It was a beautiful Saturday when I set out to go to town, walking the 6-7 blocks to the parking lot to take the 9:00 am bus. By the time it left campus it was fully loaded with staff and students eager to spend some time shopping or just looking around town!
I decided that before I got groceries I would walk to several stores to get quotes on a new computer. Last semester I had been taken to three different ones to get quotes on a printer for our office. So I was going strictly on my recollection of streets, surroundings, etc. I walked down the hill from the main street through Mutare and turned left thinking this would take me to the e-technology store. I must have walked about 6 long blocks before I came to a residential area and concluded that I had turned the wrong way ~~ so I reversed my direction and walked the other way, asking along the way for directions.
One person told me to go to the end of that block and turn right and it would be right there! Not!!! After asking several other persons I DID finally find it!! The salesman was very kind in saying that they didn't have what I was looking for, but he gave me a quote for one he could order!
I proceeded back up to the main street where I knew (or thought I knew) I would find the Xerox store. Once again I walked up and down on both sides of the street without success, only to learn that the entrance is OFF of the main street just a bit! When I finally managed to find it, there were lots and lots of people waiting to be helped with copies of documents. I asked for a quote for a computer and was told that they no longer are stocking them ~~ only large printers!!! In fact, he said AU had recently purchased a new, large printer!!
Never did find the third store, even armed with directions from a student ~~ "Mutare Computers." It is quite a ways off the beaten path, so, recognizing how directionally challenged I am, I gave up on that idea!
I picked up cereal and a few other items at one grocery with really good prices, and decided to stop for lunch on my way to the next grocery store.
A familiar lunch stop is this Burger Bar ~~ no McDonalds, Culver's, Wendy's, Hardy's, or Big Boy ~~ where I got a hamburger with tomato, lettuce and ketchup, an order of fries, and a Ginger beer (soft drink) for $3.00!!!!
The AU bus usually picks up at its regular stop about 1:00 - 1:30, so I allowed myself an hour to grocery shop and get to the corner. My list of items included several weighty things since I knew I could not go to town for the next few Saturdays because of the Symposium and Mental Health First Aid Training we were doing. Of course, my bag was much too heavy to carry very far.The Greek Orthodox Church and School are my landmarks for locating the proper corner to catch the bus!! So I walked the two blocks and arrived in plenty of time. As the day had worn on it had gotten increasingly hotter, and of course, by now was very hot and sunny! Before long a couple of students arrived and we all walked a short distance to stand in the shade of a small tree. As we chatted several staff members joined us. I began to feel really hot, and I think at one point I kind of blacked out and found myself on the curb, where I stayed for a bit to rest and regain my composure.
The AU group continued to expand as time kept moving on and we lamented about how late the bus was. Finally, at a little after 2:30, we saw it coming down the street, and we all flocked to get on. It felt really good to just sit down, even though the breeze through the window was very hot and dry. Fortunately, the driver was kind enough to let some of us out at the entrance to staff housing, and one of the students offered to help carry my bag of groceries for a part of the way to the Guest House. I arrived "home" at about 3:15, very hot and tired.
Lesson to self ~~ in Africa, NEVER leave home without a bottle of water AND an umbrella to use for shade!!! A lesson learned the hard way!!
And yet, even this morning I had to retrace my steps about a block because I had left my bottle of water with ice sitting on the kitchen table!! When will I ever learn??!!!
Hope you are continuing to receive and offer God's grace to those around you.
Oh, dear, I am glad you are all right.
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