Features
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Martha's Corner
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Written by Saah Millimono
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Thursday, 09 May 2013 19:44 |
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And Korzu had gone over to Marwolo’s. She had that evening met him bent over a game of checkers with a man who was older than he.
“My sister has put me out of her house, Marwolo,” Korzu said.
“You two are always fussing and fighting.” Marwolo said, not looking up from his game of checkers.
“My sister is to blame,” Korzu said. “She is a jealous woman who has got no shame for herself. Do you know that she wears my underclothes, even?”
“Do not mind her,” Marwolo said. “She is an old woman. I do not see why she must behave like a young girl.”
Marwolo and the man with him burst into laughter, and Korzu joined in.
“Thank you,Marwolo,” Korzu said, when her laughter had subsided. “I’ll bring my things today.”
“You’re welcome, Korzu,” Marwolo said. “You know I love you.”
She had then moved in with him, bringing along a small polythene bag in which she had her belongings, propping it up against the corrugated wall of Marwolo’s room in which were his personal effects: a rotting mattress, a plastic container in which he stowed his drinking water, a few cooking utensils in a corner, and two pairs of used sneakers. Not long after Korzu’s children came in quick successions, like burst of automatic fire.
She had been toting her third pregnancy when she decided to visit with her sister, because she felt ashamed of herself and wanted to mend their relationship.
“My God, you’re pregnant again, Korzu?” Patience had said in surprise, as Korzu sat beside her on the wooden bench.
“Yes, Patience, and I’m feeling sorry for myself.”
“Where is Marwolo?”
“I do not know, and do not even want to think about him. He is such a useless man!”
“How is that?”
“He has got two children to feed, I’m carrying another pregnancy for him, and he behaves as though he’s a small boy.”
“Well, how are your children?”
“I left them with one of my friends.”
“That is a bad habit, Korzu.”
“Yes. But things are not easy.”
“I warned you about all this a long time ago, but you did not listen. Now look what you have come to.”
“Yes. And I am so ashamed I wish the ground would open and swallow me. Can you help me, Patience?”
“Help you, with what?”
“Please take care of me and the children until I have delivered and am able to help.”
“That is not an easy thing to ask for, Korzu? You know that things are just as tough with me, and-”
“Please, sister. Marwolo is of no use to me and the children except when he wants to lie down with me. The children cry every day because there is hardly a cup of rice in the house. Besides I’m pregnant and hardly of use to myself. It’s terrible.” She buried her hands in her face and began to cry.
Patience was silent for a while, wondering how she could feed the mouths of her own and Korzu’s children, along with a pregnant Korzu. At long last she said, “I want to help you, Korzu, but ...”
Korzu went down on her knees. “I beg you, sister. Do it for God’s sake, if not for mine. I made a mistake to have followed such a foolish young man.”
“All right, you and the children can come tomorrow. But you must understand that I’m not working and that I have got my own children to feed. I think you had better start selling oranges and saving money to rent your own room. My room is packed already, and there is hardly enough space for myself.”
“Thank you Patience. God will bless you.”
“You’remy sister, Korzu.”
They had embraced, and Korzu had wept as if her life depended on it. And then she had left.
At dusk, just after Marwolo had come home from selling,Korzu said:
“Tomorrow the children and I will go to live with my sister, Marwolo.”
“That will be much better,” Marwolo said, lying on his back and blowing opium smoke towards the ceiling with holes large enough to pass his head and through which one could get a clear view of the sky through holes in the equally perforated roof. “If you and the children stay here I do not know how you people will eat. My business is bad, and I too am starving,” he added.
“I know your business is bad,” Korzu said. “But can you buy half bag of rice for me and the children?”
“Half bag of rice?” Marwolo said, as if he had not heard.
“Yes,” Korzu said, and her voice was filled with defiance.
“You must be joking,” Marwolo said, shaking his head. “Do you think it’s easy to earn money?”
“But half bag of rice does not cost much?” Korzu said.
“Shut up,” Marwolo said. “You’re not the one who looks for the money. You only sit here and eat.”
“But I can’t carry the children to my sister as it is,” Korzu said. “My sister is not working, and she has got her own children.”
“I don’t have a cent.” Marwolo sat up suddenly on the mattress, his eyes flashing with anger.
“I’m ashamed of you,” Korzu said. You have given me two children, and here I’m pregnant again, and you can’t even buy half bag of rice! ”
“Go to the devil!”
“It is you who should go to the devil, you useless man.”
“All right, between the two of us I’ll show you who’s useless.”
And by the time Korzu managed to stumble out the door, yelling at the top of her voice, Marwolo had already broken two teeth out of her mouth.
