By Fr Joseph Panabang SVD
Oops: The Transmission
To facilitate the animation of twenty Christian Communities, I divided them into three zones. One zone is accessible by car only during the dry season. The bush road is too much even for James Bond driver, so to avoid going back and forth, I do a live-in visit: I stay in the village for a week or so and come home only to refuel and then go back again. Last January, I started out. In the middle of the hilly road, I managed to dodge all stones and to the obstacles; this impressed my companions very much. Then came the sandy road. “At last!” I told myself and relaxed not knowing that beneath the sands was buried the remains of a big tree. As I hit it, the engine died out. “Here we go again, I thought.” As I looked at the condemned transmission, I felt sick in the pit of my stomach. The following day, observing me so crestfallen, my church helper simply said, “Well, as our elders say, Man proposes and God disposes.” Believe it or not, I got back my courage and thanks to the inventor of the four-wheel drive. I managed to tow the car back to base.
Holy Earrings
A woman at Takyera village came asking for two Marian medals for her two daughters. Trustingly, I gave them to her at once. The next time I came, the same woman came to communion with two glittering earrings dangling on both sides. I couldn’t help but smile as I recognized the two Marian medals used as earrings.
Don’t Burn the Papers
After writing the first draft of Pinoy in Ghana at my remotest village, I was about to burn all the scratch papers. Two women carrying water stopped and looked at me suspiciously as if I was a criminal. But I could hear them saying, “Oh oh oh...” Then I lit the paper and suddenly a chorus of shouts descended from the rooftop from men roofing a new house. One of them came running and hooting like an owl, he picked up a piece of stick and placed it onto his mouth imitating one smoking a cigar. And there I got the message: “Don’t burn the papers. I will use them to wrap my tobacco.” Immediately we scrambled to put out the fire. Luckily we saved some. I felt a bit guilty because I saw on the spot that what I considered trash actually a luxury to them.
Cat with Wings
“Don’t go away father because we have killed one of our cocks”. That was what I heard from Lawrence Appiah our catechist. While eating, I became suspicious of the soft and delicious meat. I began examining the bones. When Lawrence passed by I asked: “Did you say you killed one of your cocks?” “No” I said: One of our cats.” That was my first time to eat cat meat. I tell you it is as delicious as rabbit. When I arrived home our cat came running towards me. At that moment, I looked at her more meaningfully.
Three Wheeled Bus
Thinking my car accident was exciting, I share the experience with Sr. Lourdes PIlapil, RVM. Then Sr. Lourdes also shared about her latest car accident which was even more exciting. It happened this way. Coming from Accra, capital of Ghana, she took a public bus. The driver allowed her to sit behind him. Somewhere down the road, a little downhill, Sister saw a tire rolling swiftly by, itself moving way ahead of the bus to the cheers and ‘a..aaa...ahs’ of roadside vendors who were running for their lives. Sister did not say a word except “eh eh eh...” as she realized it did was the wheel from the bus she was riding on. Her exclamations were powerful enough to stop the driver. They all got off to search for the wheel and of course some said “we are lucky we had the sister on board!”
???
My Ghanaian friend who is a devout reader of Misyon congratulated me for my anecdotes. He told me about a European tourist who at the Kotoba International Airport Accra, asked his Ghanaian guide: I was told here in Ghana, if you ask them a question, they will answer you with a question. Is it true?” “Who told you?” was the guide’s reply.