We got out early this morning so we could get the razor wire put up before it got too hot. We were in luck this morning because it rained last night and there was a heavy cloud cover while we were working on the razor wire. Steve thought that all the razor wire that fell down with the wall would be unusable; that was not the case. I was able to re-bend and recoil the wire into a semi-circular shape. We had to cut out a couple small sections that could not be used. Several of the clips that hold the razor wire in shape had come off but that was an easy fix; a couple rounds of binding wire and it was back together. We only had to use about 1/3 of a roll of the new wire. We are happy to have the property secured again.
Zorash called this afternoon and said that the nutritional nurse called to let her know that Adamu was almost out of the milk powder. This was perfect timing because we wanted to talk to the mother and get as many details of why she abandoned her baby in the first place. We also needed her phone number and house number. She started at the beginning when she was pregnant with Adamu. She said that she is the third wife which means she is the low man on the totem pole. She said that when she was 2 months pregnant she got sick and she had terrible chest pain; if she tried to work she could not because the pain was too bad. Finally she was admitted to the hospital and the doctor told her that she needed to be on bed rest. Of course she has no idea what was wrong with her. The bed rest thing did not sit well with her husband or the rival wives. They would not allow her to rest. Things went from bad to worse; she had a hard labor; she stayed in her room all day and all night. No one checked on her. Her husband was in the house; she called him on the telephone 3 times before he opened the door to her room. He did nothing so she called the senior wife and when she saw her condition she quickly called the midwife. There were complications with the birth and the midwife made her husband find a vehicle to take her to the hospital. She said that Adamu was very small when she was born and a week or so after her birth when they were having the naming ceremony people were already whispering that the child was not a real human being. When Adamu was a few months old she went to visit her sister a few villages away from Yendi when her family saw Adamu’s condition. They contacted the Konkomba Juju and traditional medicine and started the herb baths and enemas. The whisperings turned into full fledged hate toward the baby. Her condition did not improve so her husband contacted a Falani traditional healer. That did not work either because it was more of the same thing. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when her husband came to her room with a stick and started beating her and told her that the child was not a human being and something had to be done! Which usually means death for the child. The mother told him that if he really believed Adamu was a witch she was going to leave him and he could do what he wanted to do to the child. She left that very night! In Ghana the children belong to the fathers and the mothers have little or no say in what happens to them. We are not sure if she even knew that Adamu was still alive because she never checked on her. So sad! She said that she would not have come back to take care of Adamu if it had not been for us and our willingness to help her take care of the child. Wouldn’t it be terrible to have no resources and to have a child that needed help? Adamu was looking better today when we saw her; we took her a little soft bodied doll which she did not want to have anything to do with! The nutritional nurse said that they were going to discharge them on the 25thof June; the mother told us that she wanted to stay at the hospital longer because she did not know what would happen when she went back to her father’s house. At this time she does not plan to go back to her husband’s house. He could demand the child!
Take care and have a great day!
In HIS Service,
Steve and Kandie
The Monkey Shines
Mom has a dress that has 3 of those cloth covered buttons on it. Well, only 2 of the buttons still have the fabric on them. I crawled up in Mom’s lap while she was working and I proceeded to gnaw the fabric off the button. I think the button looks better now because it is nice and shiny and I love shiny things! I am not sure that Mom agrees with me!
I ate a butterfly this morning; it was delicious; I ate the wings and antennas too. Mom said that the other monkeys she had ate butterflies but they only ate the bodies; they did not eat the wings. About 2 hours after I ate the butterfly I threw up! That is no fun! Mom gave me a bottle of milk to drink to try to calm my stomach. Then I decided to treat myself; and I got in the medicine cabinet and found a packet of “Picot” which I quickly tore open and got a mouthful. Picot is bicarbonate of soda which is supposed to be good for heartburn and acid reflux. It took care of my problem; I have not thrown up again! I think I am going to grow up to be a doctor!
Mom gave me a piece of raw okra a little while ago; it was a bit slippery but I like it a lot! She saved me out a couple more pieces which I will have for a mid-night snack! Yum!
Dad does not know it yet but this afternoon when I was running around without my diaper on I urinated in the carry-on he was packing to take on the airplane! Oops! When he finds out I am going to be in big trouble! Mom drowned the spot with hand-sanitizer! That stuff will kill anything!
Love,
Doctor Skeeter
