Sitting in the shade of a mango tree. There are dozens of them here at the orphanage. The children and staff spend a good portion of their time climbing and picking the delicious fruits these trees produce. Most of the children are at school now, but my little buddy Gideon and older bud Fiston are sitting along side me as we listen to Bob Marley. Last night was a fun one. I drove out to the orphanage around 3pm and worked for a bit on the basketball hoop. Need a little more hardware to finish the job. Ill get it today. After we had done all we could do, I bought a beer for all the older staff members and those who I have been close with. We sat and drank as the sun set. My translator George was present, so I was able to communicate and joke around with the staff. We had some laughs. Even when George had to leave to teach, we continued to laugh. It’s amazing how much you can communicate without words. After a few beers I decided it was time to put a movie on for the kids. It took a lot of work, since someone switched my power converter, and ultimately broke it. But with my computer and a guitar amplifier I was able to get the show going. I shot images onto the wall using the projector Father Gabriel brought. Kids still get a kick out of it. First I showed the children the photos I had taken during my recent trip to Alaska. I told them that was what America looked like. They didn’t get to excited since they have no clue what ice is. I then cycled through hundreds of photos I have taken here in Congo. The kids go nuts when they see themselves captured in a goofy/embarrassing pose. The photos from the river turned out to be the funniest. There were a couple wieners that were captured and the girls and boys laughed as hard as I have seen them. Took me about an hour to cycle through all the photos. I used the zoom to hone in on funny faces and details that were not clear from afar. Kids got a kick out of that. There is a giant lizard strutting to the right of me. It is orange and blue. Just like a Florida Gator. If it was garnet and gold I might take a photo. After the photos I put on the movie Madagascar for them to enjoy. They watched it as I took a nap nearby. I was not sure at that point if Father was going to make it back out to the orphanage or leave me out here to spend the night. By the time the movie was finished I knew he was not going to make it out, so I grabbed a bunk and sacked out. I slept okay, but should have jumped in the river before bed. I was dirty from the day. I almost forgot, I should describe the day. I began by loading the photos that precede this post. Father pulled in and he and I were off to the blacksmith to check on the basketball rim. We took the motorcycle. I love riding dirt-bikes, but it is uneasy riding on the back of a bike when my foot hurts like it does. I feel like if I had to hop off the bike to avoid a accident, my foot might just snap in half under the pressure. We went and were fine, its all dirt alleyways. The blacksmith did a good job, we told him to add some more support and that we would pick it up form him later. We then headed to that funeral. Hopped in one of those taxi vans that’s like a VW. There were 17 people in it when father and I first got in. Pretty cramped, I took a photo. We traveled to town. The funeral was in a nicer part of town. We walked for 20 minutes and arrived. I saw some neat fish for sale and got some photos of them as well. The funeral was hot. But it was beautiful. Many people in attendance. They pushed me and father to the very front row. I was about 2 feet from the casket. Closer than the family. 8 priests were in attendance, a rather holy event. We arrived late and were only there for about 45 minutes when the mass ended. No telling how long it was. It was hot and stuffy in there and I am sure I lost a few pounds in water weight. After that, we headed to the market where father told me we could find the Congo drums. We arrived and there were hundreds of them. I looked through the numerous styles and shapes, and banged on each one to find the sound I was looking for. I found two and paid 25 bucks. One man wanted 25 bucks for one and I would have paid it but father negotiated and next thing you know it was 10 dollars. I gave him 15 cause I really like the drum. I wish I could fit more in my bag, I would have bought 10 of them. These are not tiny drums, they stand about 2 and a half feet tall and have engravings in the sides. Pretty sweet. Ate chicken for lunch.
Im still here in the shade, and as usual am waiting on someone. If you come to Congo be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting. Father promised big things today. A trip to the Congo river rapids, and a chance to see the gorillas which are native to the Congo. I am excited. I got a dead battery in my camera, so I am going to have to figure something out between now and then. It’s a long trip, on the opposite side of town, where I have not yet been, and then a little farther into the country. We had the Toyota fixed so there should be nothing holding us back. Well ill get back to you this afternoon and let you know how the journey goes. If it goes.
Its always something in the Congo.
