Broom vs. medicine and medievil mayhem

I’m sorry for the silence. I can’t even try to explain how insane our lives have been the past few weeks. You wouldn’t believe me if I tried!

We have had some extreme joys and some extreme heartbreak. We pressed those in sickness and in health vows. We also had the privilege of sharing the country we love with people we love from good ‘ol TN. Between all of that, the rain and a few days of copious amounts of bathroom usage, we officially move to Bauya. (No it wasn’t cholera)

It is like no other place I have ever been. We were prepared by everyone to feel a bit isolated and lonely here in SL. Bauya did not get the notice! We have the cool kid’s house and everyone comes to hang out! EVERYONE!!

So many people have asked “what is a typical day for you?” Ha…..ha, ha, ha. Typical? Well, let’s see. Some mornings we are awoken by the town crier. (No joke, that’s his job. Hence the medieval title reference) Of course, he makes his announcements in Mende and we are pretty limited there. So it is our hope that he doesn’t warn us of some horrific impending doom. We then lay in bed, in the semi-dark, wondering if we can put off heading out to the toilet just 5 more minutes because once we are spotted it’s all over!

Eventually, the urge overcomes. I get fully clothed and head out to the outhouse. Now, we do have the deluxe model of outhouses, so don’t spend too much time lamenting our plight. It is complete with toilet and septic tank. No running water, but the jug we keep in there keeps everything……not bad.

When I open the back door to exit the house and make my way to the backyard, I often encounter various types of game that have been trapped that morning and can be mine for dinner that night. Freetown Bo (a tiny cute deer, very sad to see, very tasty to eat!), ground pig (a giant rat, complete with tail), and monkey (really no explanation needed) are a few that we have had waiting for our approval. I have been perfecting my, “Oh it’s just a regular old dead animal on my back porch” face. If you have spent more than 5 minutes with me you can understand how difficult this is for me. Said meat is then skinned and butchered and displayed on a banana leaf in my backyard for me. Ahhhh, dinner is underway!

Then, somehow, I have been confused for a doctor. It was a dream until I realized how much chemistry was involved and then my major was promptly changed to a degree that would require no lab time! I treat wounds, hand out dewormer and some general antibiotics when necessary. While all this happens, Michael is checking on the worksite, dealing with the carpenter (all of our things are in the floor of our house, 6 mos. of suitcase living is causing me to twitch), hearing people’s cases for why they should be employed and trying desperately to down that ever precious cup of coffee.

Now, it is 9 AM and I still haven’t used the bathroom!

Impromptu visits from the chief and other officials are quite common and this requires a costume change and cold cokes. We do have a freezer! Woot, Woot! We occasionally run our generator in the evening and it cools it down nicely. There are some beautiful women who have been helping with cooking and various other domestic chores that I try to accomplish between all the visitors each day. So we collectively try to catch up on laundry and cook a meal while the kids play with all the children that frequent our yard. (Don’t tell them, but school starts for our girls this week so their days of play are numbered.)

I am explaining things to them like the gas stove, why I wash my hands so much and how it is better to use a can opener than the giant knife for the tomato paste. All while they laugh and tease me for my inability to wring clothes, wash rice and sweep. Apparently, I’ve had a lot wrong for a long time!

At some point, Michael finds his way home and we eat while 50 of our friends watch. Our girls have made a theme song and phrase to our adventures. The first, “I always feel like, somebody’s watching me!” The other is Aubrey waving and under her breath to Anna saying, “Smile and wave boys, smile and wave!”

We often walk up to Chieftown at night. That’s the classy section of town. All the men engage in a game of football (soccer), while the kids play and ladies talk. Then back home, where, inevitably, there is another crowd. Eventually, our neighbor comes over and tells everyone to go home. Prayer time and falling into bed are all we can manage at that point! Whew, that day is done!

We love the village and the people. (Not to be confused with the village people. Although my hips can’t help but shake at some YMCA) We even love our little home. And it feels just like that, home. Our lives will change, the new will wear off and we will find our routine, but until then we are enjoying the chaos!

We will continue to choose meat, hold babies, doctor wounds and love on the people we meet there. Eventually, we will learn Mende, starting with learning to pronounce broom and not actually asking for medication.

Much love from Bauya!!