African Exclusive

There are some experiences that almost solely happen in Africa. People think about wildlife, poverty, malaria, safaris, clicking languages, polygamy, etc. There are other experiences that are just so outside the imagination, it’s hard to even predict.

With all the Coronavirus talk, the government officials came to the hospital for an impromptu “sensitization” lecture. Of course, they came at 4:30 right as everyone is supposed to be going home. Then it takes 30 minutes to set up and is just a bunch of people reading directly from slides. Regardless of how boring it is, I’m a bit nervous. Things aren’t finalized with all our paperwork, government officials always pick out the white people, and all the staff is also at the meeting. It’s a packed house. In the middle of all this, Ami comes over and starts tapping me on the shoulder quite insistently.

Before I go on, let me describe her a little bit. Ami has a fiery personality and with her things are either great or terrible. She’s either dancing or sulking. She speaks such deep Krio that even after 6 months here, I still can’t understand her most of the time. She insists on speaking to me in Temne, even though it’s clear I have no idea what either she or I am saying. Here’s a picture of Ami with Rachel last Sabbath. I’ve never seen her wear such a great hat.

 

So Ami is insistently tapping my shoulder. I try to brush her off, but she won’t be deterred. She whispers something into my ear, that I have no idea what she’s saying. Then she shoves something into my hands. At this point, whatever is going on with Ami seems super important. I turn towards her and open what is in my hands.

It’s my underwear.

Ami is our laundry lady and it was laundry day. She must have found them and she decided that an all staff meeting with all the government officials was the best time to bring back my lost unmentionables. That evening I walked home with a conspicuous bulge in my pants pocket while trying to imagine any situation on any other continent, where a woman would hand me my underwear in the most important meeting of the week. I decided that I’ve had a once in a lifetime experience.