Donkey asked if he could work some overtime because he needed 100 Cedis to give the bone setter/traditional healer. He said the money was to buy meat and herbs for medicine. He said the healer had to release Zimblim from the meat. I was very confused! He went on to explain that when Zimblim broke his arm the healer consulted with the ancestors and Zimblim was put on a meatless diet until the bones healed. He said that now that the bones had healed it was time to release him from eating meat. Donkey said that if they don’t do the rituals and Zimblim eats meat something terrible will happen to him; he might even die. Without following the traditions the ancestors will be annoyed and curse Zimblim. Donkey said that when he was in-skinned as a chief they did the same rituals with him and now he is free to go to any funeral and eat all types of meat and nothing will happen to him because he followed the traditions and the ancestors will protect him; no one can poison him with meat. I had to know what the ritual entailed. He said that he has to buy meat and pay for the medicine that the meat will be treated with. Then Zimblim will hold his hands together and hold them palm side up (to the ancestors); then he will flip his hands over and the palms will face the ground; like he is pouring out something to the ancestors. He does this 3 times; each time the healer pours a small amount of herbal medicine on the meat. The next step is for Zimblim to once again turn the palms of his hands toward the heavens and the healer will put a small amount of meat in his right hand which he will eat. This is done 3 times and the ritual is over and Zimblim is protected and can once again eat meat.
I asked Donkey, “Where is the chicken you gave the bone setter when he started this process?” Donkey said that the chicken was still tied in the man’s yard. I asked if he broke the chicken’s leg. He said that he did not break his leg but has been treating the chicken’s leg just like he treats Zimblim’s arm; he washes the chicken with herbs. I wonder if the healer realizes that the chicken’s arm is actually its wing. The whole thing is very bizarre! Steve made the comment, “And this is why God told the Israelites to utterly destroy the people of the land; even the children because these traditions are passed down to children.” Donkey is teaching Zimblim about ancestral worship and Zimblim will pass it on to his children.
The masons started molding the blocks at Kulkpeni for the wall project and to finish the sleeping quarters that we started last year. Timothy hired a different set of men to mold the blocks. They said that they would come out at 4:00 and stay until dark. Well, they showed up this morning at 7:30 and they left around 1:00 this afternoon. Please and we had to give them morning and afternoon food. They said they did not want money ;they wanted someone to cook for them. Sister Rita, Timothy’s wife, agreed to cook for them of course we have to provide the money for the ingredients. These men are not Muslims so they are not fasting; they stopped work early to go to a funeral so they could participate in the dancing; groups of men compete with other groups of men at the funeral dances.
Take care and enjoy your day!
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
I have trained the parents to groom me. If I sit in their lap they will pet me but sometimes when they doze off and stop petting me I will grab their hand and put it back on my tummy so the petting will go on. They are very well trained; it works almost every time!
Mom cut up lots of fruit for me today and she put it in little bags and put it in the freezer! I am not stupid; I know what all this pre-work means! They are fixing to leave me alone again! Mom made 18 packets of dry food too; I sure hope that they are not going to be gone for 18 days! That would be terrible! They are getting ready to go down to Accra to pick up my brother-in-law Marcus and my nephew Evan! You know that I am part of the family! I have never met my brother-in-law or my nephew! I am anxious about meeting them; I am not sure if they will like me or if I will like them but a little birdie told me that my nephew Evan is bringing me a surprise or two! I am excited about that!
Mom changed the big baby bottle out for a small one. Donkey and Mr. Iddrisu like to use the big bottle because they don’t like to have to wash the small one out several times a day but when they make the big bottle full of milk it spoils before I can drink the whole thing. I don’t guess that soured milk will kill me but I don’t want to have a runny stomach so I was happy to see the big bottle go away!
No Buttermilk For Me!
Love, Skeeter