Father arrived at the orphanage with a load of building supplies. Probably 500 lbs of roofing panels and 7 bags of concrete. I tried to help the staff and masons who work slowly, which aint my style. I wanted to get that stuff out of the car so I could get on the road and see the Congo River rapids. They were all worried that I would cut myself. They really think that Americans don’t ever have to lift, get dirty, or get injured in America. We got it all out of the car and about 20 minutes later, we were off to the other side of town. We stopped by the convent and grabbed a few things. We were back on the road after a quick bite. Headed to downtown. I had been to downtown early in the trip, but was so awed by the road and people that I paid no attention to the buildings/infrastructure present. This time it changed my thoughts about the Congo. There are some large buildings, with many businesses operating within them. I didn’t think anything like that existed in the country. The road through downtown was well maintained, 10 lanes wide, with cross walks and designated turning lanes. There were many men wearing suits, but no shortage of street vendors and homeless beggars. The motion of everyone here was far faster than that of the rural areas. I felt like I was in an all black 1970’s Miami. We went to the Brussels Airlines travel office, where we discovered that Father Gabriel was not going to be allowed to leave the country. Father’s passport was not accepted by the authorities, which is ridiculous considering that it was enough to get him into the country. This is a problem, cause it can be difficult to get through the Kinshasa Airport as a loan English speaking white man. Father is pretty upset, but compared to what my reaction would have been, he kept it real cool. We stopped by Royal. Which is like a flea market for foreigners. I have never experienced anything like it. It was truly a market, in that people were fighting to earn my dollar. The market covers about four acres and is packed with pretty much anything you could possibly wish to purchase as an African souvenir. Masks, drums, dolls, combs, ivory, gems, precious stones, carvings of animals and thousands more. I figured out quick how to make my dollar last. I would show I was interested in a particular item, ask the price aloud, and as soon as the other vendors heard the price they would run back to their stand to find a similar piece and offer me a lower price. I have never gotten so much attention in my life. I was a celebrity within the market for about 45 minutes. I bought a few things, but wished I had brought more cash to buy more. Father, Mamma Adaline, Blaze and myself loaded up into the Toyota and headed to the river. We traveled through a more affluent side of town, which was absolutely beautiful. Mountain views, big yards, big trees and the smell of fresh water churned into the air by the Congo River Rapids. We drove along the river side, through a couple strategic zones, and by a couple estates that belonged to the most affluent. The river narrowed and became turbulent as we drove down stream along its eastern bank. The river bank became particularly steep as we rounded a large bend in the river. As we finished the turn I looked out over the river and was blown away by the power and magnitude of the rapids. Those who know me know I spend a lot of time on rivers and in the pursuit of whitewater. I have seen some of the biggest rivers in the south eastern U.S. and seen some giants in Alaska. I have seen some powerful water, but all I have seen summed together is hardly a percentage of the volume that flows through these rapids every second. We pulled off the road and headed towards a restaurant that is built right alongside the rapids. We found it without problem, ordered drinks and enjoyed the view. There were many people fishing alongside the river. I saw a man throwing a cast net and catch several fish. The fish he caught were about the size of the bait that I use in Florida, but I am pretty sure they were going to be his dinner. I took a few pictures and some video, but had to keep it covert since this is yet another strategic spot. The story behind this strategic spot is pretty awful. The government use to dump all of the bodies of people they had assassinated just above where we were eating. The bodies would get washed down river into the rapids and then never seen again. We had a delicious meal. As the sunset I noticed there was a cage with monkeys in it just up the hill. I walked to it and watched the monkeys as they moved through the cage and interacted with one another. It’s sad to see monkeys in a cage. They are so human like, I felt that it was like locking a couple little children up in a cage. If you have never seen a monkey up close, I recommend that you get out to your local zoo and check one out. The big ones are cool, but the little ones got all the personality. We didn’t make it to the place where the gorillas are kept, but we accomplished a lot in a long day. On the way back we managed to get our forth flat tire of the trip. I was wiped out at that point, but helped get the tire off. Tire repair is big business here. We found a couple of guys to help us out. Five dollars and they repaired 4 holes in the tube. That’s another interesting thing, most of the tires there have tubes unlike in the states. We made it back to the convent and got a good night’s sleep.
