I’ve just got off the phone to my friend Roland in Harper, Maryland
County, Liberia, with whom I worked in 2006, for ICRC. He has been
asking me for new uniforms for Jacqui Football Club, the team of kids
that I sponsor and who – bless em! – named their team after me. Just
gotta get to a bank in Medan that has the right facilities to send the
money. It was so great to speak to him. I found out that one of the
other lovely security guards who I came to know and love was married
recently, and another one is engaged to be married to a guy from
Monrovia. I really do miss those guys. I need to get back there to see
how Liberia and my friends are “comin’ on,” as they would say. Yeah-o, I
miss Liberia-o!
I was reading The Age’s Good Weekend newspaper
last night – a gift from a visiting National Office colleague – and it
featured a photographic exhibition of public servants’ offices from
around the world. On the second page was a photo of a Major Adolph
Delaney, who works for the traffic police at the Liberian National
Police HQ in Monrovia. In the photograph he is sitting at a simple desk
with piles of paperwork, (apparently) working. On the wall are examples
of traffic signs, there’s an old bicycle balancing in the corner, and a
large, beautifully manicured blackboard with a drawing of a traffic
accident in white chalk. Specially prepared for the photo, I’d say.
What
is even more interesting is on the left side of the board, it reads:
“Verse for today: in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with
God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by
him; and without him was not anything made that was made. St John
1-1:3." Yep, typical religion worming its way into everything, even the
office of the traffic police!
The caption of the photo reads “Traffic
accident victims are sometimes willing to pay a little extra if
Delaney’s department quickly draws up a favourable report to present to a
judge.” Ha! Sounds like Liberia to me.
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