|
|
Wednesday, June 28, 1978, 7:00 pm, Day 883
I've been pretty much just biding my time these past two days. Yesterday, with this morning, I fixed up my soccer ball. That was a big job. One of the kids had taken a razor blade to it, in an attempt to see what was inside. I had to replace one panel, and so for the leather I sacrificed one of my old shoes. To sew it, I had to split the ball open, turn it inside out, sew it, turn it right side out again, and then pull the stitches tight. Altogether, it was probably about ten hours work.
Today, I got out my suitcases and dumped their contents on the floor. I washed up the suitcases and then started sifting through the junk, not knowing where to start. I took all of my old worn out clothes that I've been saving up for the past 2.5 years, and put them in a pile outside my door. I then went through and took stuff which I wanted to keep for some reason, and packed them away in my suitcases again. Any other things still sitting on the floor then got thrown away.
Next, I got out my 2.5 year collection of letters. I put them all in chronological order, and have just started reading through them again, at the same time making a list of dates and events. After I read them, I will finally throw them all away.
There are a few reasons for my keeping busy at trivia now. First is that my time left before leaving is starting to grow small, and so that thought is hanging on my mind more. Second, is that there is no work on the water project at the moment, so there is nothing to keep me busy. Third, this being without Dianaagain is leaving my life feeling rather pointless and meaningless.
I feel like getting out and doing some good physical pick and shovel work, but there is no place that needs work at this moment. If we had the chance to spend alot of time on the new hill road, then I would go work there. Now is not the time for that though, so I don't want to go back to it now. I would need a day or two of surveying first, to replace lost pegs, before any work can be done there.
At the moment all that we are doingis waiting for the MEP lorry, that will hopefully make it out here sometime.
Tomorrow is Market Day, and I plan to go, so it should do something towards getting my mind off of the thought of going home. This last month might be the longest.
Sunday, July 2, 1978, 8:00 pm, Day 887
We had a minor micacle yesterday. The MEP lorry actually came. It had all of the 1/2" and 3/8" diameter reinforcing steel, and also the pipes for the tank and the standpipes. Now we can think about getting some more work done again.
I have alot of uncertainties and possible problems now. I want to continue work on the tank, but first all of the tank pipes have to be in place. Some of the pipes, I sent down to Koidu to have them cut to size and rethreaded. We need to get these pipes back first, and also all of the fittings that go with them. Hopefully, everything that we need is sitting in Koidu, and should be coming up tomorrow. I need a 3" tee and some elbows, but I can't remember if they were included with the stuff that was left in Koidu. Also, MEP in Koidu does not have a pipe threader. I sent the pipes down to them with a letter, telling them to cut and thread them. I am hoping that they will bring them over to NDMC to get them threaded. I hope that the pipes don't just get unloaded in Koidu, and end up sitting there foreever with nothing being done on them.
I have pipe wrenches up here in Kamiendor, so that is not a problem. It is just getting the pipes and fittings back up here, all cut and threaded, and ready to put together.
Monday, July 3, 1978, 4:00 pm, Day 888
It looks like I am going down to Koidu the first thing tomorrow morning. I found out today that Moiba went down to Freetown. I am not sure how or why, but I hope it was with public transport, and to find out about our mason's salary. It is possible that he didn't even meet up with the MEP lorry. I am hoping that he did not take the MEP lorry down to Freetown, because that lorry was supposed to bring another load of materials. So far, he hasn't come. If the driver came up with some excuse that he had to return to Freetown, then it is good that Moiba would go with him, but I am hoping it didn't go.
I have to go down to Koidu to check up on this lorry, and also to check on the pipes that I sent down yesterday. They were to be cut and threaded, and then sent back up to Kamiendor.
I want the work to continue on the tank, but I have all of the snags and possible snags to see about first. Today, we put up the formwork for under the tank slab for half of the tank. We can't put up the other half until we first get the pipes and put them in place.
Tuesday, July 4, 1978, 10:00 pm, Day 889
I just got through with one of my less than typical days. Today I went down to Koidu and then back up to Kamiendor. A few things complicated the situation, though. First, it either rained or drizzled all day today. Second, my motorcycle is starting to act up again. Like in not wanting to start again after it stalls out. Then, on the trip back, I also had a third complication of it being nighttime with no moon or stars out.
The trip down this morning wasn't too bad. Twice it wanted to stall out while going up hill, and one of the times it actually did. Also, the road wasn't too bad, since the rain didn't start until about 6:00 o'clock this morning. I had alot of running around town, though. It only acted up once. I wanted to start my Honda, but it wouldn't agree. It had been raining heavily just before, and it was still raining at this time. I must have kick-started it 200 to 300 times. After about the first 50, it had started but then it stalled again just as I was starting to leave. I was glad when it finally started again that second time, because I had a crowd of people watching me, and they wanted me to try to run and start it, but I told them "No, I want to try to start it my way."
This evening, I left Koidu at about 5:30, and only by the Grace of God di I make it to Kamiendor at all. At Kainkordu it got dark on me. I had to stop my motorcycle at the top of this hill just before Kainkordu, to wait for a lorry coming up. It had about 6 people on each side of it, and they were all pushing and pulling while the lorry's tires were spinning, and the lorry was sliding around. Slowly but surely, the lorry managed to make it up the hill. Going down, all I could do was keep my feet out to each side for balance, and just slide. At the bottom, I tried to start it a few hundred times, but it refused. Finally, I pushed it up hill into Kainkordu town, and then ran it back down the hill to try to start it, but it didn't work. I tried kick-starting it again, and finally it started. At this point, it got dark, so I had to turn on my light.
I left Kainkordu behind and headed for Kamiendor, 22 long miles away, knowing that if the motorcycle stopped again, then it probably wouldn't start. I was amazed at some of the hills I made it up, and some of the bad spots that I came through. Many a time it should have stalled, but each time it just kept right on going.
At about 3.5 miles left to go, I couldn't seem to find my pack, which was tied to the back of the motorcycle. I stopped and found that it was still there, but then the engine stopped. It was so dark, I couldn't see anything. I wasn't looking forward to a 3.5 mile stumble along that dark road to reach Kamiendor, and I wasn't looking forward to spending the night there with my motorcycle, either. Lucky for me, though, the motorcycle started again after only 20 or so trys.
The last part, going up Kamiendor hill, wasn't even that bad. I just kept the throttleon, put both my feet out for balance, kept the motorcycle pointed up hill, and just kept going. I made it to Kamiendor by 9:30, so I averaged about 10 mph for the entire trip. I don't plan to try it again.
|
