike and said hallo. Osman used to work in the stores at Monze Hospital. During my early years at Monze I spent a lot of time working in the stores, developing a stock control system and got to know Osman quite well – to my shame I didn't recognise him, though the voice was familiar. Most of my friends are aware that I have a problem recognising faces – this is particularly true here where the men all shave their heads! The women often wear wigs which is another issue! There seems little I can do to solve the problem and so I will continue to fail to recognise people I know quite well. They are in good company since I failed to recognise Dilys the day after we met at a dance – however, despite ignoring her the next day, we have been happily married now for 47 years!!

The security guard came around after I arrived back home and said I must be lonely! I told him that I am happy to have some time alone and that I spend most of my days with friends. He then said that he had a visitor called Obert who wanted to see me and was that OK!

Sometimes walking along the street someone comes up to me and says “Hallo, I have a problem!” I don't like to ignore people so I usually listen and then say that I cannot help, because most people I see have problems! Occasionally I am willing to describe a person's problem in my blog, or speak to friends and very occasionally someone will help!

Many years ago a lad told me he had a problem. So I asked what this problem could be. He said that he walked with a limp because one of his legs had grown, but the other one – being artificial – hadn't!! He told me his name was Obert.

When I returned to England I mentioned this conversation with a friend and he offered to give money to buy a new leg. However when I returned to Zambia I couldn't find a boy called Obert. Other than his first name and knowing he had an artificial leg, I had no information. The following year a guy at church said “Hallo I am Obert”. Since then we have become good friends. Obert is now a taxi driver and told me yesterday that with help from his father, who is a builder, he is building his own house. He is now married and his wife is expecting a child next month. He is due to visit very shortly and take me to see his house and his parents.

This morning Bright visited my home. Bright is a security guard at Monze Mission Hospital who again I have known for many years. He has a son, Brian, who attended a special school for the deaf and managed to progress to obtain his grade 12 certificate. Bright told me that he has almost finished roofing a big house he has built and is in the process of building another small house for chickens. I have visited his place a number of times and his wife always cooks lovely food. I will try to get along again this year if time permits.

We are fast approaching the depths of winter here!! However, temperatures this week are expected to reach 30°C with a lot more sun than shade!!

I am a great fan of Pope Francis and one of his instructions to his priests is that they need to smell the sheep, by which I believe he means that they must live among the people and not apart from them. It would be very easy for me to travel around Monze in taxis, frequent hotels and restaurants and enjoy the privileges of the “white” man. However I much rather smell the sheep! I enjoy being close to the people. I am not so naïve that I don't realise that there will always be a big gap between me and my friends here in Zambia. Even here I have electricity and water – we have only had two short power cuts – each of about 15 mins. However, my house is open to my friends. They are always very welcome to join me for a coffee and perhaps a meal. I am happy for them to know about my life in the UK and if they are comfortable I am happy to visit them at home and perhaps join them for a drink or a meal. Of course if they play pool then it's game on!! I am very keen to understand their challenges and if I can help a little I will do my best to try. I have a lot of friends in Monze so there are limits to what I can do.

Many of my friends, like Obert, are driven to improve their lot and work very hard to achieve a better life. I am pleased to be able to provide an input here and there which will help in their quest. There are some like Robert who I met earlier today who always have problems and will always look for a bit extra. These too are struggling and deserve a little, but next year they will have moved no further forward!!

I met Mrs Chaambwa at the railway crossing. She was surprised that I didn't know that her husband Edward had died in October last year. I met Edward some years back through an English Guy who went to Monze Basic School when it was for “white” children only – it is now a government school for local children. Edward had the idea that if he could get in touch with some of these ex-pupils maybe they would be able and willing to help renovate the school. I think that I was contacted through my blog. I am not really sure what my role was meant to be, but I made friends with Edward and acted as a link between the ex-pupil and Edward. Personally I would have been happy for Edward to project manage the project. He was in the best position to understand the needs of the school and ensure that work was carried out. I was happy to support him in what he felt was necessary. Anyway I continued the friendship after the project and met his wife. Edward used to take me to some of the bars for a drink. I am sorry to here that another friend has died since I was last around. Unfortunately I suspect he will not be the last.

I have just returned from Visiting Obert's Mum. She set up a small pre-school a few years back for some of the local children. Very few can afford to pay anything so it is a constant struggle to raise money to pay the teachers. In the past she has kept chickens and used the profits for this purpose, but it is easy to use the profits and not replace all the chickens – or fail to have enough to feed them! She is hoping to start this project again. At her house there were a group of parents together with their children who have a range of disabilities. They were meeting to see how they can help each other. One of the girls who had no speech responded to me with a wide smile. If only we can find ways to communicate with such children – it is clear that there is a lot going on in their minds and it must be so frustrating not to be able to share it.

One of Mrs Mazoka's (Oberts's Mum) former pre-school children was Nancy. Nancy is a bright cheeky little girl who should hit the heights!! This morning I saw her outside St. Vincent's School – next door to the Curia. I wasn't sure that it was the same girl. She was looking sad and not acknowledging me. A teacher saw me looking and asked if I was being bothered by the children. I said that I wasn't being bothered, but I thought the girl looked like Nancy. She confirmed that it was Nancy and I told her that I had known Nancy over a number of years. In 2017 Nancy had just started school and she ran to me flinging her arms around me. Later I heard she got into trouble for this – I don't think people realised that we were friends! I thought this might have accounted for her reluctance yo acknowledge me this time.

When I arrived at Mrs. Mazoka's house Nancy was their, but a different Nancy to the one I met this morning!! Very like the one I used to know. She had regained her adorable character and beamed a smile from ear to ear! I was so pleased, however she doesn't look much bigger than two years ago and I worry that her life has gone down.

Obert's new house is quite impressive and he has a decent piece of land with it. There is still some work to do before Obert and his wife can move in – such as putting down a floor!!

Obert dropped me back and said he had three customers waiting for him so at least he has some business and will make a little money today.

Jennipher has just called around. She has been to see Delia, Diven's wife. She has been able to provide some advice and is returning tomorrow to take them to the hospital for some counselling and to arrange some tests. I hope that at least some progress is made in diagnosing her condition.

Chris