The truck swerves into the BP petrol station. Children dressed in torn, dirty rags suddenly surround the truck, two or three at each window. Their little black faces smeared with dirt and snot. They hold out small weather beaten hands, begging for anything we might have to spare. We have learned to keep the truck stocked for moments such as these. I reach into the glove compartment and pull out small bags of Malawian peanuts, one bag for each child, as well as handing them a few coins, spare change we keep on the dash board. Some say that giving to the beggars only encourages them.
Liz takes the girls to the market. As soon as they step out of the car, 12 teenage boys crowd around “Madame”, bombarding her, “Please Madame, hire me.” “Madame, I was here first.” “Madame, I need money, please, take me.” Each boy desperately begging to be hired. They want to carry her baskets of produce through the market as she shops. She has to choose one. She begins to sweat.
The market is a huge open-air arena under a metal roof. People come to sell their fruits and vegetables. Pineapples lay stacked on tables next to lemons and avocados. A woman sits on the dirt floor with her blanket spread open, onions and green beans neatly stacked in piles upon the blanket. Liz, Terra and Jordan are the only white people in the market. The merchants know she has more money than any of them could ever dream of. They jack up the prices for the white woman. It is constant negotiating until an agreed price can be found. She learns to be bold. Just a face will bring down the price.
She returns to the parking lot and finds the truck being washed by an aggressive entrepreneur. She smiles and sighs as she realizes another fee before going home.
Stephen sits in his small office at Zomba Theological College, trying to prepare for tomorrow's classes. He is overwhelmed with work! Three different classes, three days a week, each class demanding an hour’s worth of material. He has just finished teaching and settling into study and prep time when there is a knock on his door. A man humbly shuffles in, giving quick little bows as he introduces himself as a friend of a friend and his brother just died and he has no money for the children for whom he must now assume responsibility and does the good white brother have some money he can donate to him. No sooner does he leave and there is a knock on the office door again. A man carrying two burlap sacks confidently strides into the office. Out of the sacks emerge wooden, hand carved curios. He begins to display wooden sculptures on the floor for the good Reverend to buy. No sooner does he leave and a third knock interrupts the exhausted abusa (pastor). The seminary secretary says there is a man to see Stephen who was a friend of one of our friends. Stephen looks down the hall and sees it is another...con artist? beggar? person who wants to feed their family?
Liz heads back home after walking Jordan to her private school. A man signals to her. He moves to stand between her and the gate to the house. He makes strange guttural sounds as he hands her a piece of paper with a type written message. It explains that he is partially deaf and trying to purchase hearing aids. Below is a signature sheet listing names who have already contributed. He holds out a hand asking.
Patrick approaches the American family for whom he works. Patrick lives with his wife and two children, his wife’s brother, who is currently unemployed, and another friend who is currently out of work as well. Patrick explains that he is also supporting his sister’s four children. Her husband is dead and so Patrick must help her out. His sister has just telephoned him to say that her daughters were sent home from school today because she has not paid the school fees. Could he help her? Could we help him? The cost for the four girls is k12,000. This equals about $85.00. It must be paid every trimester.
Every day we face many decisions. It is a way of life here. Who is the con artist, where is there legitimate need? How do we best use our resources? What’s the rich ruler to do?
