And then there was one Obruni....

Hello from Lucky Luciano and myself! We ventured to the top of town today to take the other American to the market for her first time. Tuesday and Friday every week they have market here. I had lucky tied on my back and everybody thought that was the craziest thing in the world. They just couldn't believe I knew how to do that. Lucky did great despite the downpour that started right as we left for market. Since Melissa and Kim left he has been my right hand man. He does everything with me. It was very hard to see Mel and Kim go. I had a slight panic attack but everything is back to wonderful again. Its actually been really good for me to know that I can do things on my own. I have been a little hesitant to go anywhere or to travel on my own but it has been good thus far. When Melissa and Kim left Kwame and Morris (the boys we are sending to boarding school) came in the room and rearranged it just the way they like it and have been sleeping in there ever since. Its nice to have them there at night with Lucky and I. I think they really enjoy having a bed to sleep on of their own and they help a ton with Lucky Lu.

I went to Swedru to check out the school that we want to send the boys to. I was warned that they would tell me some crazy price because I am an obruni and sure enough they told me it would be 350 cedi a term!! That's something around 290 US dollars every three months. No way. They usually charge about 150 cedi a term. Emmanuel will go back today and see what the real price is for a black person inquiring. I am really excited about their schooling. I'm so happy that we have the power to guarantee these boys have a good life. Its the least we could do. One piece of news is that 6 of our kids came back with positive Hepatitis B test results. One of them is our Morris. He has probably had it since birth and therefore it is now chronic. We are trying to figure out what to do. The only treatment offered here is 90 cedi a month and you have to do it a minimum of 6 months. Maren (the German volunteer) is dating one of the boys who came back positive so she has started him on the treatment and we will see how it goes but there is no way we can pay to treat all 6. Up a creek without a paddle. Its a terrible feeling when there is treatment available but you cant pay for it. I hate money. On the prevention hand, there is a vaccine available here but it is 20 cedi per injection and it is a three injection series. There is no way we can pay to get them all vaccinated either and its really a terrible thing because it is so highly contagious. Its so frustrating because we surely can manage to vaccinate a few but how do you pick and choose who will essentially live a healthier life and who will die. I think I will take Lucky and Kwame to get their first shots next week. Kwame is so close with Morris that he is bound to get Hep B at some point and if we are paying for school I want him as healthy as possible. We want to vaccinate Lucky as a gift to his life. He has changed us in ways that he will never know or understand. Its so terrible to choose favorites for vaccinations but there really is no other option. Hopefully someone else will step up and do a child or two and together we may be able to get to them all. Its highly unlikely but one can wish, right?

I have postcards that have been ready to send for some time now but every time I go to the post office, its closed. Hours of operation are unheard of around here so its impossible to know when they will be open. I asked a man sitting out front of it the other day when the postmaster would be back and he said maybe 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 or 4:00. It was 10am when I asked. There is no way I was going to come back every hour and with my luck he would never even show. So postcards will be on their way soon (I hope) and will certainly arrive after I return home but such is life here in Ghana I guess.

Theres not much else that is new here. I hope the sun comes out this weekend but it is the rainy season so I wont hold my breath. I'm not looking forward to going home at all. I have so many things hanging over my head I just don't want to deal with. The time I have been alone here has proved to be such a wonderful time to do some soul searching and boy have I needed that. I still don't want to deal with certain issues and things in Oregon. Its like none of that matters here and its so easy to brush it to the side but I know I cant do that forever. hmmm well the rain has cleared for the moment so I must start walking back before it starts again and I have to catch a tro tro. Ill be back soon!