Day's Diary
Febraury 25, 2007 ~ Men at Work
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This weekend was the first since I arrived in Malawi that I did not have to preach or take part in a church service. I welcomed the break and was looking forward to time to relax. I had hoped that I might get to Liwonde Game Park, which is just 35 kilometers from Zomba. There one can drive and see elephants (a favorite of mine) and many other animals of Malawi but I have been too busy to get time away. I talked to my friend Margaret and we agreed it was time for some fun.
But then, Friday afternoon my new geezer was delivered. One of the workmen from the college and the treasurer had gone to Blantyre to get this prized possession. They brought it proudly into my dining room, for safe storage until it could be installed. The workman said he would come on Saturday with the maintenance director to install it. I was torn. I wanted fun, but I also wanted hot water. Taking cold showers and heating water for laundry and dishes gets old fast. Two weeks of it was one of the reasons I wanted some fun. I was getting tired of the cold water routine. So I willingly opted for the geezer installation. Margaret was just as pleased. She had had another adventure with Silas and his vehicles and she was ready to rest and prepare for company coming on Sunday.
But Saturday morning, it was pouring rain. This was not a day for a game park. Any animal, two legged or four legged, who was smart would seek shelter. But it was also not a day for a geezer installation, since to install it, part of the metal roof of the house had to be removed so the old one could be taken out and the new one installed – all done through the roof. So I resigned myself to another few days of cold water. After all, it couldn’t rain forever! Monday would be as good as Saturday for the workmen. I settled into reading and crocheting, good rainy day activities, and the rain was relentless all morning. About noon, the rain let up but the skies remained heavily overcast. It seemed it was just going to be one of those days – good for the crops.
About 10:30 AM, Mr. Mapendara, the maintenance supervisor, came to inspect everything and he pronounced the geezer unacceptable. It was not what he wanted them to get. He was very upset. He left and returned shortly with the fellow who delivered the thing on Friday and they had an animated discussion in my dining room (the temporary home of the geezer) about what was to be done. They went up into the ceiling area and inspected up there and returned to report that this one would do but there needed to be additional parts purchased. Since the treasurer is not in on Saturdays, the purchase would have to wait until Monday. Any way, it was raining. I told him that was fine with me. I wanted the job done properly. They left to find Rev. Mwale, the staff member responsible for property, and report the situation to him. He found them just as they were leaving my house and they held another animated conversation, this time on my front lawn. Then Rev. Mwale came in to speak to me, to be certain I was absolutely content to wait until Monday. I assured him that I was, and he left. I thought the matter was settled.
About 1:30 PM, I was working on the computer in my study at the back of the house when someone came into the back yard with a ladder. It was the workman who had delivered the geezer. He said that they had found the treasurer and had gotten what they needed for the parts. Since the rain had stopped, they were ready to install the geezer. So without further delay, he climbed the ladder and began removing the metal sheets of the roof. The ladder itself gave me pause. It consisted of two long round logs, with several smaller flat pieces of wood as “steps.” They were placed at irregular intervals. He was not concerned about the ladder at all. I asked about the rain and he assured me that it would hold off until they had finished the job. Soon Mr. Mapendara joined him and the banging began in earnest. I tried to focus on my lecture preparation, but I was intrigued with this whole process. I went out several times to take pictures – of Mr. Mapendara in the opening of the roof, of the old geezer coming down and of the new one going up. They willingly waved and smiled as I photographed. They thought I was as much entertainment as I thought they were. They worked diligently.
About 4:00 PM as they were finishing things up, my phone rang. It was Silas. He was rather abrupt, for Silas. He asked if I were busy and if not, could I please come to his place for a discussion. I was a bit concerned. That is not like Silas. He is usually chatty and informative. I quickly checked with the fellows on the roof and they assured me they were fine and would finish in good time. Ella, my house help, said she would check on everything, so I went to see what it was that Silas needed to discuss.
When I arrived at Ncozana’s, there was a car there that I didn’t know, but that is not unusual at Ncozana’s. People come and go through there regularly. The grandchildren met me in the yard and escorted me into the house. There in the living room were Annie and Steve Kamwendo, long time members of the Partnership, and friends. They have both been to Pittsburgh, Annie in 1994 and Steve in 1996. They are from the Michiru congregation, where Silas served when the partnership began. Their church is partnered with Wexford. In addition to visiting Wexford, Steve had represented the Mlombwa congregation to Mt. Pisgah on his visit, so he knows many of the Mt. Pisgah folks. It was a delight to see them again. They had come from Blantyre to the CCAP cottage on Zomba Plateau to celebrate Annie’s birthday. They were planning on visiting with Silas and Margaret on Sunday (Margaret’s company), but thought that a celebration needed more than just two people, so they had come down to invite the Ncozanas to a Malawian barbeque. Silas thought that might be the fun I was eager for, and that I would enjoy seeing the Kamwendos again. He was right on both counts. The men headed off in Steve’s car to get the charcoal and meat for the barbeque, because, in Malawi, that is men’s work. I told them it was in America, too. The women climbed into the Isuzu and we headed up the mountain, talking and laughing all the way.
The men arrived shortly after we did with the goods for a fire and cooking. They were just starting the fire when the rains arrived, again. They just moved the grill under the small roof over the patio and continued to fan the fire. A little rain was not going to stop a Malawian barbeque. But this was not a little rain. Being in the valley when it rains is one type of experience, but being on the top of the mountain when the rains move in is quite another. We stood at the edge of the property, just at the point that the hillside drops off, and watched the clouds roll over the valley and completely obscure it. Then the lightning and the thunder began. The whole sky was ignited with lightning and the windows of the cottage shook from the thunder. The men, now joined by the houseboy and the night watchman, kept on fanning the fire. The rain came in sheets. I thought of the metal sheets taken off my roof and hoped that Mr. Mapendara and helper had finished in time and that the sheets were well secured. There was nothing I could do about it from the plateau, so the only thing to do was to enjoy the barbeque. The conversation and laughter were wonderful and the food was abundant and delicious. These Malawian men are as good at the grill as any of my American friends.
We laughed and told stories until 9:00 PM. That is late in Malawi, especially when you still have to come down the mountain. The rain had let up a bit so the driving was not as difficult as it might have been. Silas offered to drive and I was happy to let him. The evening had been just the fun and relaxation I had been looking for. It was a blessing.
When I arrived home, I discovered, to my delight, that the roof was secure and the only water was in the geezer, and it was HOT. The geezer was installed and fully operational! This had been a delightful day, much different from what I had planned but everything I could have hoped for, thanks to men at work all around me, to give me hot water and fun. I’m grateful for men at work.