Nassa G.E.A. May 30th
1910.
My
dearest Bibi.
This
is Monday. If you thought as much of me yesterday as I did of
you
then I am sure you have a headache today. As long as I am busy
I
feel alright but yesterday I felt so dreadfully lonely I felt
like
crying all day long. Mrs. Sywulka is quite sick and has such a
terrible head ache that the house must be kept very quiet and
that
makes it seem so lonely. She has been in bed ever since we are
here
and last night her headache was so bad that she kept groaning
for a
long time. It made me feel dreadful for I could’nt help but
think
what if you should some time get very sick and I am so far
away and
you all alone but never mind the time is going by and I will
be back
before you know it.
I
wrote you we were going to walk from Mwansa to Nassa but we
found
later that we could get a sail boat from Allidina Visram for
Rs. 30
so we took the sail boat but we were two days on the way the
wind
being most of the time against us. The lake was very rough at
times
and oh if I was’nt sea sick. I vomited green stuff till I
could’nt
vomit any more. The boat just swung around like a swing. This
would
only be for a few hours at a time then it would get smooth
again. Still we ate very little on the whole trip. We got here
Thurs
morning. Thurs afternoon we killed an ox and they gave me the
job to
hang the meat up to dry. Friday afternoon I cut a road up the
hill
back of the mission station and Gribble was to build a house
on top
of the hill while Sylbolka and I were away. We moved our tent
up on
Sat. to see if there would be any mosquitos up there. We were
so
sure there would be none that we did not even take our nets
along and
my if we didnt have a time. There was literally a swarm of
mosquitos. We took big doses of quinine the next morning and
then to
make matters worse while I was dressing I saw a big gray tick
sticking on my leg. I pulled him out and dosed the place with
permanganate of potash and have felt no results either from
tick or
mosquitos. Yesterday being Sunday we did not want to move down
so
slept there again last night and this morning we found a great
big
black scorpion in our tent. That gave us enough we packed up
all our
duds and moved down. On Sat. while we were climbing up, up
there I
killed two scorpions so the place must be full of them. We
caught
the one this morning and I am going to preserve him and bring
him
along when I come back. If Mrs. Sylvolka is better we will
leave
here tomorrow.
Now
as to plans. I found out in Mwansa that the White Fathers are
very
much interested in us and the Gov. favors them above us. They
have
applied for a station in Nera where we want a station and
unless we
are ready to occupy it at once it will be given over to the
White
Fathers and they wont allow two Missions in the same section.
The
Gov. man told me if we choose our stations now and do not
occupy them
we would likely loose all of them because the White Fathers do
not
want us here. So we are making new plans. We have about
decided to
cut out our trip to Tabora for which I am awfully glad. and go
at
once to Nera and begin building a small house and make a
garden. After spending a few weeks there we will start a
school with a native
teacher and move on to the next place. Sylbolka thinks he can
take a
third place going from Nassa to it with his bicycle. That
would give
us the three stations we want in Mwansa district or Usukuma.
Of
course after we have a house on the land they cannot take it
away
from us. I think we can do all of this in two or three months
and
then be ready to move on to the North West. If we cant go on,
I will
come up to Kisumu and meet you and Raymond there and we will
make
G.E.A. our home although I hope we will not need to do this.
Dont
send our things to Uganda until I tell you to. I will write
you more
about this later. I do hope you and Raymond are both well. I
am in
excellent shape. Never felt better physically. I would give
anything to hear Raymond say John Shacocker. Poor little kid.
I
suppose he will forget all those things until I see him again.
I
want you to remind him of his daddy every day so he dont
forget him
and let him look at my picture once in a while that will help
him to
remember. I tell you if this trip did not mean so very much
you
would see me come back in a hurry. I feel like doing it
sometimes
anyhow but I am sure whatever it may cost it will always be a
satisfaction to both of us for having had the opportunity of
doing so
much. Perhaps some day yet we may have the opportunity of
going to
the Masai and have our good old times again. I could not
imagine
anything that would make me happier than to be off somewhere
with you
and Raymond alone again unless it would be that Raymond had
someone
to play with. It does seem awfully hard to me sometimes that
we cant
have a home like other people do yet I still have hope that
the time
is not far off when we need not think any more of living
separated
and then we will be all the happier for what we have passed
through. Dont worry about me. I am taking the best possible
care of myself
and am surprised to find how easily I can control myself
especially
in eating. Maybe when I come back you will find me just a
dandy man
to live with. I wish I could feel satisfied that I had always
been
that but never mind I am going to try my best to do better.
May God help both of us and Raymond is my earnest prayer
John.
[from
margins] Tues. morning. Have just been to the garden you ought
to
see the lemons I am sure one could pick 25 bushels in one
picking. They are rotting on the ground. I have asked Gribble
to pack and
send a load to you if you can use them I will send you several
loads. We start this afternoon East of Nassa. Mrs. Sylvalka is
much better
slept nearly all day yesterday. In spite of tick and mosquito
bites
I am feeling just dandy. I am sure I shall be able to keep
well. Oh
how I would like to see you this morning. While we were eating
breakfast I just imagined how Raymond would say Daddy all gone
and I
could hardly keep the tears back. But the days are passing by
very
quickly. I can hardly realize that two weeks are already gone
by. Just you keep looking for me and some day I will turn up.
If you get
discouraged and everything seems to be going wrong just
remember I am
dying to see you so there must be some good in you yet. I only
wish
some time I could tell you how much I really do love you. It
seems
there is no other woman in all this world by [“but”?] just
you. Ti itheru. [Kikuyu for “truly” or “sincerely”] I have
never
said any thing more true
Your
old John.
Give
the enclosed letter to Propst.
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