January 27, 2010--Ophans, Babies & Music

January 27, 2010

AnnLouise and I slept at the House last night. Got there after it was dark and Fire, their puppy, walked us half way there. They were playing bingo and cards. Cho-go pooped in his pants so I helped wash him and get new clothes on. Then Clement threw a huge tantrum and was trying to ALMOST literally kill Elivs Jr., Sammy, and Joseph. I tried to pull Clement away thinking they were just having a usual fight, but he fought back and got away instantly. So Annluoise grabbed Clement and went to the other room. I tried to maintain the rest of the children in doing what there were previously doing. A few minutes later, I went to go check on Clement and AnnLuoise but so did a lot of the kids come too. So right when Clement saw Elvis his body tensed and he again tried to hit, punch, push, and scream at him. So once again, AnnLuoise grabbed him, threw him over her shoulder and brought him the outside steps. I shuffled all the kids back into their room and sent them to bed without a story last night. 15 minutes later I went to check again. There, Annluoise told me about how much Clement is picked on. He is 8 and the other boys are older, like 10 and 11. They always speak fante so we don’t know what they are saying but Elvis obviously knows what he is doing. I saw the three poke their head out the porch, when they should have been in bed and I asked them what they were doing. They wanted to go to the bathroom, all of them. I said no, you can go in the bucket you use at night because both AnnLousie and I knew that they were just trying to agitate Clement again. So we let them out and Elvis deliberately walked in front on Clement laughed and smiled. Clement again went rigid. So when the boys went back in, Clement decided to follow. AnnLousie and I decided to let him go and see what happened. Well, Clement threw a pretty good punch to Elvis’s shoulder and he hit the ground I grabbed Clement, sat him on the porch with me, and rocked him until he fell asleep. Once everyone was pretty tired and the lights were out, we both thought it was safe to lay Clement in his bed. It is just not healthy for a young boy to be picked on so much and have his life result in anger. So we are trying to think of what can be done. Paul, one of the older ones, who is neutral in the situation, uses violence and yelling to punish the kids. That is what he was raised to use, that is what has been used on him. It is all so sad. The kids will pick up flip flops and hit each other all the time. I hope some day that the violence will diminish. The rest of the night I of course didn’t sleep. I tossed and turned, just thinking or not thinking. It made me laugh when I unknowingly tried to cuddle with AnnLousie and she gently and friendly pushed me backed.
At 3, some random number tried to call me. I hung up the first 3 times but answered the 4th because maybe it was important. Well, we couldn’t hear each other and it didn’t sound urgent, and I didn’t want to wake the kids so I just hung up. He tried to call another 10 times before I just turned off the phone. It’s weird, but it seems that a lot of people have no concern about time, night or day.
Cho-go then wet his bed around 5, we washed and cleaned him and waited for everyone to get up around 5:30 or 6. We got two new kids yesterday too. Emauel, 13, and and a young girl around 11 or 12 named something like Annibell. They have already felt somewhat at home and have blended very well.
Elvis Senior came by this morning and showed and taught us some things that had not yet been mentioned. It was very helpful because when you come and go, you just usually guess at what you are supposed to be doing. So we are getting into a routine now. The kids made their beds so that they don’t get beaten. I haven’t witnessed a bad beating yet so I don’t know what I will do when I see it. I pray no child I know ever gets one. I then helped Cho-go eat his ground nut porridge. I think that was one of the first times I have feed a baby. I realized how little I have been around young children and what a blessing it is for me to be around this wonderful kids. I am really falling in love with them. But it is hard. Not knowing or being comfortable around kids to just jump in, but I think I know enough that I am doing okay. The volunteers are very helpful.
We then left and walked with some of the kids to the bus station. I am now at home and very tired. I am going to go buy some sugar and dairy and other things at Cape Coast. I just think to help buy the sugar would be nice because I use a lot to add flavor to the oatmeal and starch pancakes. And the dairy because it is an instant meal.
So I am very tired. Only a few hours of rest but I will just wait until tonight to sleep. I mentioned to Elvis Senior today that I am experienced in music, and he said that I should teach the children gospel music. So I was hoping that maybe mom and dad, you could look at that gospel hymn book, photocopy some pages, and email them to me and maybe even send a few through the mail that would be great. Just easy ones with simple English. I don’t know yet what I can do, but I thought that was a great idea. I have been thinking about what I can leave the kids to permanently stay in their lives. Because so many people come in and out of their lives that sometimes you wished the kids wouldn’t get so attached to you because you are just going to leave them. But maybe music will give them something more than just what I am doing now. Maybe Saturday or Sunday music classes. And they are starting to call me Madam Lauren, so they are getting to know my name. And I am getting better too. Elvis Senior said that we are also going to be getting two more kids this or next week as well.
I am slow trying to include the picture of where I am staying. There is the Shower and toilet. Also where I wash my clothes in the hand sink. Everything drains to a hole to the side of the house. There is then the kitchen which smells like mold because the plantains and yams are put on the ground for a long time. Then the hall with the fist door you see on the left being my room, the second door is Pee-Pee’s where I stayed the first night, on the right in the Incooms room and the door straight ahead is the hall. That is their family room. Outside is what their house looks like. With a coconut tree and I think plantain trees. You can see where we hang our clothes to dry.
And here is some more fante. Blah menas come here. Da means sleep. So at night, we say “Da” and the kids say “Men Da” meaning no sleep. “men” means no. So “Men di” means no eat. Wah-flo-wha-den means what is your name. I need to learn “By God’s Grace” because that is the usual answer or How are you “Wa-han-te-sane?”