red bull and a smile

Red bull and a smile

So, let me tell you of the past few weeks.

two weeks ago yesterday, i fell ill. It was pretty bad

I was travelling back from bukwo, a district bordering

kenya. It is a small place with no power and no doctors.

so i travelled to kapchorwa town, 6 hours away, in a 

large truck, cramped into the cab with a man a woman and

two little children. There were many more people yet in the

vehicle, but travelling in the back, with the cargo.

That is what we in africa like to call public transport!

So, travelling upon terrible roads whilst battling diarreha

and vomiting! it was not fun. But once i arrived in kapchorwa town,

i went to the doctor, after a brief stint in the bathroom(TMI!).

They tested for the big two, malaria and typhoid ( in kampala, the

doctor {an englishman} told me that in the bush, to be sick means 

to have malaria, the two words are the same!) and my tests came

back negative for the both of them. Hooray... or so I thought, but

the lingering question in my mind, on the first day of my illness,

is why am i sick if I don't have those. Perhaps allergies,

or food, or a virus. So, i decided to weather the illness,

and take the pills the doctor gave me (which were still

malaria pills, to fight malaria!, they are tenacious with

the malaria!) After a few days, i was still feeling ill and 

the medicine was spent.So, a few more days, still ill.

and a few more... so on and so forth. a week hence, and i was

still very ill. So, we gather our heads together and talk

about a solution, and we come up with one. so, the past monday,

I climbed into a private trasport(thankfully) and headed west towards

kampala. The country capitol, to see a "special muzungu doctor" 

AKA a white doctor! So, i arrive on monday, head to the clinic,

a very posh place right next to one of the few golf courses in

the country! the "rich" side of town. And what is going through 

my head is how much this is going to cost, maybe a pound of flesh! 

perhaps an arm and a leg, but they would surly apply leeches to

my pocketbook to let some of its livelyhood! So, monday, at the clinic

the doctor is busy, booked solid, for the whole day until tuesday at

noon. we set the appt. and head back to where i'm staying. fall asleep 

ill, and wake up ill, hoping for sweet relief! go to the doctor

and wait until half past noon, coincidently, i was early for my 

appt. and it was the first time i've been early since being here

in Uganda! hooray.I see the doctor for less than ten minutes and

he chides me for coming into the country with out the 

simple pills that would cure such an illness in less than

a day! he asks for a stool sample and they take it to the

lab. I feel bad for the lab technician, he's got to have 

a crappy job!(pun intended). So, i wait an hour and a half for

the results that were to come in "ten minutes", again typical 

Ugandan way of dealing with time. ten minutes can mean an hour

or even more. and guess what! it was salmonella! that dirty

little amoeba! and the doctor gave me some pills and sent me on

to the cashier. the worst part, or so i thought. You see, when i

came to the clinic, they had me deposit 60000 shillings, or a little

less than forty dollars american. So, i'm looking to pay a large

bill, for a simple treatment. And you know, God is amazing,

the lady starts handing me money back. It only cost 43000 shillings.

I was shocked. This was a private clinic, the doctor's 

consultation along was supose to cost 65000! plus lab fees

and the price for the medecine. But, they only charged me 43000.

let me put that into a perspective that you might understand.

Imagine going to a private doctor, who has had many years 

of medical training, special training and all that rot.

and to add to that, he is the owner of the private hospital.

He looks at you personally, and gives you consultation, 

he had the lab fees done, and then he gives you the perscription

himself, and also a surplus for the next time you get sick.

all of that treatment.

for twenty five dollars! 

$25

That is unheard of. Unfathomable.

Praise God.

So, today, the day after, i'm feeling good for the first time

 in two weeks plus! and i went to town to look at replacing 

my camera (mine was stolen :( ] and also to check out a bookshop.

I get to town, yet i don't find a camera (very crappy ones, very expensive)

But, i founds some great books, two of my favs. 

(1984, george orwell/ grapes of wrath, John steinbeck)

and i stopped by a shopping center to grab some deoderant,

and a toothbrush ( mine is getting worn to the nub.) these

are the important things to have with you in the bush.

and lotion. skin dries up like the plague and you walk around

feeling like a leper unless you use lotion all the time. and

then moses, the man driving me, and i wanted to grab something to drink

whilst we were shopping. (i've switched from while to whilst, incase it 

bothers you, i'm not sorry, it's a better word) so, WHILST we were 

shopping, we espied the drink cooler and what to our surprise, but 

I found a Red Bull in there. It was even less expensive than

in america! so, i'm thinking... SCORE. So, i grabbed two, one

for myself and one for moses, because the best things 

in life are those shared with friends. i paid

for the merch. and we grabbed some straws (you can't 

drink anything w/out a straw, it's the law in Uganda) and

i had at my red bull like a raving lion at an antelope.

as soon as the first drops of the cool elixer touched

my tongue, i knew that everything would be alright. I felt

my strength returning, like when popeye takes a hit of 

spinich, and my contenance grew to be that of what it should.

(good words huh?) 

See, you never know what things you'll miss once your away

from home for a long time. I don't truly miss red bull,

but, like everything here is a visual reminder of the

fact that i'm not home, not in america, Red bull stands

as a light in the darkness of culture shock(which is no fun)

and reminds me that everything will be alright. It reminds

me that there is probably a billion cans of the stuff

strewn about on some college student's floor as he/she

studies for finals. ( brian wozny!!!) and i remember friends,

and smile to myself because of the love of friends.

So, to end on a sappy note. I am here in africa, Life

is good because God is amazing. I miss home like nobody

knows. Not for all the red bull, or skittles (though i sorely miss them)

But for the friends and especially family. I love you all

and miss you all very much and hope to see everyone 

when i get back. I'll give you all a great big hug and

a kiss if you're not careful. in the meantime, i'll be

heading back into the bush with a machete so that i can

hack my way into deep villages and bring the Gospel to

them. If you are any good with tramping through the

bush, climbing mountains, and enjoying the sunshine

and rain whilst on a mountain in Uganda, Please come

join me, there is plenty of room and the offer always stands.

No Joke!

Plus, if you are  not that daring,

Send me a letter or postcard, it's only a dollar

Luke Ryggs

p.o. box 46

kapchorwa, Uganda

East Africa

or text me/call me at 011 256 752 488 089.

Love from A-country!

luke