Ten gay chaps and gals have just chugged off to the island on the boat - the expedition is over and they have cycled almost all the way here from Lilongwe. They were raising money for Aids shelters here in Malawi.
All went well except that Jurie got into fisticuffs with some mad chap on the way (a local fellow who had lost his marbles) - the loon tried to bite him and Jurie punched him and now has an infected hand and is on ARV's. Gosh - life in Aahfrica! Moral: stay back! Stay calm! Stay out of it!
Here at base, all is peaceful - kids at school, bwanas in the office, guests departed for isles and a quiet afternoon ahead.
Have to write about Eddie and the boats. My dearest child is in love with a boat called Nankappakappa (means pied kingfisher in Chichewa). It is a chugging green and white boat that does our island run and, because it runs on an old tractor engine dating from the 70's, it can be heard in its coming and goings from miles off. When Ed hears it, he races for the jetty to grab the rope, ready to throw it to the boat man to tie up. He would tie it up himself if he could manage, but is forced to stand by, looking on with a serious frown, with his tongue sticking out just a bit in his earnestness. He is a boy with a serious job!
For a really special treat sometimes, the boatman on duty will take Eddie with him to tie Nankappa up to its mooring for the night, so that it doesn't float away (as Ed will tell you). It is such a sight to behold this little boy in an enormous orange life jacket standing all alone in the boat as it chugs off into the sunset. He then 'helps' the boatman lower the anchor and is then lowered himself into the kayak and paddled back to shore. He leaps out as soon as the kayak touches the sand and tries to pull it up to the shed. He is a picture of officiousness - he takes himself so very seriously in the matter of boats!
I have a terrible drunkard called Bonki (how can one take anyone called Bonki seriously?) carving a copy of Nankappa for Eddie's birthday present. But I am sure I have somehow managed to hire the wrong bloke - have given him a large deposit already and not sure I'll ever see the thing - let alone that it will float and have every detail apparent, as instructed. Bonki wafts in every day to talk about how he needs money to do the job - for wood, for food (and definitely for chibuku beer!), but no sign yet of the physical product. last night he saw us going off in the truck and raced after it. I urged Bush to go faster - couldn't face yet another discussion.
Today I have been approached by another drunken beach boy for cash " for my sick mother" and had to give him key rings to carve, just in case she really was sick - can't stand to think of it.
Then I was approached by the very dear, very poor, mother of a little boy we helped two years ago to have his eyes seen to (they were blood red all the time - turned out to be a serious allergy which he now has drops to cure) - she needed clothes, so I could help there. But it does sometimes feel terrible to have so much amongst so many with so little. You obviously have to become inured to it or you couldn't live here.
Back to the carvers - I have in mind to find someone other than the foul Bonki to carve Tintin for Ben's birthday present. It's amazing what people can do here. Ben is still obsessed with his hero Tintin, and watches an episode a night. I am going to make him a Tintin t-shirt too. He is a chap who lives wholeheartedly for his obsessions of the day - he can quote reams of dialogue from the films and role plays scenes from the films in his games. Perhaps he'll become a great actor one day and keep us in some sort of style in our advanced years...
I have attached a pic of Zoda with Ben and Buj - he makes the kids toys out of bamboo- after school and before he comes to work here at 1:30! He has made them 4 airplanes on sticks, complete with propellers that turn on the wings and pilots in their cockpits. He has made guns and helicopters and boats with outboard engines (also with propellers that turn!) - he is a wonder, that boy!
Otherwise, news-wise there is very little - life goes on much as it does every day....
I wanted to say I had my hair cut yesterday by Kelly (Rob's gal) into a sort of bob to ease the passage of short grey to longer grey - without looking like too much of a schoolmarm/dyke in between - then I thought I'd take a pic of myself to show you - so I tried to take one when Lyonesse and Fegness were behind the half wall washing dishes. But I nearly got the giggles being so surruptitous, and knew they'd think me a complete loon if they caught me at it, but then each pic horrified me with its detailing of every line and sag and wrinkle - I look at least 600 - so I had to keep taking them - this is the first one I took before I lost it completely - the rest had to be deleted!
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