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Tuesday, November 29, 1977, 10:00 am, Day 672
It has been an "off" day for me so far today. It is the first one that I have had in a long time, so I can't complain. I'm not really sure what is causing it. I suspect that part of it might be lack of sleep. The moon has been out every evening this week, and as a result I have been out also. It's been about 11:00 PM that I've gotten to bed each night. It was catching up with me last night. I was very tired but I just forced myself to stay up. I slept late this morning, but it still didn't catch me up with me sleep. This lack of sleep might be making me irritable.
Another factor that is involved here is that the peoples' asking me for everything all of the time has started to bug me again. That is because I am again at the end of my money-on-hand, so that I have to watch every penny. Also, some people can't seem to meet me without asking for something from me. I am telling them "No" now, but they can't seem to understand that "No means No". I more or less threw one lady out of my room this morning because of that. She kept asking for some crackers and I kept telling her "No", and then she went and started to take them anyway. I then grabbed her, slapped her face, and pushed her out the door. It's too bad that I had to do it, but I would have to say that she deserved what she got, so I am not too sorry that I did it.
Wednesday, November 30, 1977, 10:00 am, Day 673
I feel fine again today. I got turned back around mentally yesterday afternoon. I was sure mixed up for awhile there. It was such that my head wasn't clear enough to do any work properly. I couldn't concentrate on one thing because my mind kept wandering around from one thing to another, like it was lost or in a daze. I couldn't get a good perspective on anything. Today, though, I feel just fine. I am seeing everything clearly and the people are back to bearable.
Last night I thought that I had it made. I was sitting outside my house, waiting to get tired and go to bed, while at the same time making myself available for people to come visit. As time went on, I was able to collect a few, and by late in the evening I had 3 ladies that had all supposedly come to me for the purpose of going to bed with me. I figured, "Alright. I can't lose tonight." When it came time to go to bed, i told my first choice "Lets go" and she gave a screech and went running down the street back to her own house. So much for #1. I turned to try for #2 but she was walking off together with #3. So it ended up as just another night with me sleeping all alone in my great big bed. It doesn't look like there is anyone in Kamiendor who is actually willing to sleep with me.
Saturday, December 3, 1977, 10:00 am, Day 676
These last few days I've gotten to know better this one girl from Omar Kayams here in Freetown. Her name is Diana. She's really great. Like Fatu is my woman, Diana belongs to Jim Olsen, my fellow volunteer. Diana is really going out of her way to catch Jim. First, about 3 days ago, she gave him a shirt as a present. Then the evening before last, four of us water engineers were sitting around the dining table, setting up the game of "Risk", each getting ready to take over the world. Just then, Diana popped in. She had, by herself, taken a taxi all of the way out to our house just to see Jim. We talked her into joining us in the Risk game. It was her first time, and Africans usually aren't too good at games anyway, but Diana did alright. I was eliminated from the game first and Jim was knocked out second. For awhile there, it looked like Diana had a good chance of even winning the game. Finally though, Skep took charge, wiping Diana out first and then having Bob beaten so badly that he then surrendured. Diana went to bed with Jim that night.
Yesterday evening, Bob, Skep, and I went out to OK's for some drinking and dancing, and to see who we could find. I was looking for Fatu, but I never saw her. They say she went up-country. OK's was pretty slow, but we managed to hang on there until about 12:30, when the After 8 starts to liven up. I had one woman named Maria. She must be over 30, so she was too old for me, unless I was hard up. Anyway, maria likes to dance and so do I, so I kept her around. We had the understanding that Fatu was my woman, and that I didn't want anyone else, and that i would pay for her taxi ride home when the evening was over. Bob had one girl named Amina, and she brought along her sister named Isatu. Skep didn't have anyone at this point.
At the After 8 they play better dancing music, and the place was just getting lively when we showed up. We all got in our fill of dancing there. I still had Maria. Bob found out that Amina didn't want him, but it didn't bother him too much as he was still having a good time. Skep, on the other hand, was finally making a catch, finding that he and Isatu were being drawn together.
Diana now (this story is about Diana, remember) showed up. She said that she had been off dancing at the Tropicana. we told her that jim was home sleeping. Diana stayed with our group, as she didn't have anyone else there. Bob was considering making his move for Diana. I wouldn't mind having her myself, as she is really really fine, but I was just leaving it at us being good friends because she is Jim's woman.
At about 3:30 this morning we all decided that it was time to call it a night. I left Maria there at the After 8. Skep was bringing Isatu home. Bob and Diana were coming also. I was under the impression that Diana was coming home for Bob, but when we entered the house, I found out otherwise. Diana went straight to Jim's bed and woke him up. It looks like Diana has set her eyes on Jim and she doesn't want any other. I offered myself to her, but she didn't take up my offer.
I keep telling Jim that he ought to bring Diana back to his village with him. He doesn't seem to think that she will actually go with him. This boy's got no confidence in himself. I keep telling Diana that she ought to go with Jim up to his village. She tells me that she doesn't want to go because she thinks that Jim has another girl in his village already, and she (Diana) doesn't want to go there because she would be jealous.
I sure wouldn't mind Diana coming up to stay with me awhile in Kamiendor. I suggested that to her also, but she is too stuck on Jim. I told her that if she won't go to Jim's village, then she should come to mine, because I don't have another woman there. She wouldn't agree.
Summing up, Diana impresses me as being a very fine girl. She doesn't keep bugging us for money, money, money, like most of the girls do. She knows how to read and has quite a bit of sense. She likes staying around, just visiting, telling stories and just making good conversation. She likes to dance, and is a good dancer, even better than me. She is also good looking and is my age.
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