my constitution
This week had been utterly boring so far - except for Tuesday. On Monday, I tried pigs' feet. It wasn't anything thrilling and it did nothing for my palate, but maybe it was just the way it was cooked. A dear friend of mine asked me not to condemn food after just one try and advised that I might acquire a taste by the second try. So I tried Cassava leaves again - this time cooked by Mommy Dupigny. It wasn't so bad because it wasn't drowned in palm oil, and it was seasoned a bit better. I won't say I've acquired a taste for it, but it's tolerable - for me.On Tuesday, Mommy Dupigny announced that a bull was to be slaughterd at her cousin's house and asked if we'd be interested in coming along to watch. The slaughter was to be undertaken by men from the Fula (or Fullah) tribe. The men of this tribe are known and designated for their skills in handling and slaughtering cattle. They are very quick and professional at it. I have heard about the Fulas but this was going to be my first time watching them at work.
The Fulas I am told are herdsmen, and are also traditionally keepers of small shops. Some are employed as domestic servants. People of this tribe are dispersed throughout Sierra Leone. I am also told that if you move to a town where you don't see any Fulas, it is probably a town where you can't make much of a living. These Fulas live in towns where money is easier to come by. They will do anything to make money, including sell their first born to the fetish people.
I was expecting to see folks dressed in tribal garb with markings on their flesh, but the two men I saw looked just like everyone else. We all headed towards the bull that was tied to a tree trunk. The bull was dead in twenty minutes. It took them all of three minutes to get the bull down and subdued. When they bring the bull to the house, they usually leave a loose rope tied to one of the front feet. When the bull is ready to be slaughtered, they pull on this rope, which destablizes the bull. They then bring the rope around to the rear feet, wrap the rope around both rear feet while one of the men hold the tail firmly. They then pull on the rope hard, and bring the bull down. With the tail being held firmly, they now tie all four feet together. While the tail is still being held, one of the men will grab the mouth of the bull while pulling the horns toward the ground. Holding the mouth, they pull down to stretch the neck for a clean cut. For the next fifteen minutes after the neck is cut, the bull will struggle for air until the blood and feces have been drained. The legs are then loosed, buckets of water are poured over to wash the blood off, and the chopping begins. David and I watched and recorded the event for about twenty five minutes until David decided to put on a bigger show. I saw him slowly move towards a tree and lean on the tree. I thought he was going to take pictures from another angle. He then asked for a bottle of water, as he began hugging the tree. Before we could turn around to go get water, his rear was on the floor - still hugging the tree. We grabbed him quickly and took him to the car to fan him and give him water. One of the women who was a pastor's wife laid hands on him and began a prayer, rebuking the demons. After he came to, he was more worried about why his shirt had been stripped off him then the drama itself. For the rest of the day, we laughed about it, and discussed if it was the sight of blood that did it to him. One of the older women commented that I had a strong "constitution". I have never heard the word being used this way. I assumed it must be something good if it kept me on my feet. So to those of you who are praying for me, continue to pray that my "constitution" remains strong. I'll leave those Icelanders to hug their trees. David got plenty of rest and is doing just well now.
My parents called and I had a conversation on speakerphone. Dave had a good laugh because every sentence began with "Eh man!..." or "Oh man!..." or "Eh boy!..."
Krio is a very picturesque language. When translating the word extortioner to Krio, you must give an example of what a extortioner is. "If you are to give the man 2000, he will ask of you 2500". David and I had fun with the translation for the verse in Numbers 23:22. "God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn. The word used to translate unicorn was "jackass". Go figure! But it is a very interesting language. More words:
| pikin | child |
| boy pikin | boy |
| bobo (o written as an inverted c) | boy |
| gal pikin | girl |
| wef | wife |
| man | husband |
| smol (o written as an inverted c) | small |
| tif | theive, theif, steal |
| tolotolo | turkey |
| fol (o written as an inverted c | fall, or fowl (chicken) |
| bele (e written as an inverted 3) | belly |
| bobo bele | boy fond of eating or boy with a large belly |
| angri | hungry |
| kil | kill |
| kilman | murderer |
| kil tu bads wit wan ston | kill two birds with one stone |
| na rod | on road |
| oshya (o written as an inverted c) | polite expression of sympathy |
School starts in September. David will be leaving on Monday. Too many people who need help. I have much too little to give. Everyday BBC reports of some new peril on this continent. It's all too much at times and not everyone can be helped though I wish it. It's quite sad. The needs are simple, legitimate, and plenty when there really shouldn't be such needs. I came across a boy who is almost into college. That is a HUGE accomplishment for a young person here. He however was thrown out of school as he could not afford to pay fees for the last three months. He wants to be an engineer. He showed me his class notes on electro-magnetism, and told me of his ambitions. He is always reading when I see him, and he is asking around for anyone who can support his education. His friend Matthew who is a servant at Mommy Dupigny's found him and took him in and gave him a place to stay - which is all his kind heart could afford to do. I could not give much but I gave him a little for which he was hugely appreciative. Education really is the only way out. $400 will cover much of his education. Augustine is his name. He's 23. He's an avid supporter of the United States. Keep him in your prayers, If you would like to help, let me know.
posted by bthomas24 @ 7:07 PM
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