The Slipway Community Clinic was crowded. The cries of babies merged and mingled with the buzz of conversation. On wooden benches sat several people, mostly women, with babies and toddlers cradled in their arms or slung halfway across their shoulders. Pregnant women, most of them barely in their teens, gaunt and sallow, thin arms dangling from their shoulders, sat also among the crowd. A girl no more than thirteen years old and big with child, lay on one of the benches, curled up like a fetus and crying at the top of her voice. Among the women sat Korzu, her sick little boy clasped to her breasts. Now and again a nurse emerged from a partition and shouted a patient’s turn, indicated by numbered cards each of the patients held in their hand. Whoever turn it was would rise and go into the partition, and then come out a few minutes later.
After several of the patients had gone and come out of the partition, Korzu heard her number called, and in she went carrying her son.
In a small room formed by the partition and furnished with a wooden table and two chairs sat a doctor. He was middle-age, balding, and dressed in a doctor’s white coat. He motioned Korzu to the chair in front of him, and she sat down, adjusting her son so that he sat facing the doctor, the child’s sickly, yellow eyes looking feebly up at the doctor.
“What is the name of the boy?” the doctor asked.
“His name is Kollie,” Korzu said.
“His last name?” the doctor asked.
“Sumerwood,” Korzu said.
The doctor wrote down the name on a writing pad he held in his hand.
“What happened to him?” the doctor asked.
“I think he has got malaria,” Korzu said.
The doctor opened wide the child’s left eye, looked into it, and then wrote down on his writing pad again.
“How long has he been sick?” the doctor asked.
“It must have been two weeks now,” Korzu said.
“And you did not bring him to the clinic ever since?” the doctor said.
“I do not havemoney, doctor,” Korzu said, and sounded annoyed.
The doctor sighed and shook his head. Next he took the baby’s temperature, wrote again on his pad, and into another partition sent Korzu. Here her son’s blood sample and stool were examined by another doctor who was younger than the first and was dressed in a nurse’s blue scrub. To each doctor Korzu paid a total of five hundred Liberian dollars. And then from the second doctor she received a piece of paper showing further expenses for medicines to be paid for at the clinic dispensary. Korzu looked down at the piece of paper and could not believe her eyes. On it were written a total of three thousand Liberty. And from where could she get that amount of money? |
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Speaking Out
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Written by Martha Akosah
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Wednesday, 08 May 2013 20:13 |
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It was a long time ago during the days of normality, when men were boys and women were girls. There was a culture, a way that is learned and shared by group of people and taught from one generation to the next: a culture of natural braids-styles that were braided on the head of every Liberian woman that were called corn role, country plate and American plate. Either of these plates was chosen depending on what the girl wanted. But the most appreciable traditional plate was the corn role which was neatly combed (plated down) waiting whatever intended occasion. Mothers during those days did not have to go through the strain and stress of spending hundreds of dollars that mothers today undergo. These were hairs that every girl could plate as long as she lived in the community. It was also noted that girls from rural areas could even plate these hair styles better than girls of the city. But whatever the case was, the fact is still established that most girls during those days were appreciative of the braids they wore.
Unfortunately, things have changed. The world has advanced, technology has improved and women have improved with the world. Those once appreciable natural braids have lost their traditional essence. But the multi- million dollar question is why this is so? The answer is simple.
The synthetic, the weave on and attachments are the result of these transitions. Big industries spend millions of dollars to produce these artificial hairs for international markets. These modern hairs that go along with today’s fashion are somehow long lasting when braided as compared to our once conservative natural braids. Economically, the modern hairs are by far too expensive and more difficult to maintain as compared to our traditional hairs. For our traditional hair, it is commonly washed, rinsed, greased well combed and dried for another braiding. It is well noted that on a monthly basis, the average Liberian woman spends up to thirty United States dollars or its equivalence of two thousand Liberian dollars for the maintenance of her hair. But the care of these artificial braids can sometimes be more devastating than the thought of putting them on.
The care requires additional product with expensive fragrances for maintaining and caring purposes. These products such as oil sheen, sprits and weave-on super gloss are products exclusive of the weaving price. At times a hair may require after weaving, only a product for maintenance. But that depends on what type of braid; weave or attachment the person wears.
The care also may require ample time and extra money for the good looks of the person. On the contrary, out of seventy percent (70%) of women today, thirty percent (30%) are interested in the care of the three options named. The reason is simple. Even though every woman would like to pay special attention to her hair, the expenses involved cannot allow many women to do so. For some, it is just about having the hair done and waiting for the time to get it out. For others, it is about putting it there and giving the best care to make it last longer for the money’s worth.
