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Wednesday, February 22, 1978, 10:00 pm, Day 757
This evening started to have the signs of being another "downer", but I was luckily able to pull myself out of it enough to keep myself from doing any damage. I think that it must be from the work. The work itself wasn't bad today, but there was alot of it. In the morning I was down working on the road, and then this afternoon I went down and dug at the well site for awhile. (water level at 52 inches.)
Also, another thing that sure didn't help the situation any was the fact that Sia Kundi went out of town today and so didn't cook for me. She also didn't arrange for anyone else to cook for me, like she should have. Therefore I was left having to find my own chop. I managed to get a plate of rice chop for lunch today, and I've had about a dozen oranges today also. Even so, going without that evening rice just doesn't sit well with me.
Bondu offered to cook, but she didn't have any plassass and neither did I. Later on, another woman offered to cook, but she didn't have any plassass either. Finally, Sweet Mother offered me some rice chop, and I accepted. The food did alot to change my disposition. Before, I was feeling really down. When I was sitting with that woman that offered to cook for me, I almost started crying. I found it hard to talk, as I was all choked up. And over what? Nothing, really. That is why I think that all of this work has had something to do with the way I was feeling. It was strange that my emotion would turn to one of wanting to cry. Earlier in the evening, it was more like an emotional state, where I could have easily found an argument with anyone, over even the smallest thing. I was like canned-up irritableness and I didn't want to let any of it out. None of the irritableness managed to come out today, and the trying to hold it back might have caused this pressure release of wanting to cry. Who knows?
After I ate, I went on down to the shop. Nobody there seems to have taken my hitting Sata as being something serious. Only Fatmata asked me about it. None of the others did, though. Sata was there also, but we haven't said anything to each other yet, to see if it is all settled.
Kabba came back to Kamiendor this evening. I asked him about Sia Kundi's not arranging for chop. He said that he asked Sia Kundi also, and that she didn't say anything. He said for me to ask her, which I will do, if and when I see her at Market tomorrow. Kabba talked to me alot about that fine that he was to pay, and about her and me going to the dance, and about her cooking for me the next day. Supposedly, the palaver between me and Kabba is all done, but I can see that it is still on his mind. He might be bugging Sia Kundi about mine and her's relationship, which might be the cause of the strange way that she has been acting.
Sia Kundi's actions have been mostly, or at leat outwardly, normal, but ever since I've come back from Freetown, there has been a "strangeness" between us. I don't know how much is me and how much is her, But her's might be caused inderictly by Kabba. I know that any strangeness in our relationship on my side, has been caused by the fact that the thought of Kabba is always in the back of my mind. With Kabba in the picture, my wanting Sia Kundi is a hopeless situation.
Thursday, February 23, 1978, 8:00 pm, Day 758
While I am writing this, I am also seriously considering arranging someone else to cook for me. Unless I manage somehow to talk myself out of it, I will go down and have a talk with Pa Lamin. Pa Lamin has about 5 wives, and also runs the shop in town, so I don't think that making an arrangement with him would be too hard. I would like it such that they would supply all of the food and labor, and that I would then just pay a set fee for each day that I eat. Pa Lamin keps a close watch on his money, and so I think that he would be agreeable to a strictly financial arrangement. With a shop and 5 wives, both supplying the food and the labor would be no problem.
Now, the reason that I am considering finding someone else to cook for me is that lately I've not been getting any satisfaction out of the present arrangement.
Supposedly, the palaver with Kabba is all done, but I am not quite sure. But that is not the reason. The reason for my wanting to change lies with Sia Kundi. She just has not been acting good to me lately. I feel that she is just using me and not respecting me. Also, she plans to go tomorrow and be gone at least 4 days. It's not her going that bugs me, but it is the fact that she seems unwilling to set anything up for someone else to cook for me while she is gone. She just seems to want me to go fend for myself, or to do without, and it doesn't matter which to her. I don't like that, as I feel that it is her responsibility to make sure that I am fed, as that is her job. If she cannot be here to cook for me, then she is responsible to arrange for someone else to feed me. I don't want the hassle of finding someone to cook for me each day, because that also means that I also end up with the hassle of finding at least some of the food that goes into the cooking. I don't want that. Also, I supply much of the food that Sia Kundi puts in the cooking, and if she can't cook, I feel that it is up to her to supply the person with the food to cook, when she is not there.
Also today, while she was cooking, we kept arguing about how much each was supplying, and what our first arrangement was, and everything.
And then, another thing, a small thing maybe, but it tends to show how she is using me. Today, she sent me off to her mother, to tell her what turned out to be a lie. She told me to go get 10 cents worth of onions from her mother, telling me to tell her mother that she would be over to pay the 10 cents just as soon as she was done cooking. I gave this message to Sia Kundi's mother, and she gave me the onions, and I went back. When I got back to Sia Kundi, she informed me that she wasn't going to give her mother the money.
Then, also today, she sent one boy off for water, telling him that I sent him. When the boy got back, he asked me for the money. I paid him, even though it wasn't me that made the arrangement, but Sia Kundi. Here she was, using me again.
I think that I just convinced myself that Sia Kundi is no good, and that it would be the best thing for me to go out and make that arrangement with Pa Lamin about supplying food for me.
Thursday, February 23, 1978, 10:00 pm, Day 758
Well, I did it. I told Pa Lamin that I wanted to arrange that his wives begin to cook for me and he said okay. We left all of the details for later. I told Kabba and Kundi a while ago, that tomorrow would be the last day, that after that I would have someone else cook for me. Kabba seemed pleased. Kundi didn't seem to be affected at all. I kept my mouth shut, otherwise. I want to say all that I have to say, but today isn't the time. I want to wait and discuss it over chop tomorrow. It might even end up in a big palaver, which would be fine with me, but I want to make sure that I get my chop first.
Sunday, February 26, 1978, 3:00 pm, Day 761
I am into the day after of a Peace Corps party. It was held here in Yengema last night. It wasn't too bad. Not as many people came as were expected, but we did have about 20 or so. At about 7 or 8 last night, we all moved up the hill and onto the top of the water tower. That was where the actual partying was done.
The water tower was perfect for it. It was about 20 feet high and 60 feet in diameter, with a flat concrete slab on top. Once you got used to the place, and decided that you weren't going to fall off the edge, then you could have a good time. The night started out clear, so we had good views of both the stars and the city lights of Yengema and parts beyond. At about 9:30 PM, a full moon came up, so after this we all felt safer, because we could better see just where the edge was.
Starting at about 2:00 AM, people started fading out and going back on down the hill to bed. Seven of us, though, managed to stick it out up there until the sun came up. You couldn't actually say that we were still partying at this point, though, because everyone was laying down, and some of us were even sleeping here and there. We kept the music going all night though, and there was always a few people awake and listening to it.
I brought my campbed up there and it got alot of use. Besides it, there was nothing besides beer cases to sit on, so it was the only soft place. We managed to get as many as 5 or 6 people sitting on it at once at times, and on the last stretch this morning, there were actually 3 of us sleeping on it. This was acomplished by sleeping sideways and letting your feet remain off the side. There was just enough room for each of us to get his seat on, along with his shoulders and even his head, when he squinched it over to the side a bit.
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