Today was Yendi’s big market day. Steve and I took Zorash with us to the market this morning because we wanted to try to find a full bag of dates to buy. The people here love dried dates and we need a gift to send the Ya Na (the most important King in our area). Over the years we have given the Ya Na various gifts ranging from binoculars to an air conditioner. This year we thought that dried dates would be a nice gift. We finally found someone that had a full bag but the price was far too high so we decided to buy ½ a bag instead. Zorash thought he would be happy with just 15 or 20 pounds of dates instead of 100 pounds but considering who he is and the number of people that visit the palace every day we decided to get 100 pounds. The market was crowded so we had to hire a young man to carry the dates to the van.
We thought that if we went in the morning the market would be cooler; I guess it was cooler but with a high temperature today of 109 degrees and a heat index of 116 degrees “cooler” could mean anything! Ha! While we were in the market we bought the vegetables that we needed and an umbrella. I thought that the umbrella would help give me some shade and relief from the heat as we walked around but the market was too crowded and I was in danger of poking someone’s eye out with the umbrella.
Zorash started cleaning the Child Center this morning. It was terrible; the dust covered everything. She will have to finish the job tomorrow.
Steve has been trying to fix the turn signals on the green truck. He has been out there in the heat off and on all day. He actually needs a new housing for the bulb but the truck is old and there are no parts stores here in Yendi that sell that sort of thing. Finally this afternoon we braved the heat and went back to town to talk to Gomda, the mechanic. He said that he would try to find us a used one. Someone in Yendi has a truck that is very much like ours that is mostly condemned. The man lets Gomda scab off parts to use on the green truck. He usually gives the owner the parts he removes. I don’t know what good the worn out parts will do for the man but maybe he breaks them down even further. The Ghanaians have taken recycling to new heights.
Tichak the night watchman is in Tamale. He has been over there several times this past week because his brother’s son is sick. They wanted to give him blood in Yendi but could not find a match so they sent him to Tamale. No one will tell Tichak what is wrong with the child. They told him that if he kept him in the hospital for treatment it would cost 5,000 Cedis (almost 1000 dollars) and still they have not told him what the boy’s problem is. How can they treat something if they do not know what is wrong? We can’t help with that amount of money without a diagnosis. Yesterday Tichak said that the family was fed up with the hospital and they were going to bring the child back to Yendi.
Have a great day!
In His service,
Steve and Kandie
