On Sunday Ba Sarjo, Ebou and I left at 9am to drive up to Basse.
The drive was smooth and uneventful, with just a quick lunch stop in Soma, and
we reached our destination at about 4pm. I went and met fellow volunteers
Eleanor, Edwin and Pompeyo – only to find that Pompeyo was feeling very unwell.
A Riders for Health ambulance had been requested, but he needed to be collected
from a health centre, so Ba Sarjo and Ebou drove him back to Bansang hospital (along
with Edwin to keep him company). Malaria had already been ruled out, but he had
pains in his chest and side, so after an x-ray he was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Eleanor and I went for a beer and a bite to eat and then I
returned to our guest house, at the Dept. of Agriculture residence. Ba Sarjo
and Ebou didn’t reach the guest house until after midnight so had a very long day
of driving.
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| My room |
The next morning we held a session at the Education office
to evaluate Eleanor’s placement. The session went well, and all involved were
sad to see Eleanor leave. Probably the most notable thing was the breakfast
sandwich we ate – I have never had anything like it! Half a big tapalapa filled
with egg, fish, luncheon meat, potato, pasta shapes, onion (all bound together
in mayonnaise) with tomato and lettuce! Once of those could set you up for a
week, let alone until lunchtime, and when the domoda and rice arrived at the
end of the session I could only manage a few mouthfuls!
We packed up and drove to Bansang. We wanted to spend the
night there and then drive to Sapu in the morning, and it gave us chance to
call in at the hospital to check on Pompeyo and Edwin. They were still waiting
for the ambulance, and Pompey’s diagnosis had now changed to a pleural
effusion! It was decided that Ba Sarjo would drive him all the way back to the
Kombos, stay overnight, and then come back to pick me and Ebou at the end of
the session in Sapu. A lot of driving for Ba Sarjo, but he assured us he was up
to it, and I think best for Pompeyo*.
So Ebou and I spent the night at Bintou’s paradise lodge,
where we stayed last time, and went for afra in the evening which was
delicious. We arranged a taxi to drive us to Sapu in the morning, and then
grabbed an early night.
*Latest update from Pompeyo: on reaching Africmed in
the Kombos he was diagnosed with malaria!
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