Hounded by a bunch of monkeys and deep introspection

Posted by: annroberts on: July 11, 2009

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Friday July 10th, 2009

 I had an amazing sleep and am almost right as rain. I got up at 5:00 am and worked on my writing until I headed down to use the internet…. The power shut off a bit early this morning and I just had to go to breakfast early with the hope the internet would return early.

Pat and I had breakfast with a consultant, Neils Young, who is helping to analyze the tariff issues in Malawi. It was interesting to hear from another sector who is also wanting to see positive changes in Malawi. So far I have talked to water resource people, Bicyles for Africa folks, Mike Hall who is trying to organize communities to keep their orphans, parliamentary representatives, and other teachers. As one parent wrote on my blog it is great to hear many perspectives. It is like seeing a valley from different vantage points.

 The electricity did come back on and since the cloud cover was at a minimal I decided to see if I could post my blog…. The best place for connection is under an open tent where there are tables. Pat also decided to try the internet. Since time was a factor I quickly got set up. I was so focused that the streak I saw out of my peripheral vision didn’t register until much too late. A monkey made off with the banana on Pat’s back pack. Then I finally focused on the area around me… a band of monkeys had us casually surrounded.

 I was so fascinated that against all good judgment I opened my back pack and proceeded to pull out my banana, opened it and broke off a small piece….. I turned around to give the piece to an innocent baby on the wall and before I turned around his mother absconded with the rest of the banana…. It is so humiliating to be such and easy mark for a pair of hustling monkeys…

 Then the pressure started. A monkey got up on the table and sat across from me… He/she eyed my back pack and looked innocently and longingly at me… Pleading silently for the other banana that he must have known was in my pack… You know those old Star Trek movies where the crew meets this seemingly sweet human and then when no one is looking the camera pans to the face and you see the monster reptile eyes? Well I swear as I was watching this monkey look so sweet and unassuming there was a moment when his facial features changed to fearless determination like “I AM GOING TO GET YOUR BANANA!!!”( in a Darth Vader voice) And then the look was gone replaced by all that primate innocence.

 Monkeys to the left of me… monkeys to the right of me… babies behind me…and each would crowd in a bit and back off like I was a treed possum… Oh my… I got this flash… I hate to admit this but I have been envisioning becoming a hound rescue operation. I have the land… but all of a sudden I envisioned these monkeys as hounds and I realized it would be a HUGE mistake to get more than one hound at a time…. Could anyone imagine several Clem’s around the table at dinner time? For those of you who know Clem please feel free to comment on the blog to explain to those who don’t know about my hound….. I count my blessings I had this experience and quickly got my blog up before the clouds became too thick.

We got to school a bit after nine and to day I was going to observe the standard 7 teacher Vaxton Nkhandwa as he taught a math lesson. I was very excited to see the similarities and differences. His class had 33 students, 22 girls and 11 boys. I was very pleased to note how often girls raised their hands and were called upon to give their answers. Mr. Kkhandwa was exceptional at organizing his lesson about turning fractions into percentages and he had the students fully engaged. I think he was worried at all the notes I took but afterwards when I told him all the indications he showed of being an outstanding teacher he was fine.

The rest of the time I was passing out materials to the teachers and as I was walking across the compound I heard “Ahnee” I turned around as two girls ran up to me. “Are you leaving us on Tuesday?” I told her it was our last day…. “Will you remember us? We will never forget you!” Oh my I knew I couldn’t recount this without welling up… What has Malawi done to me? How does a place so gently and completely encompasses one’s heart… My brain still won’t allow me to analyze it… It’s about the heart and soul….. For the rest of the morning my whole body cavity was full to the brim with a myriad of feelings.

As I walked back to the office Mr. Laibu (pronounced Lah-ee-bu) came out and we chatted about students and dreams for his village. He said that since the universities have come to work in the schools the village has felt very proud that such people would want to be a part of their children’s lives. We talked about some of the initiatives I saw in the model school started by H.E. L. P Malawi. Mr. Laibu was adamant that Malemia primary could also work to self-sufficiency and that he would be willing to create an action plan that would get the gardens going. He will work with some teachers to coordinate the project.

It was later than I realized I was walking by myself on the dirt road back to MIE where everyone was… Some students went ahead. Carolyn and Beth were held back because of Mr. Bulla bringing more drums for viewing. I didn’t get far down the road when I heard “Ahnee Ahnee!” This time I had an entourage of boys. Most of the time I had girls accompany me home. As always when in doubt point to body parts and say their name in Chichewa… Nose…Chichewa? Puno! Yao? …..( I forgot the name…) again I butcher all pronunciation and they giggle and the parents who are by the side of the road selling tomatoes or wood also break out in laughter… On the road is a barber shop the size of a phone booth… African reggae type music is blaring… I start dancing with the students and others start to sway with the music as well.

We come to the imaginary line… the road that intersects the dirt lane.. This is where the main village is… vendors, tailors, tuck shops selling food… The students don’t go farther and I am on my own… I feel quite at home going down this lane.. rarely a car travels this way… some bikes… mostly pedestrians… children coming from the Demonstration school. At MIE I am greeted by Wotchiwe my Malawian friend. We went through the doctorate program together. We spent time chatting and then just after she left Hasten showed up. He informed me he was going to have someone pick me up from Annie’s Lodge on Sunday and we will have a reunion with all the Malawian Virginia Tech doctorate students.

 It has been a long day and we still have to go to the store to get water. While Pat get’s money exchanged I head out by myself. Every day sitting out in front of the store are men who are crippled and deformed. I mumble “Moni, Moni” but keep walking… Another mirror for me to figure out what is helping… When I leave I decide to stop and really have an exchange. “Muli Bwanji” (How are you?) The man who seems to be in his thirties looks up with this beatific smile and says in English “I am fine Madam how are you?” I respond, “well” but am mesmerized by his countenance. I believe I am in the presence of another sage in beggars clothing… He said, “Have a good day and I said “Blessings to you as well.”… That was it… He looked away the exchange was finished…no plea for money…I was disappointed that I didn’t talk to him longer… I missed something. I will be back.

 On the bus I am sitting in the first seat… I feel a tug… and this little boy starts talking to me in Chichewa…. Clearly he was begging… his eyes looked bruised and DeAnna saw him rummaging in the trash… Another mirror to look at how I should help and I didn’t know what to do…How do we help people? Should I just start giving kwacha away? I am very generous by nature… I don’t know what to do….. I started singing and he burst out in laugher and we played a bit… as soon as I stopped he pleaded with me with hand extended. Another on our bus gave him kwacha and we saw him scamper away behind a building come back and to continue to beg…

 I haven’t a clue as to why I am recounting these tales except to try to make meaning of my experiences and to help figure out what to do when I come across such extreme need… This is a place that makes you look deeply at firmly held beliefs or positions superficially established…. It’s hard to know how it will all turn out and which parts of me will return.