Michael was at breakfast for a few minutes before setting out for work. His project has to be revamped, the every-third-person-on-the-street sampling now needs to be changed to house-to-house sampling. To do this Bailor will have to meet with all the chiefs and the neighborhoods mapped out. A set back but hopefully in the right directions.
It was raining but Ali did not worry about it. We rode for a few minutes before stopping at a ruin resembling a gas station when the rain got heavier. My hair was now a complete mess, not that it was anything to look at before. It has been bad hair day everyday. Ladies can you imagine not having electricity in the morning? Val gave me a battery operated fan which I use everyday, sometimes as a hair dryer. I also use her Swiss army knife daily, she really knew what to bring. What I need is a battery operated curling iron if they make such an item. It really does not matter that much how I look here, or anywhere else really.
The clinic was full of people when we arrived at 9AM, the result of the radio interview. All adults. We kicked into high gear right away but still had to close the registration at 10. After catching up we reopened the registration at noon. "Always waiting till the last day", both Bailor and Sahr James shook their heads.
People crowded right outside the door watching carefully for their turns, shouts broke out every now and then. Some came around the back and watched us from the window. Val had told me the time in Haiti when there was almost a riot with people fighting to see the dentist. This wasn't like that but still a bit intense.
I did not take a break, too many people were right outside the door and no one else mentioned lunch. I saw Michael walking by with two sandwiches in one hand, and eating the third one in his other hand. Apparently a woman comes to the clinic most days and sells stuff off her basket. Good news is interns always find food, bad news is they will all need to be dewormed the way they have been eating on the streets. To decide which worm to deworm one has to give a stool sample, which is a problem because no one is 'regular" due to a low fiber diet. Raphi also wonders how much sample to give when one does produce.
The registration clerk came in to tell us Uncle Ben had brought two people to be seen, Sahr James took their files and put them in order. A little later Uncle Ben came in to express a desire of moving his people up. Sahr James said half jokingly that would be CORRUPTION, Uncle Ben said with a smile, no, that would be CONSIDERATION. Not getting a response from Sahr James Uncle Ben must have gone to Bailor because a few minutes later Bailor called saying it would be MY CALL to move them up or not. Talk about being put on the spot!! Uncle Ben had been very accommodating to our group and I'd like to help, but I don't see how they could get pass the crowd right outside the door. Sahr James had an idea: Just explain the situation. He went out and asked if it would be all right for me to consult with Uncle Ben's family first since I had been staying at their guest house. Apparently people said okay and problem solved. I told Sahr James he had missed his calling of being a professional conflict resolution expert. Well, actually he is one everyday I suspect.
After a review session with Sahr James, it was time to say good bye. Photos were taken and hands were shaken. Everyone thanked me and asked when I'd be back again. I hopped on Ali's bike and waved.
What I did here the last few days was not even a drop in the bucket!! What they do everyday is the real story.
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