How I Got My Cell Phone

On Thursday morning I saw the man who helps us (Americans) get things. He is basically our “go to man” if you will. As I spoke with him I explained that I had money to buy a cell phone now and when he had time I would like to get one from him. He told me that I should meet him at the compound where I currently live at noon to give him the money and to get the phone.
At noon I made sure to get to the compound on the dot so I could get a phone. Well, he took my money and said that another man was coming at 12:30 to give me my phone. I went and visited with another teacher and then came back to the office at 12:20 and the office was closed up for siesta. So I sat and began talking to the guard or guardian as they call his position here. This is the man who lifts cement weights. I thought I heard him say that my phone was in the office and the office would open at 1. At 1:15 I asked again and he said it would be 2:30 when the office opened and yes, my phone was in the office. I laughed and chalked this up to my inability to understand French, but I had a good time talking with the guardian so it wasn’t a waste of time. I’m not really sure there is such a thing as wasting time here in Togo.
So I returned at 5pm after school to the office at the compound and the guardian said yes, my phone was in the office. I went into the office and asked the secretariate if she had seen my phone. She told me that she gave it to another American who lives in the compound too. So I went up to the third floor to check it out. Nope, he told me that he didn’t have it but he thought that the lady who cleans and cooks for the kids where we stay might have it. So when she returned I asked her (with his help) and I got my phone!

They explained that the charger was plugged into the phone and I would need to charge the phone ALL night. So I did it. Yeah, the person who plugged the charger into the phone put it into the earphone jack instead of the charging plug. So it clearly didn’t charge. I plugged it in to charge correctly and it seemed to be charging all day on Friday. The “go to man” saw me and asked about the phone and explained that if it didn’t work a man would come and replace it right then. He’s so nice and I really appreciated him. It seems that there are so many people that see me as a white person that they could take advantage of financially and especially since I can’t speak French I’m a walking sucker.

Then of course I had to add to this excitement, it’s the Nina way don’t you know. I got excited about the phone and start giving people my number, but I wrote down the wrong number. After figuring this out I had to apologize and correct this error over the course of several days. It’s so funny and so far everyone has been forgiving and nice.

I continue to learn that things have a different rhythm here in Togo and it’s beautiful but stretches me at the same time to leave my American thought pattern aside. I know that after living here I will never be to same.