The ward was a touch crowded with kids who have measles, chicken pox, and dehydrating gastroenteritis. As she has free reign of the place, she frequently crawls into the rooms to see what is happening and in the process is exposed. An infectious swamp to be sure. So....for the sake of preventing a nosocomial infection, out she went. It was far from clean and neat as she is to be cared for by the "grandmother of her uncle". Since she will live near a rather remote clinic we indoctrinated the nurse there about how often she should be weighed and seen for follow up. I don't think this will be entirely satisfactory as rumor has it that her brother, 7 y/o, was seen on the street begging for food the other day. So the head matron has her radar on and will yank Empho at the first sign that her grandmother can't keep up with a now willful 2 year old. Who can???
Then it just might be SOS for her and her brother. Who knows. I would have preferred to send her there as she meets two of three criteria for admission; abandonment and abuse. It's unknown if her mother is alive or had HIV. Empho does not. Anyway, ain't my country and this is way above my pay grade. Hope things work out.
Was at SOS the other night and an adolescent girl walked up to me and asked "what is your name?" I replied "Mike" and she immediately scoffed. "You need a proper Satswana name". "OK how about silly goose". She glared. "Well, how about water?". Glared again; you know that thirteen year old girl, eye rolling, "I can't believe this white guy from America is such a doofus" look? "How about earth?" say I. Finger to chin she ponders and then says, "We will call you Empho!" I stifled a rather knowing grin and accepted her moniker. She then used it enough that it became rather un-unique and hilarious at the same time. Adolescents are the same everywhere...... "boundaries, what are boundaries?!
Still can't get used to 40 degree heat here at Christmas time. And yet it's rather festive to be sure. When on the road by myself I usually contemplate what I'll miss about Botswana if and when we leave here. Without a doubt it will the kind and gentle people, the smiles, the laughter, the genuine lightness of heart. There is definitely a widening economic dualism that is expanding with a burgeoning middle class, more concerned with the usual stuff (career, family, cars) than that of their countrymen. I swear I have not seen so many 'Benzes, 'Beemers, Audis, and Range Rovers as here. It makes for rare episodes of envy and self righteousness but the smiles seem to ameliorate it.
I had to be the primary physician the other day in a town that is famous for abusing the doc there. On any given morning about a fifth of the population is queued up and expect "treatment" or sick leave. As I had worked with a strong willed Motswana doc earlier that week who announces each morning that she will be the one that decides about meds and leave and that she rarely gives either, I thought I'd give it a shot. I stood beside a scared nurse who announced that there would be no leave given out that day and that meds would be given only if needed, and that didn't include your desire to have them. The hue and cry was deafening. And after that about half of the assembled crowd stomped off! The day was full of difficult cases that truly needed a doc and not more of the usual somatization and malingering. I don't get that about this culture but again; above my pay grade.
The topography here would remind anyone of the arid west or high Midwest. The flora and fauna are different to be sure. The birds are fantastic. Monkeys, baboons, warthogs, and the ever present cattle-donkeys-goats, can be seen on a trip from Gabs to an outlying area. So on these trips I get to get behind my eyeballs and realize that I have a loving wife of 35 years, a great and grown family that pays it forward, and a great job in an amazing part of the world. I am indeed blessed. Best wishes for Christmas, and Peace.
1 comment:
Love you Papa! Keep writing!
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