First thing this morning, John the mason called. He wanted us to buy more boards so he could start making the supports to hold up the floor in the second toilet pit. We went out to check on the work. Once the wood is used for supports and covered with cement it is good for nothing except more masonry work or firewood. There was no way that we were going to be happy with wasting 780 Cedis (78 dollars). We told him there is still plenty of work to be done without buying new wood. We told him to make the first handicapped ramp and to make the footer and cast the floor in the second toilet to accommodate a wheelchair. He still has gate pillars to make, the footer on one of the sleeping quarters to make, and he has to cast the cement pad under the main gates. Steve finally told him not to disturb the wood that is holding up the floor in the first pit for 1 week. So today he made the handicapped ramp and the footer for the extra room in the handicapped toilet. We also bought the decorative blocks that will add ventilation to the top of the toilet house. We bought some that had flower designs. The first pattern he showed us had flowers too but the blocks were not square and he was going to lay them down; we quickly rejected those blocks because we told him that the flowers would look like they were dead! How silly would that have looked? Today John told me that next time I have a building project I have to draw out the design very well so he will know how much to charge me for the project; obviously he thinks he did not charge us enough! I quickly said, “John, you were the one that said you knew how to build toilets; you said that you had gone to school to learn; you said that you had the plans and that you knew everything about building toilets!” He laughed and said that he did not know much about building toilets the way I wanted them made!
It has been a while since we have given the workers a gift. We cannot give them monetary gifts unless they pay tax on it but we can give food gifts so we bought rice for the ladies, night watchmen and the evangelists but we bought corn for Donkey and Mr. Iddrisu. The watchmen and evangelists are farmers so they don’t need corn and the ladies’ husbands buy corn for their houses so the ladies don’t need corn. The only employees that have to buy corn (their staple food) are Donkey and Mr. Iddrisu hence the reason some get corn and some get rice. We took the ladies rice to their houses this afternoon and Steve gave one of the watchmen his rice tonight. Kwabena, the other watchman, is still out with his brothers’ funeral.
Take care and enjoy your day!
In HIS Service,
Steve, Kandie and Skeeter
The Monkeyshines
Monkey man is not shining too brightly today! It is difficult for me to find the words to describe the abuse I suffered today! Abuse and humiliation all rolled up into one big ball of awfulness! I had not been out of solitary confinement for more than 10 minutes this morning when I heard Dad say, “Well, if we are going to take him to the vet we need to go ahead and do it!” What! Did I hear correctly? VET! No, not that again! Dad came out of the house with a nice soft blanket that he was going to use to wrap me in but Mom said, “Oh! I don’t think that will work because that is too stretchy and I think he will be able to get out of it!” Things are not looking good for me at all! When Dad comes out with a big towel Mom says that she thinks she has a better idea! Mom’s “ideas” are usually not very good; anyway, they are not very good for me! She then proceeded to take a cloth shopping bag and put it over my head! How insulting to have your head stuck into a shopping bag! Doesn’t she know that I could die from such treatment. To add insult to injury she shoved my arms inside the bag and then closed the opening of the bag tightly around my waist! It worked very well; I could not see, bite or get my arms free but my head and arms were secure and I could breathe freely! Dad said, “that will work!” Mom set me free and we got in the truck. I get very nervous riding in the truck but I like to see all the people going by!
When we got to the vet’s office the vet was not around but 3 apprentices were there; they thought that they knew how to give a monkey a shot! Stupid people, Mom says not to call people stupid but these were stupid; they had no idea what they were doing! They did not know how to mix the water with the distemper vial! Dad finally called the vet in Tamale and asked him to talk to the apprentices and tell them how to mix the shot. One of the guys dropped the vial of medicine 2 times! Dad is a nurse; he should have just taken the vials from them and mixed it up himself! Finally, the vet showed up. Mom told him point blank that his assistants did not know what they were doing and told him to hurry in there and make sure that everything was done correctly! He quickly took over and prepared the shots. The vet gave me the shot in the truck so I did not have to go inside the office!
I am so happy that is over for another year!
Love, Skeeter