Last Day
Today is my last day in the Congo. I started the day with a trip back to the city with Father where we tried to convince the Brussels Airlines agents to let Father Gabriel fly. When they said no yesterday, I figured we could try again and find success. I was wrong, they denied his visa, and told him he would have to go through the passport office, which I have heard is a nightmare. I did get to stop by the Market Royal where I purchased some more souvenirs to bring back to the states. I checked my bag in as well. Actually that was the purpose of the trip to the city, to get my bags to Brussels Air. Things are so dysfunctional here that you have to bring your bags to the city the day of your travel so they can drive them forty miles back to the airport. This all seemed dumb cause we drove across town, when the convent is only 10 minutes from the airport. Though it seemed foolish to make the drive I didn’t mind, especially since it meant I could get my drums onboard without having to bribe anyone. I made one last stop at Market Royal. Yet another incredible experience. If you come to Congo you must go to Royal. We drove back to the convent, where I packed up the rest of my stuff. I have been given about 20 shirts during my visit and they make up most of my luggage. I fit them all in a carry-on. I said goodbye to some of the staff at the convent. The staff here have been great, treating me like royalty, cooking me American food (occasionally) and washing my clothes. I will miss them and their hospitality. I left for the orphanage and arrived at a very festive scene. The children were all dressed in there celebration outfits and the chairs were aligned in a big circle with a large table inside. I caught the scent as we drove in and knew immediately what they had cooked. I had mentioned to father earlier in the trip that it would be awesome to slaughter one of the many pigs at the orphanage and have an American style barbeque for the children. That’s what they did minus the barbeque sauce. I don’t know exactly how they cooked it but it was delicious. I was happy to enjoy the day’s festivities, but first I had a mission to accomplish. I had to take a soccer picture of my team with their Power Screen Jerseys on. After a lot of directions and confusion I finally got the kids arranged in a traditional soccer photo pose and captured the shot. Then the party began. We ate food as children played the drums. I got up and did my own American dance as the kids beat on the heads of the cow skin drums. I had the entire crowd laughing as I butchered the art of dance. I had a blast though. The kids put on a bunch of skits. They are all so talented. These kids have rhythm and drama in their blood. We laughed and enjoyed the evening. As the music wound down, we made our way over to the clinic, where I and Mama Adeline had arranged all the gifts for each child. We tried to maintain order, but anytime you give gifts here all hell breaks loose and there is nothing you can do to control it. The kids were all very happy to receive their gifts. Tooth brushes, rosaries, clothing, underwear, pens and pencils and so much more. Some kids who I thought had demonstrated particularly strong character received special gifts from a stack of clothes that the Hall family gave me just before I left. All went well until it was time to distribute the special gifts. The special gifts were gifts that were from American families that had adopted individual children. There was 12 of these gifts in total plus one that I had created for Ilesha who is one of my pals at the orphanage. The kids who didn’t get a special gift were sad, but we knew that would happen and we didn’t want to sneak around the children to get the gifts out. It was a really good thing in all. These kids got a lot of great stuff. Plus I told the kids that when the next person comes they are going to bring a special gift for every child (sorry whoever you may be- maybe me). The sun set, the darkness began to fall upon us, and we all knew that it was time for Ya James (the name I have been dubbed) to leave for a long time. I told the kids no crying a few days earlier. I told them that Americans don’t cry. I lied. I started hugging each kid and eventually my eyes were full of tears. I didn’t have an emotional break down or anything like that but I was leaving something that I knew I could never duplicate in the states. I knew my life would never be the same.
Oh one more thing I should mention, the transformation. That kid I spoke of earlier in the blog who we adopted and acted like a little devil once we brought him back to the orphanage, was name Placid, which is contrary to his personality. Any ways I have watched the kid during the last five days. Each day he becomes a little more civilized, a little more personable and a little more human (he was like an animal when we picked him up). Today Placid was the happiest and most joyous kid on site. He played the drum, he played the bucket, he danced, he participated in the plays, singing and drama, he held hands with the other children and interacted with them as if they had been together since birth and he kept his pants on throughout the entire evening (an issue we had previously had). It was an incredible thing to see and that moved me as much as anything else I experienced throughout the whole trip. This child had nothing and was sentenced to a slow painful death along the littered streets of Kinshasa, God put him in our path and put Placid where he needed to be. That’s just the half of it though, actually that’s the easy half of it, the hard part is making him a part of the orphanage something that can just be done, it must occur or happen. And happen it did, but only by/through the love and compassion of those incredible 62 children, the staff, and Father Gabriel. Witnessing this is a testament to the absolute power of love and compassion.
I drove away from the orphanage one last time, with a tear or two traveling down my face. I sure miss that place.
I made it back to the convent, finished packing my bags and grabbed one last Congo dinner. I said farewell to the seminarians who I have come very close with. I said goodbye to Father Pier, Father Anaclay and Father Willy. I through on a shirt I had received as a gift and headed to the airport.
The airport is a pain in the a**. They charge you fifty dollars cash to use the airport, which is ridiculous. Then they try to hassle you to the point of bribery. I finally got through the check in and said goodbye to Father Gabriel. He is truly an incredible man and did more than you can imagine for me on this trip. I will forever be thankful for the experience he made possible. I passed through a set of large wooden doors and then there I was all alone. They checked my bags, gave me a hard time for not speaking French and then told me I was going to have to pay 20 dollars to get my bags back from security. I told them no grabbed my bags and walked right through them. They are so scared to lose their job that they won’t make a fuss over me ignoring a bribe. I WALKED out on the runway and waited in line to bored the giant airbus. It’s too bad it was dark, I would have paid a hundred dollars to see that country from the air on a bright clear day. Twenty three hours later I arrive in Florida.
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