It is raining and I mean really raining. Traditionally September is the month that we get the most rain. Dawda the mason and one of his helpers showed up this morning to dig the soakaway pits. We were surprised because he never called to tell us whether or not he accepted our price for the digging. We did not even know that he was here until Donkey told us that he opened the gates for them and that they were working. When we said that they could not dig until we had agreed on a price, Donkey called Dawda and asked him what the price was going to be. Dawda said that he would take our price. Since it has been raining the ground was soft and the digging was easy. Dawda and his friend had all the pits dug by 10:00 this morning. See there, we knew he was trying to gouge us on the price. We wanted Mr. Iddrisu and Donkey to start filling the pits with the rubble that was left when part of the cement wall fell down last time we were here but Mr. Iddrisu did not come to work today. Evidently someone he knew died and he had to go to the funeral. He said he would come to work when he finished but when he did not show up by 12:00 Steve called him and told him to take the rest of the day off and to pay it back later. We hope that this big rain does not wash the loose soil back in the pits!
Bible study was cancelled tonight because of the rain. When it rains heavily like this no one comes to the church building because they have to walk and do not have rain coats, umbrellas, or vehicles. Besides, the roof is tin with no ceiling which makes hearing nearly impossible. We just don’t know how good we have it!
Red stopped by this morning; he had finished repairing the tool box for the motor king. While he was here we talked to Dawda about the next masonry project which will be toilets and platforms for the poly tanks. We decided that we did not have enough cement blocks so we contracted Red to make us more. He was happy to get the work. We also had Red build us another box for Skeeter to sleep in. Skeeter wants to sit at the highest point in his cage which provides no shelter from the rain. We decided to cut a hole in the roof and set a new box on top of the roof; sort of like a lookout point. We hope that Skeeter will take advantage of the new sleeping quarters but you never know with him!
Amama came back to work today. We were happy to see her. Meri asked to leave a little early today because one of her brother’s relatives died and she had to go to the family house to greet them. I asked if she would come to work tomorrow but she said she did not know because she did not know what the family was going to require her to do; she did not know if she would be in the group that has to cook for all the strangers. Please, we have said it before and we will say it again, “These funerals are killing these people!” No pun intended!
Take care and stay safe!
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
I was working at the Child Center minding my own business; I had climbed up on top of the door and was busily picking and peeling paint off the door frame when Donkey came to the Center with a message from Dawda. He wanted Mom to go down to the jobsite and check the holes he was digging. Donkey said that Red was in the front yard and needed tools so he could remount the tool box on the motor king. Dad had gone to his Wednesday morning continuing education class at the hospital. Mom jumped up and headed to the mission house. She left me there in the Child Center; I thought that she was never coming back! I cried and cried! I jumped around and threw a fit but she did not come back. Finally in my flaying around I broke the belt that I wear around my waist but Mom was nowhere to be found; she had already gone to the back part of the property. I was beyond miserable and so distressed. Zorash took pity on me and called Donkey on her phone. Donkey came to the Child Center and rescued me! He took me to the front yard and let me help him rake the yard and play in the trees. I was so happy to be far ,far away from all those strange women and crying babies that were at the Center. When Mom finally came back I was happy to see her but I did not want to show it too much because I wanted to punish her for running off and leaving me all alone!
Red came today and measured my cage. I did not like that at all because I do not like Red and it made me nervous to have him that close to my cage! I was not in the cage but I still did not like it! He got a ladder and climbed to the top of my cage then he had to go inside the house with us! It was about more than I could take! Mom was sitting at the table with Red! I could not sit with Mom because Red was too close! I was so happy when I saw Dad; I knew I had been saved!
DON’T EVER LEAVE ME ALONE LIKE THAT AGAIN!
Love Skeeter