But what happens in the absence of these cares? What discomfort and embarrassment an untidy hair brings? The discomforts- it itches; it smells; the hair is dirty; it puts out an awful odor; it creates heat, dandruff and headache. The embarrassment- it misrepresents you. Your personality is questionable. At the same time, the health implication of an untidy hair is highly psychological. Every time the discomfort sets in the person is suspicious that everyone is noticing. If someone nose itches and he or she happens to rub it, the victim may think it is her discomfort that is creating a stare or a wink from one person to another. Therefore, the idea of caring for these synthetic hairs may also depend on the position of one’s natural hair. The Pros and Cons- it is important to wash your own natural hair before weaving or braiding an artificial one. It is important to have a time frame of an artificial braid to avoid the above conditions explained. It is important to select a more manageable hair to avoid its user the discomforts and embarrassment of a long stay. The Weave Cap-unlike the attachment and weave on, is more comfortable to deal with because it is not sewn or attached to the hair in anyway. It is removed and put on at will. But its tidiness depends on how clean and kempt the natural hair is. It is also easy to take care of. All one has to do when it is dirty is to wash it and apply the necessary chemicals for better smell. Caring for the attachment-Because most attachments are lengthily braided, it causes more embarrassment than normal short hair. It is usually partitioned in smaller braids and plaited in smaller strains. Because of this, the user usually suffers from severe dandruff itch. The sensation from scratching can sometimes be more enjoyable than the discomfort mentioned.
However, caring for the attachment goes a long way from washing to drying and then spraying and finally greasing. Caring for the weave- There are varieties of weave-on styles in different forms and fashion. The purchase of one may depend on the person’s choice. The more stylish ones are much harder to deal with than simple ones. The stylish ones involve longer weaving and more glue. The glue is a sticky substance that holds the hair together for a lasting effect. Unlike the attachment, most weaves when weaved, have little or no space for accommodation. The beautician upon his or her second touch, would rather spray, grease or apply chemical substances with sweet smells. This is done inorder to maintain the weaves for a longer time. But very few weaves are washed and reset to curtail the above. Lastly, should women in the first place allow themselves go through the stress of spending thousands when we can most often use our natural hair to show the same elegance? Society on the other hand, has made it so. The less fashionable and synthetic a woman is, the more conservative people would say she is. The more fashionable and synthetic, the better she is classed and looked at.
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Issues
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Written by Our Senior Staff
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Tuesday, 07 May 2013 21:08 |
Liberia is endowed with abundant natural resources. But years of mismanagement of the countries extractive sector (gold, diamond, iron ore, etc.), has left the vast majority of the population in abject poverty. Natural resource economists have established that resource-led development does not only seem to fail in boosting economic growth, but in many cases, the economic and social situation in countries often end up worse than before the extraction of resources. Liberia is no exception to the ravages of corruption that have impoverished its people due to the mismanagement of its vast natural resources. Revenues generated from the country’s extractive sector, especially in their boom years, were not applied efficiently to lift the population out of poverty.
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In Writings
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Written by Our Senior Staff
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Tuesday, 07 May 2013 21:00 |
It was said and so believed, that, “it is on old mat that one plaits new mat”, and so has been a famous adage describing generational continuity in Liberia.
It has so been long since such adage was heard in Liberia. Reason being that, the old way of life which stood so high and excellent for centuries by which people lived healthily, developed consistently, enjoyed peace overwhelmingly, prospered endlessly and securely; and by which also nations ruled over others has been trashed and considered as “old fashion.”
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Street Law
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Written by Our Senior Staff
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Tuesday, 07 May 2013 18:17 |
Many everyday problems can be settled without going to court. Sometimes there are disadvantages in taking a case to court. Because of back logged cases and complicated rules and procedures courts are often quite slow. Furthermore, the total cost of an attorney, pre-trial discovery, witness fees and other court expenses may be more than the case is worth.
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 07 May 2013 21:09 |
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In Writings
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Written by Frank Sainworla, Jr.
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Monday, 06 May 2013 21:13 |
Introduction:
I no doubt feel privileged to have been chosen as one of four panelists to speak on the topic: “Media-Security Relations: An imperative for Consolidating Peace in Liberia.” These are not just ordinary panelists but personalities of high stature and I hope I’ll do justice to the topic at bar on this historic May 3rd 2013 World Press Freedom Day commemoration in this historic port city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
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Concerned Citizens’ Prayer
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Written by Hilary Vasco Wiagbe-0886404455/0777464059
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Monday, 06 May 2013 21:05 |
We, the citizens of the Republic of Liberia can longer give a breathing space to register our individual and/ or collective responses to statement made by you, Director of the Executive Protective Service (EPS), Othello Warrick, during programs marking the celebration of World Press Freedom Day in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County on Friday, May 3, 2013.
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