Sunday

It’s Sunday afternoon and it’s hot. I’m in my bedroom and reading a book. The window is open and the fan is on and it’s somewhat comfortable. I keep looking at the time…two hours, an hour and a half, one hour. It’s a count down. I’ve been invited to attend a kick-off meeting in the next village for a new after school program for children. I need to dress up and walk to the bus, then walk to the school where the meeting will be held…and as I’ve said, it’s hot. I’d rather continue reading this book.

I call Andy, the volunteer who has worked hard on this project. Yes, the meeting is on. It has not been cancelled. When I force myself to do something I don’t want to do, I’m almost always glad I did and this turns out to be no exception. I had a good time and met new people and connected with some I hadn’t seen in awhile.

I dressed for the occasion, reluctantly leaving the cool temperature in my house, to walk down the sun drenched asphalt road to the highway. A bus stopped almost immediately. After a quick few minutes, I called out, “stopping driver”. The bus stopped and I walked the winding road to the school where the meeting would be held. There were other Peace Corps Volunteers there and we chatted as we waited for the program to begin. A woman asked us to go outside and get a corsage.

As I moved outside to the entrance I met several of the women who had sat through the Leadership and Organizational Strengthening Workshop I gave in Canneries two months ago at the Country Women of the World Regional Conference. They were bubbling with excitement about what they had learned and how they have already applied some of the concepts. I put a lot of time in to develop this workshop. Wow! It was nice to hear this.

Like most meetings, we began with prayer, the national anthem and protocol. Each speaker who got up officially recognized the protocol before giving their address. Meetings here are very formal and this structure is typical of a meeting. At the end of these meetings it is typical that someone will stand up and give a “vote of thanks” ensuring everyone is properly recognized.

One of the women who is, in my opinion, a national treasure, played an African Drum while reciting an original poetic verse she had written encompassing the theme of the after school program, “save a mind, save a child”. Many were in tears as she finished the piece. She rocked the house. She will no doubt head the musical part of the program for the children.

After refreshments and conversation a friend from my village brought me back to my house. I changed into comfortable clothes just as the phone rang. Angelina wanted to know if I would ride with her to another nearby village. It sounded like a good idea so I packed up my things and started walking down to her house.

Angelina is the principal at the Vieux Fort Special Needs Center. She was picking up breadfruit and figs from a mother who sends two of her children to the school. There is a cook at the school that prepares lunch each day for the children. Lunch at the school is fifty cents. The woman pays for her children to be fed by donating some of the food that grows on her land.

As we approached the home a very shy girl with a wide grin watched Angelina backing up her car onto the dirt path next to her house. There were three dogs tied up and barking. The sun had gone down and there were tree frogs singing and bugs chiming in. A woman walks up to the house. She has a goat on a rope that is making noise. She grins a wide toothless smile. She likely has very little money but seems to be one of the happiest people I have seen on the island.

It is so noisy and chaotic. The shy girl holds my hand with a grip so tight. She does not speak and I see some sign language. I know it would be futile to try to free myself from her grip. I walk over to one of the noisiest dogs and silently wait for it to be quiet. Then I bend down and pet it. The second dog stops barking and comes over for a little attention. Now only one dog is barking. Angelina says, “eh, eh . . . look at that. They are quiet. They are never quiet. You have the touch. Look Karen! Everyone is laughing.”

I know the dogs just want attention. I move towards the third dog and I’m told he will bite me. I know he won’t. He’s just insecure and afraid. I kneel down on the dirt and hold out an open hand. The dog quiets down and comes over to be petted. They just needed a bit of attention.

Angelina and the old woman pack up the car with food. The girl is still holding my hand, rubbing it and smiling at me. The dogs are begging for attention. Angelina shuts the trunk of the car and we are ready to go. I open the car door with my free hand and get in, I tell the girl goodbye. Her smile fades and she reluctantly lets go.

What a great day…and all I wanted to do was read a book! Look what I would have missed.