Dr. Lee Goes to Africa | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Dr. Lee Goes to Africa | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jennifer Champion
05/01/14
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Our guide, Neambadu, stands at the front of the bus. The top of his bald head barely touching the rusted out ceiling. His attire is jungle-casual accented appropriately with a smelly lemur on his right shoulder. The little primate is looking at all of us with round eyes while he picks at Neambadu’s ear.

In broken English, Neambadu gives us information about our journey. The bus driver stares straight ahead, shoulders slumped, and smoking a homemade cigarette. He seems to pay no attention to anything Neambadu is saying.

“We will first go down this road to a village called Mobique. At Mobique, we will visit the chief and his family. From there, we will cross the Jukanutt River if it’s not flooded. If it is flooded, we will go around the river.” Neambadu continues for five more minutes with directions as I try to follow him on my map.

My traveling companion and coworker, Jeff leans in and whispers to me, “Aren’t we supposed to be going to help the Kaput village? Isn’t it only fifteen minutes travel from here?”

Like Jeff, I am unsure as to why Neambadu is taking us on such a long journey to get to a village that is just a short drive away.

A ruckus breaks out behind Neambadu as a woman attempts to step on the bus. It appears that Neambadu doesn’t want to let her on the bus. She starts waving her hands at him and says something in her native dialect that I am sure isn’t very nice. Neambadu reaches down and picks up a chicken cage, containing one black hen, and slings it at the woman. The bus driver laughs as the angry woman and her hen walk away.

Neambadu and his lemur take a seat in the front as the bus pulls off. We trudge down the dusty red road for miles until we reach Mobique. Upon arrival, we are greeted warmly by the village leader, his wife, and their six children. They take Jeff and me into their tiny hut for strange conversation and tea. I am pretty sure the wife is speaking to us about goats while we force ourselves to humbly sip their very strong concoction.

“We must go now.” Neambadu peeps his head in through the hut door and urges us to come out quickly. The family bids us farewell.

As we get on the bus, Jeff points out how our seat has been taken over by four children. They are rummaging through our bags and playing with our medical supplies. We manage to gather everything up and only lose one box of bandages. The children are happy though as they run off the bus and back to their village, completely covered in cartoon bandages.

At our third stop, I raise my hand.

“Yes, Dr. Lee?” Neambadu is sweating profusely now and seems irritated that I need to ask a question.

“Mr. Neambadu, may I ask why we are making so many stops and taking such a long route to get to our destination? It is my understanding that the people there are in great need of medical attention. Is it not urgent that we get there quickly?” By this point, I am also hot and bothered by the situation.

Neambadu stands up slowly and motions with his hand for the driver to stop the bus. He begins to explain.

“To your right are a people that will just as soon cut off all your fingers if you come into their territory and to your left are a people that will welcome you with open arms but their government will not allow foreigners to pass through. Our entire trip to your destination, Dr. Lee is long and tiring I know. It is this way because we need you and Dr. Jeff to get to your destination safely. The people there have been sick a very long time. They will wait a little longer for your arrival. It is better to be late than to not arrive at all, yes?”

Two hours later we are in Kaput and helping its people. Neambadu tells us that he will return in three days although our work will take much longer. To get an extension requires lots of red tape, he says. We discuss how a country in such desperate need has created such a way of life that prevents help from being provided. Neambadu smiles and pats his lemur.

“It is what it is.” He says.

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