So, today Roy and I took a VERY long shopping trip to Swaziland - Africa. I will be writing about our adventure there in the next few days so stay tuned.
Today’s blog, however, is about my new friend
Agnes who makes handmade gifts that she sells on the road with some of the other
women from her village.
After having a lot of fun shopping at the
stands we finally finished. That's when Agnes asked us if we would give her and her
nephew which was bound to her back with a
shawl, a ride down the mountain. Now please understand that we are not in
the habit of letting strangers in our car in any country - even our own. But
she was so sweet and polite we just couldn’t say no.
So, we rearrange our car and made room for
Agnes and her little baby nephew in the back seat. While we were driving, I took
the opportunity to get to know more about my new friend. I was surprised when she
told me she was 48. Both Roy and I thought she was younger. Then she said that
she had seven children the youngest in 4th grade. Like all moms, she
bragged that her oldest was studying at the University and was the first in her
family to ever do so. She also mentioned that she loves Oprah and thinks Obama
is handsome. When I complimented her on her English, she beamed.
As we continued further down the mountain,
she said to me “I have a question maybe you could help”? I said, “Sure what is
it”? She then said, “My eyes hurt me a lot at the end of the day. They tear up
and I can’t see so well”. At first, I thought, why is she asking me this…does
she think I’m a doctor? Then, I remembered that one of her friends at the
roadside shopping had a sore throat and fever and I went in my purse and gave
her a bunch of aspirin to make her feel better.
Now anyone that knows me well, also knows that I am certified as “Dr. Google”. Why? Well, I am in the habit of medically
diagnosing through my Google research all my family and friend.
I almost started to hyperventilate…my first
real patient! I started to ask Agnes if maybe she is allergic to something. She said, “no she didn’t think so”. Okay no allergies—check. I then ask her when her
eyes started to bother her. She said, “it started a few years ago but has gotten
worse”. Mmmm! I asked her if she can read, and she said “yes”. I handed her the
map that was lying across my lap and ask her to read it. She took the map and
held it in front of her at arm’s length. Something I have done and seen many
people over forty do a hundred times. I then took off my rainbow-colored reading glasses that by the way I got from my sister-in-law Evie's
rummage bags last summer and handed them to Agnes. She put them on
moved the map close to her and said, “OH MY JESUS I CAN SEE!” Then full of
excitement, she started to read out loud to us all the places on the map. I
explained to her, that her eyes were probably tired at the end of the day from
straining so hard to focus. I told her that almost all of us over forty start
to lose some of our eyesight as we age especially for things like reading. “So,
I’m not sick” she asked? I said, “no I don’t think so”. I then told her that she
could keep my glasses as a present from me. She was so excited she thanked us
and blessed us and thanked the Lord and said this was now a very special day
for her.
Shortly after that, we reached her
destination near the bottom of the mountain. After giving her a bag of home
medical stuff like band aides, antibiotic cream, thermometer etc. and some
paper and pencils for her kids, we hugged and said our goodbyes. As we
embraced, she whispered in my ear “thank you I will never forget you”.
As Roy and I continued down the mountain and
to the border we were both smiling ear to ear. Yes, Agnes was right this was a
special day. And yes, Roy and I can see clearly now that life is full of
surprises and God’s gifts. Thank you, Agnes, for being our glasses today.
By the way if you would like to help, please start saving your old glasses for our next journey.
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| The shopping area! |
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| OUR NEW FRIEND AGNES! |
