Tings cudda worse!

The drought continues in our area and it’s getting a little worrisome. Yesterday I had to buy 2 fifty gallon drums of water because we had nothing,… nada, ….not a drop for any purpose. Until last week I got by with bucket baths [about a half gallon a day and one if I washed my hair] but I actually went four days only sponging off with a wash cloth and not washing my hair. Gary was shocked; he couldn’t recall one day in our 41 year history of my missing a bath/shower.


Each day has been a new lesson for me in water conservation. After not washing any clothes for ten days I had to get some done. The Jamaican women take theirs to the river, a half mile walk carrying it on their heads, but I chose the luxury of doing it by hand in a bucket using 5 gallons of my newly purchased water, two for washing and three for rinsing. I washed everything by hand, towels, sheets, and clothes; wrung them out well; and dumped the left over water in the toilet tank. Then I discovered a great way to get more mileage out of the rinse water. After rinsing a few items I skimmed off any soap bubbles then rinsed more pieces. That gave me enough water to rinse each item twice [what a luxury!] then I dumped the remaining water in the toilet tank. All that water in the tank allowed me to flush for the first time in two days [thank goodness for toilet lids].


On the streets of Chapelton everyone carries multiple containers hunting for water, women, children, and men. I watched one young teenager with three full five gallon containers transporting them to her house two blocks away, Someone who had a bit of water must have given it to her family. At two cups of water per pound each one weighed 40 pounds. She solved the dilemma by ‘leap frogging’ them all the way, carrying one jug 20 feet, going back for another, and then for the third one….all the way down the street.


Apparently [I didn’t hear the actual report], the government has said the drought is officially over and everyone now has sufficient water. Today I spoke to a young man who lives in an even deeper rural area than Chapelton, where there are only farms and a few shops; he said they have water. What’s happened here is that I live in a “scheme” [development] which is densely populated [about 1/8th of an acre per house]. We rely on a single water tank about a mile away to supply us all. The story is that the tank is full but its pump is broken. Now in the US that baby would be repaired over night or there would be riots; not so in JM. Gary and I have seen water main leaks run for weeks before any repair is made. I don’t know if it’s a lack of willingness to get it repaired [if in fact this story is true] or that, because the government is so broke, there are not enough mechanics available to get all repairs accomplished in the parish. What seems obvious to me is that once the tank is operational we’ll be back to square one, a continued water shortage. When the water begins to flow it will be sucked up by 4,000 empty home storage tanks. Mrs. Rumble said it will take her a year to get her two tanks filled. The real worry is that if a hurricane hits this summer the difficulties will double without sufficient water stored.


No one complains. One of the Jamaican mantras is “tings cudda wurse”; so I suppose that approach helps those in rural JM cope with the frequent calamities they face.


On the up side, the Peace Corps has granted me an Advanced Close of Service. I will return June 5, almost two months early and prior to the thick of hurricane season. I’m very grateful for that. I miss Gary a lot. So, I’m busy finishing up projects and/or getting Jamaicans to take them over. Gary will come for a visit May 18 and stay until June 4.


The ACOS is considered a completion of service; thus, I will be qualified to take a government job, that I am qualified to do, on a non-compete basis. What I’d like to look into are Peace Corps college recruiting positions in western Mass/eastern NY. I think I might enjoy that on a part time basis.


Tuesday I will defend my parish title as female seniors track champion. This year there is one woman from Chapelton who may give me some real competition for the title. I hope to leave JM as the only white track star in the Caribbean. I consider it quite an accomplishment here where track rules the sports scene. Their recent CHAMPS series, the national high school championships, were run as if it were the Olympics. Every event was televised and the athletes were treated as world class sports stars. The Seniors don’t get the same attention, but it’s nice to know I can represent my country and be considered a valid competitor in a sport they value.


That’s all for now; I’m off to take a bucket bath while there is water to allow it.


Stay crisp, Margaret